FORT SMITH (KFSM)- The University of Arkansas Fort Smith has seen a lot of changes over the past 30-years but there's been one constant on the sidelines and that is women's head coach Louis Whorton. The day after he formally announced his retirement when the season ends he went on to win his 642-game Thursday against Texas A&M International, putting him close to ending his UAFS career with 650-game wins.
"I think it's time that these young girls you know that they listen to another voice," said Whorton on why he is retiring. "I used to think of these players around here as my daughters now I look at them like my grandkids. It's time, there is a lot of things left I would like to do and now my wife and I have time to do them."
Whorton has spent most of his life coaching, 42-years to be exact, and his journey to the Lady Lions and coaching college basketball started in 1986.
"Probably what a lot of people don't know is that I coached girl's basketball for two-years," said Whorton on his early years in coaching. "When I got hired here the first college women's basketball game that I ever saw in my life I was coaching it on the sidelines. I mean I was about as new as you could be."
Under the Veteran coach's reign the Lady Lions have been successful. Whorton, while at UAFS, has compiled a 642-274 overall win-loss record with 18 20-win seasons and six 30-win seasons. Also, Whorton has helped the Lady Lions to one Arkansas JUCO Conference championship, three Arkansas State Tournament Championships, seven Bi-State East Conference championships, and seven Region II championships.
So does he see his last season ending with another championship?
"One of my favorite coaches of all-time was Al McGuire he coached at Marquette and he won a National Championship walked out of the gym got on his motorcycle and drove off in the sunset never coached again and I thought boy what a great ending." Whorton then went on to add that a championship would be a nice ending, and that he believes his current team is capable of making it happen but that it is not an be-all end-all.
"I tell every team lets just fight through the season," said Whorton on having a winning season. " Then we look back and if we can honestly say we were the best team that we could become we have had a great year."
Even when his coaching career comes to an end, after the season, Whorton will transition from being a coach on the sidelines to being a fan in the stands and plans on attending Lady Lions basketball games and other UAFS athletic events.
"I have nothing but good memories of this University and teams I have had," said Whorton on retiring from coaching. "I've had some great kids and I've had some even greater people and so I have a ton of memories to keep me going for the rest of my life."
The Lady Lions play St. Mary's Saturday February 6th at 1 p.m. at the Stubblefield Center.