Kris Flood is retiring as head coach of the Republic girls basketball program after 25 seasons. Flood told players about his retirement Tuesday after school.
Republic Activities Director Trevyor Fisher said the search to find Flood’s replacement “will begin immediately.”
During 25 seasons as head coach in Republic, Flood compiled a record of 530 wins and 178 losses, for a winning percentage of .749. He led the Lady Tigers to nine Central Ozark Conference (COC) championships, including five seasons in which they finished conference play without a loss. Flood’s won-loss record in COC play during his 25 seasons was 161-44, a winning percentage of .631. Republic won Flood’s last 17 COC games in a row, dating back to last season.
Republic won 15 district championships during Flood’s tenure and qualified for 10 state quarterfinals. His teams won 20 games in 19 of his 25 seasons. Over his last four seasons, the Lady Tigers averaged six losses.
Throughout his career, Flood’s teams seemed to play their best basketball in February and March. The 2023-24 season may have been some of the clearest evidence of Flood’s ability to shape a team over the course of a three-month season. Republic’s 7-4 start included an 18-point loss to Kickapoo in November as the Lady Tigers adjusted to life without all-time leading scorer and rebounder Kaemyn Bekemeier. Republic finished the Pink & White Lady Classic with two wins and two losses as players continued to adjust to their new roles.
Fast-forward to March 4: the season ended with a two-point loss in the final seconds to that same Kickapoo team. Before that, the Lady Tigers had won 16 games in a row, finishing with an overall record of 23-5.
