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Staff Bios
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Gene Bess is in his 39th season as athletic director and head basketball coach at TRCC. His career record following the 2008-2009 season is 1084-283. His winning percentage is 79.3%.
Before Coach Bess came to Three Rivers, he had a very successful high school coaching career. He won 250 games over a 12 year stint at Lesterville High School, Anniston High School, and Oran High School. In his last season at Oran, his squad lost to Dixon 76-74 in the Missouri Class M high school championship. He served one year as an assistant coach for Bob Cradic's 1970 TRCC team.
Coach Bess has led the Raiders to 15 tournament appearances in the NJCAA tournament, where his career mark is 37-22. The Raiders have reached the final four 8 times. He has led the Raiders to two national championships in 1979 and 1992. The 1979 TRCC team defeated Mercer Co., NJ 60-59 in overtime and the 1992 TRCC team beat Butler Co., KS 78-77.
Coach Bess has been recognized as NJCAA National Coach of the Year twice, Regional Coach of the Year 19 times, and MCCAC Conference Coach of the Year 17 times. He is a member of the Poplar Bluff Sports Hall of Fame, Missouri Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, and National Junior College Hall of Fame. He is the all time most winning Junior College coach. The new biography titled: "Gene Bess College Basketball's Winningest Coach" is available at www.genebess.com .
Coach Bess is a deacon at the First Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff. He and his wife, Nelda, have two children, Janell Hartmann and Brian, Raiders' assistant coach, and four grandchildren, Taylor Hartmann, Kolby Bess, Kiley Bess, and Bryelle Hartmann.
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Coach Brian Bess is in his sixteenth year as Assistant Basketball Coach at Three Rivers. The Raiders have compiled an outstanding record of 418-120, which is a winning percentage of 77.7%. Brian's duties include recruiting, scouting, coaching during practices and games, organizing the Booster Club's media guide, various fund raising projects, National Anthem and halftime entertainment and other responsibilities.
He received an A.A. Degree from TRCC in 1991. He earned his B.A. Degree in Physical Education from Lyon College in Batesville, AR. He completed his Master's degree at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro in 1998.
Brian is a deacon and a trustee at the First Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff. Brian and his wife Kacey have two children, Kolby Brian and Kiley Jean.
Brian teaches in the TRCC Physical Education department. He teaches First Aid & CPR, Sports Officiating, Bowling, Foundations of Fitness, Fitness Center I, Fitness Center II, and Athletic Fitness.
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Coach William Durden is in his third year as a member of the TRCC coaching staff. William's duties include coaching, recruiting, scouting, and player relations. He is the Bidewell Fitness Center Director and TRCC's Wellness Director. Also, he is in charge of athletic administrative duties, such as athletic insurance, athletic eligibility, study hall monitor and housing supervision.
William received an A.A. degree from TRCC, where he played from 2001-'03. He continued his career at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee from 2003-05. He earned a B.B.A. in Marketing in 2005 and a Master's Degree in Management in 2006 from APSU. He and his wife, Faith have two sons named Brendan William and Samuel Liam
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Coach Jack Childress is entering his 19th year of coaching at TRCC. During his tenure as basketball coach his teams have totaled 365 wins and 163 losses, winning Region XVI East six times, the MCCAC conference six times, (going undefeated three of those years, 1994-95, 1995-96, & 2003-04), and reached the National Tournament in 1995 & 2004. He has coached eleven basketball All Americans. He is extremely honored to have had ten Academic All-Americans, two of which were in the '06-'07 season.
Coach Childress is also the head softball coach. He was an assistant on last year's staff. He coached softball from '95-'06. The program returns 5 sophomores and 12 freshmen.
Coach Childress graduated in 1970 with a B.S.E. in Physical Education and in 1980 with an M.S.E. in Educational Administration from Arkansas State University.
Coach Childress is and his wife, Linda, have one daughter, Christa, and two grandchildren, Tyler-13 and Trent- 10.
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Coach Stacey Burkey enters his eighteenth year at Three Rivers ; his twelfth as head baseball coach. Thirteen players return off of last year's team that provided to opportunity for nine sophomores to further their baseball careers at four-year schools. Combined with an excellent freshman class, the Raiders look to improve upon last year's season and advance toward the NJCAA World Series.
Coach Burkey played on year of minor league baseball in Long Island, New York. After earning his B.S.E. from Southwest Missouri State University, he received his M.S.E. form Arkansas State University. Coach Burkey and his wife Sharon have two sons, Joshua, age 10 and Noah, age 2.
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Coach Short is entering his second year at Three Rivers as the assistant baseball coach. He is from Mansfield and graduated form Mansfield High School in 1992. He played baseball for TRCC for 2 years from 1993-94. He pitched two years for the Raiders and was All Conference and All Region pick. After his Three Rivers career, he was drafted in the 41st round into the by the New York Mets Organization.
He played in the minor leagues with the Mets for eight years. Coach Short's team won the Florida State League playoffs in 1996 and the Eastern League playoffs in 1997. He received the MVP of the Florida State playoffs and still holds the record for the most wins in the playoffs.
Upon completing his career as a baseball pitcher for the Mets, Coach Short returned to college at Drury University. There he completed a degree in Public Relations/Advertising
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