Porter joined Missouri Southern prior to the 2021-22 season as an Assistant Coach for the MSSU Women's Basketball team, elevated to Associate Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator on May 1, 2024.
2023-24 Season
The Lions surpassed many preseason expectations as they were selected fifth in the coaches and seventh in the media preseason polls. The Lions began the season with only two returning starters in Kaitlin Hunnicutt and Kryslyn Jones, but quickly found sparks in freshman center Ryan Franklin and senior forward Brandi Hudson. The Lions climbed the ranks of the MIAA with eight straight wins, four of which where nationally-ranked opponents, and claimed sole possession of first in the conference. The Lions held an incredible 15 game win streak which spanned over 70 days and held the top spot in the conference for over a month. Ryan Franklin was named the MIAA Freshman of the Year and named a All-MIAA honorable mention after a great start to her collegiate career. Kryslyn Jones was given All-MIAA second team honors after leading the Lions in scoring. Kaitlin Hunnicutt and Brandi Hudson were given All-MIAA honorable mention honors as well for their leadership in the successful season.
2022-23 Season
The 2022-23 season would see a program record 29 wins and the first MIAA Tournament Championship since 1996 and the first NCAA Regional Tournament championship appearance since 1994. Lacy Stokes was a first-team All-MIAA guard along with being on the All-Defensive team and repeated as an All-Region and All-American selection while being named the MIAA Tournament MVP and to the Central Region All-Tournament team. Madi Stokes was named All-MIAA and onto the All-Defensive team for the third year in a row with Kryslyn Jones and Layne Skiles earning All-MIAA honors for the first time. Skiles would be named to the MIAA and Central Region All-Tournament teams with Amaya Johns being named to the MIAA All-Tournament team as well. Southern set 11 team records beginning with wins in a season, points scored in a season, three pointers made and attempted, defensive rebounds, blocks, neutral site wins in a season and points scored in each quarter.
The Lions saw Lacy Stokes emerge into one of the premier talents in Division-II after being named MIAA Player and Freshman of the Year becoming the first to win both awards in the same year in conference history. Lacy set 13 freshman records within the program helping lead a team that was picked to finish ninth in preseason polls to winning the first MIAA regular season title in program history. Head coach Ronnie Ressel earned his first ever Coach of the Year honors from the MIAA as well. Madi Stokes and Amaya Johns were also named to the All-MIAA teams as third teamers while Madi and Lacy were named to the All-Defensive team. The Lions had two named to the All-MIAA Tournament team for the first time in school history as Layne Skiles and Lacy Stokes were named. Lacy Stokes also went on to be named 1st-team All-Central Region by D2CCA becoming the first freshman ever in program history and only the fifth Lion ever to garner All-Region honors. Lacy became the first freshman in program history to be named All-American as well, becoming the ninth Lion ever to garner such honor.
The Lions won the regular season crown in the MIAA for the first time in school history and made it to the programs fourth ever appearance in the MIAA Tournament Championship game. The Lions also made a return to the NCAA Regional Tournament for the first time since 1996 and finished going 24-7 and 19-3 in MIAA play while setting team records for most consecutive wins overall (17), consecutive wins in MIAA play (15), wins in MIAA play overall (19) and the 24 wins overall is tied for the third most in a single-season. As a team the Lions set new marks for season three's made and attempted going 221-of-701 and tied the game records for both going 14-of-34 against LIncoln (Dec. 18th).
2021-22 Season
The 2021-22 season saw Madi Stokes become the new career blocks leader and the second Lion ever to register three straight seasons of 30 or more blocks. Madi is the only Lion to ever have 45 or more blocks in consecutive seasons as well. Lacy Stokes set new freshman records in points scored in a season, single-game, points per game, games scoring 20 or more, games scoring 30 or more, steals, steals per game and assist-turnover ratio while ranking second in assists and assists per game among freshman totals. Layne Skiles moved into the top-ten in career three point shooting and will set the school record for games played next season.Â
Porter comes to the Lions after four years at Tyler Junior College where he helped lead the team to an 97-39 record and three-straight National Tournament Appearances. The Apaches reached the Sweet 16 in 2018-19 and the Elite Eight in 2020-21. The team won the Region 14 Championship in 18-19.Â
Porter coached the National Junior College Player of the Year, as well as a Region Player of the Year and two Region Freshmen of the Year, while mentoring 11 All-Conference Players.Â
Prior to Tyler, Porter was on the staff at Incarnate Word where he worked for three seasons, serving as the head of player development and junior college recruitment while the team transitioned from Division II to Division I.Â
A 2011 graduate of Missouri Valley College, Porter was an All-Conference selection as a senior. He earned a degree in exercise science from MVC. Porter is a native of Red Bud, Illinois and also earned an associates degree from Southwestern Illinois College where he was a starter for a nationally-ranked team in both seasons.Â
