Inductees

Mike Ziesel knew early on what kind of coach he was.

He wanted to lead and encourage teams that attacked the game of basketball like they did life – control the controllables, give it your all and have character.

“Ever since I was young, I would label myself as a defensive coach,” Ziesel said. “Anybody can play offense. It takes character and desire to be defensive-minded. My strength was motivating players to be strong defensively. I was a defensive player myself.”

Ziesel carried that philosophy through a standout career as a coach and an athletic director, giving 42 years to high school athletics in St. Joseph. For that, the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame is proud to induct him into the Class of 2025.

“There is nothing new in the game of basketball,” Ziesel said. “You pass it, you shoot it, you set picks on the ball, you set pics off the ball. You don’t copy people, but you learn from everyone. It’s all about how you put it together and about how you play the game.”

Ziesel’s remarkable journey in the world of education and athletics spans over four decades, marked by his unwavering dedication, leadership, and impactful contributions to the communities he served. He gave 42 years to high school athletics in St. Joseph, coaching basketball and serving as athletic director.

“My dad, years ago, was a coach and a teacher and I just followed in his footsteps,” Ziesel said. “You go to college and you’re not sure what you want to do. I got to Benedictine and all I thought about was sports and school. And I thought as my education came along and I tried to further my career in teaching, coaching would be a tremendous addition.

“Ever since I was young, I loved being a part of any kind of team and any kind of sports activity.”

Ziesel credits Don Tabor for giving him his first job at as an assistant basketball and football coach at Bishop LeBlond. Ziesel was an assistant on Bishop LeBlond’s 1977 state championship in Class 2. He also coached golf.

“Kids would come to me and say ‘I keep hitting it to the left, what do I do?’” he said. “And all I could tell them was just ‘Hit it straight.’”

Safe to say he had much better advice in basketball. He became coach at Benton High School in 1984 and was 331-137, including 316 wins in 19 seasons at Benton. His 1985, 1990 and 1992 boys teams earned Class 3 third-place finishes – their first Final Four appearance since 1941.

He was the Class 3 MBCA Coach of the Year in 1989 and 1992, and the News-Press Coach of the Year in 1989 and 1994.

“I’ve seen a lot of success and been a part of success,” Ziesel said. “You have to have the athletes. Coaches can coach, and you have to manage, but if you don’t have the athletes, you’re not going to go really far.

“If you have the athletes, if you can get them to believe in your system, you can have success. I was fortune that my players bought in at every level.”

Ziesel spent the final 15 years of his career as the school’s athletic director, with Final Four berths for the baseball team (fourth in 2005, state champs 2007) and girls basketball team (2007 state champs, 2014 fourth place, 2016 state champs).

“I think about my coaching career and then 15 years as an AD, the only thing that changed was I turned to coaching my coaches,” Ziesel said. “You’re watching the progress, giving them advice. You’ve got to believe in your coaches and have their backs no matter what.”

Forty-six years later, he was back on the sideline for LeBlond, assisting the girls team as it finished as state runner-up.

As a family man, Mike has been married to his wife, Patty, for 49 years. They have Brian, Adam, Katie, Jackie and Matthew, and have eight grandchildren.

“Systems change, coaches change, but if you can show up and watch and make changes and play hard, you can have success,” he said. “You want kids to be a part of something. I firmly believe kids shouldn’t be a one-sport athlete. They can learn so much and become well-rounded by trying other things. Not every coach has the same ideas, not every sport has the same preparation. If they can learn to adjust and get involved, it can help them the rest of their lives.”