Cory Sloan joins the Bulldogs as Assistant Coach following a successful four-year stint at Clinton College (S.C.) serving as the head coach for the past three seasons after previously holding the position of associate head coach. During his time at the helm, Sloan compiled an impressive 54-26 record with an overall 74-32 mark including multiple championships and tournament appearances.
"Cory comes highly recommended from a variety of coaches associated with Louisville Cardinal Head Coach Pat Kelsey," Worley said. "Coach Sloan has worked his way up from a championship-winning Winthrop culture to his own program where he won nearly 68 percent of his games. That's hard to do at any level. Cory will bring experience and dedication to the Bulldog program."
In just his first season as head coach, Sloan led the Clinton Golden Bears to the NCCAA National Championship game. He also guided the program to three consecutive Final Four appearances while capturing two conference championships, the first in the 2021-22 season and another in the 2023-24 season.
The 2022-2023 season was particularly historic, as Sloan led the Golden Bears to their first-ever appearance in the NCCAA Division I National Championship Tournament. The team finished with a 23-3 record – a program milestone – and dominated the national rankings, finishing first in both points per game (106.2) and rebounds per game (48.8). They also ranked second in field goal percentage (.521) and first in three-point percentage (.394). For his efforts, Sloan was honored as the South Region Coach of the Year for the 2022-2023 season.
"I appreciate Coach Worley for giving me this opportunity to come to Truman State and make an impact,"Sloan said. "I'm excited about the Kirksville community, the people here, and the direction of this program."
Sloan's team made history by becoming the first in school history to defeat an NCAA Division II opponent. The Golden Bears beat Edward Waters (Fla.), 105-80, and Kentucky State, 98-91. at the U.S. Virgin Islands HBCU Classic during the 2022-23 season.
All told, Clinton would defeat an NCAA Division II opponent four time during Sloan's three years guiding the Golden Bears. The program also set a record with a 33-game home winning streak in a testament to Sloan's coaching and player development.
Before his time at Clinton, Sloan spent five years as an assistant coach at Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, S.C. There, he helped lead the program to a 74-42 record, back-to-back 20-win seasons, and the school's first region championship in more than 20 years. Prior to his high school coaching career, Sloan worked as a manager and assistant video coordinator under Pat Kelsey at Winthrop (S.C.) University, where he earned his bachelor's degree in Sport Management. During his time at Winthrop, the men's basketball team went 68-29 and appeared in the Big South Championship game three consecutive years, winning the title in the 2016-17 season and earning an NCAA Division I Tournament berth.
"I come from a tradition of winning so I look forward to continuing that tradition here at Truman State," said Sloan.
A native of South Carolina, Sloan graduated from Eastside High School in 2014, where he was a member of the boys' basketball team.
"The addition of Coach Sloan helps elevate our program as we embark on year one with this new group of guys," Worley said. "We have added valuable backcourt pieces to our roster and we will announce those additional Bulldog student-athletes across various media channels very soon."
