State Fair Community College (SFCC) Lady Roadrunners Assistant Basketball Coach Jade Perry and Roadrunners Assistant Basketball Coach Adam Short will be leaving SFCC this summer. The athletic department thanked both coaches for their numerous contributions to the college and the community both on and off the basketball court.
Perry was with the program for three seasons and coached seven All-Region 16 players and nine Missouri Community College Athletic Conference All-Conference student-athletes. She also coached four players ranked in top 10 positions in the Lady Roadrunners all-time single-season statistical categories.
Perry helped eight student-athletes continue their academic and athletic career at NCAA Division I or Division II levels. Last season, she helped the Lady Roadrunners' sophomore guard/forward Connor Watkins earn an opportunity to continue her academic and athletic career at Texas A&M International University.
"Coach Perry has made a tremendous contribution to our athletic department," said Athletic Director Darren Pannier. "One thing that stood out about Coach Perry was her experience as a student-athlete at the University of Maryland, it's not every day at this level you have a head coach or assistant coach who has won a National Championship at Division I. She is well connected and that allowed our student-athletes to succeed at the next level. She was also an asset in recruiting and her X's and O's were very good."
Coach Short was with the men's program for five seasons and helped the Roadrunners to the Region 16 Tournament Semifinal Round in four of his five seasons in Sedalia. Last season, SFCC lost to the top-seeded team in the Region 16 Tournament in overtime. During his first campaign in Sedalia, Short helped the Roadrunners to the Region 16 Tournament Championship Game.
Short has coached numerous All-Region 16 players during his tenure, including Region 16 Most Valuable Player and NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Second-Team All-American Ronnie Rousseau III in 2016. In Short's third season, the Roadrunners were 19-10 and made an appearance in the Region 16 Tournament Semifinal Round. He coached NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American Andre (A.J.) Walker along with many Missouri Community College Athletic Conference All-Conference players. Short helped more than 19 student-athletes transfer to four-year universities during his time at SFCC.
"Coach Short has grown a lot during his time at SFCC," said Pannier. "He is very respected on campus as well as in the basketball world. He brought a lot to the table and served a lot at SFCC. Both Coach Perry and Coach Short will be missed at State Fair Community College. Both coaches were integral parts of ensuring our players were successful in the classrooms. They helped with schedules and monitored the student-athletes academically. They will be greatly missed."
The campus is currently closed due to the COVID 19 pandemic and will reopen to the public on August 3. Classes are scheduled to be delivered on-site in the fall, with a few minor exceptions.
David Rohrbach
SFCC Athletics