Emporia State University is a public university in Emporia, Kansas, United States. Established in March 1863 as the Kansas State Normal School, Emporia State is the third-oldest public university in the state of Kansas. Emporia State is one of six public universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents.
William L. White Auditorium, commonly known as White Auditorium, is a 5,000 seat multi-purpose arena in Emporia, Kansas. It is home to the Emporia State University men's and women's basketball teams, as well as the volleyball team.
Harold Edward "Bud" Elliott was an American football coach. He served as the head coach at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas (1964–1968), Washburn University (1969–1970), Kansas State Teachers College—now known as Emporia State University (1971–1973), the University of Texas at Arlington (1974–1983), Northwest Missouri State University (1988–1993), and Eastern New Mexico University (1994–2004), compiling a career college football record of 205–179–9. Elliott won more games than any other head coach in the history of Eastern New Mexico Greyhounds football program. He coached football at high school and collegiate levels for over 40 years. In his last season of coaching in 2004, Elliott became the 46th head coach in NCAA football history to reach 200 wins. At the time of his retirement, he ranked third in victories among active NCAA Division II coaches.
Garin Higgins is an American football college coach and former player. Higgins is the head football coach at Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas, a position he has held since the 2007 season. Higgins previously served as the head football coach at Northwestern Oklahoma State University from 2000 to 2004. His Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers finished as runners-up in the NAIA Football National Championship in 2000 and 2003. Higgins worked as co-offensive coordinator at Minnesota State University, Mankato and offensive coordinator at Northeastern State University in 2006.
The Emporia State Hornets are the athletic teams that represent Emporia State University (ESU). The women's basketball and softball teams use the name Lady Hornets. The university's athletic program fields 15 varsity teams in 11 sports all of whom have combined to win 50 conference championships as well as three national championships. Corky the Hornet serves as the mascot representing the teams, and the school colors are black and gold. Emporia State participates in the NCAA Division II and has been a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) since 1991.
The Emporia State Hornets football program is a college football team that represents Emporia State University, often referred to as "Emporia State" or "ESU". The team competes as a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA), which is a conference in the Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The program began in 1897 and has fifteen conference titles. On December 15, 2006, former Hornet quarterback Garin Higgins became the team's 24th head coach, following the resignation of Dave Wiemers. Home games are played on Jones Field at Welch Stadium, located on the Emporia State University campus in Emporia, Kansas. In August 2017, Hero Sports named Emporia State the "best football team in Kansas, regardless of division."
The Emporia State Lady Hornets basketball team represents Emporia State University and competes in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) of the NCAA Division II. On April 6, 2018, Toby Wynn was announced as the seventh head coach, replacing Jory Collins who left to join former Lady Hornet coach Brandon Schneider at the University of Kansas.
Jory Michael Collins is an American women's college basketball coach currently serving as the head coach for the North Dakota State program. From 2010 until 2018, Collins was the head coach at Emporia State University. Collins led the Emporia State Lady Hornets to eight consecutive winning seasons. Collins is the second winningest coach in Emporia State history with a record of 199–58 (.774).
The 2014 Emporia State Hornets football team represented Emporia State University in the 2014 NCAA Division II football season. The Hornets played their home games on Jones Field at Francis G. Welch Stadium, in Emporia, Kansas as they have done since 1937. 2014 was the 121st season in school history. The Hornets were led by head coach Garin Higgins, who finished his 14th overall season, and eighth overall at Emporia State. Emporia State is a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.
Brandon Schneider is an American college women's basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Schneider was previously the head coach, from 2010 to 2015, for Stephen F. Austin State University, and from 1998 to 2010 at Emporia State University, an NCAA Division II school located in Emporia, Kansas, where he led the team to the 2010 National Championship.
The Emporia State Hornets basketball team represents Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas, in the NCAA Division II men's basketball competition. The team is coached by Craig Doty, who is in his first season as head coach. The Hornets currently compete in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.
Brian Shay is a former American football running back, who played for the Emporia State Hornets from 1995 to 1998. While at Emporia State, Shay broke various NCAA records and was the Harlon Hill Trophy winner in 1998. Shay is one of the all-time rushing leaders in the NCAA Division II.
The 2015 Emporia State Hornets football team represented Emporia State University in the 2015 NCAA Division II football season. The Hornets played their home games on Jones Field at Francis G. Welch Stadium in Emporia, Kansas, as they have done since 1937. 2015 was the 122nd season in school history. The Hornets were led by head coach Garin Higgins, who finished his fifteenth overall season, and ninth at Emporia State. Emporia State is a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.
The Emporia State Hornets baseball team represents Emporia State University in NCAA Division II college baseball. The team participates in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The teams plays its home games on Glennen Field at Trusler Sports Complex, located just north of the Emporia State campus, and are coached by Seth Wheeler.
Val Schierling is an American former college women's basketball coach. He coached at Emporia State University from 1981 to 1995. Before coaching at his alma mater, Schierling coached the Chaparral High School girls' basketball team for seven years.
William Quayle is a former American university sports administrator and professor. Quayle worked as athletic director for Emporia State University, an NCAA Division II sports program in Emporia, Kansas.
Robert William Fornelli is an American college baseball coach and current head baseball coach at Pittsburg State University. Previously, Fornelli coached at his alma mater Emporia State University from 2004 to 2018 where he guided the Hornets to five Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association regular season championships and two conference tournament championships, 13 trips to the NCAA Tournament, two World Series appearances and a national runner-up finish. Fornelli was the coach at Fort Hays State from 1996 to 2003.
Trusler Sports Complex is a sports facility located in Emporia, Kansas. The complex consists of four fields – one baseball, three softball – and is home to the Emporia State baseball and softball teams.
The 2016–17 Emporia State Lady Hornets basketball team represented Emporia State University in the 2016–17 NCAA Division II women's basketball season, which was the 43rd Lady Hornets basketball season. The Lady Hornets were led by 7th-year head coach, Jory Collins. The team played their home games on Slaymaker Court at William L. White Auditorium in Emporia, Kansas, the home court since 1974. Emporia State was a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.
