Cottey Welcomes New Head Coaches for Basketball and Flag Football

NEVADA, MO—Cottey College is excited to welcome two dynamic leaders to its athletics program: Tim Eatman as Head Basketball Coach and Jay Osborne as Head Flag Football Coach. Both bring decades of experience and a deep commitment to excellence in collegiate athletics.

Tim Eatman Named Head Basketball Coach

Tim Eatman brings over 30 years of coaching experience, including significant success at the NCAA Division I level. He most recently served as the head coach at South Carolina State. Prior to that he spent eight seasons at Rutgers under Hall of Famer C. Vivian Stringer, where he helped the Scarlet Knights to five 20-win seasons and an NCAA Tournament berth as recruiting coordinator and associate head coach. His past roles include positions at Iowa, Louisville, Arkansas, and Kansas—where he helped secure a Big XII Championship and Sweet 16 appearance.

“To say we are ecstatic to welcome Coach Eatman to the Cottey College family is an understatement,” said Athletic Director Dr. Maryann Mitts. “His leadership and passion for mentoring young women align perfectly with Cottey’s mission and vision.”

Eatman has recruited and developed 2 Olympians, 3 All-Americans, and 14 WNBA players. “I am incredibly honored and excited to be named the Head Basketball Coach at Cottey College,” he said. “My goal is to help our players thrive academically, athletically, and personally. I’m excited to get started and be part of the Cottey community.”

Jay Osborne Named Head Flag Football Coach

Jay Osborne joins Cottey with over 20 years of coaching experience. He led the University of St. Mary from 2014 to 2019, with multiple top-ranked offensive seasons, and was named KCAC Coach of the Year in 2016. He also served as Offensive Coordinator at Independence Community College and most recently worked as Staffing Director for Sports International Football Camps.

His teams have earned multiple Champions of Character awards, produced over 50 Academic All-Americans, and logged thousands of volunteer hours annually.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Coach Osborne to Cottey,” said Mitts. “He is a proven leader who builds teams that compete with integrity and perform at a high level in the classroom and on the field.”

“I am very excited to lead Cottey’s flag football program in this next stage,” said Osborne. “There is a shared vision at Cottey to have extremely competitive and successful athletic programs.”