Bio

With a coaching career spanning over half a century, Gene Bess left his mark on the NJCAA, the Three Rivers (MO) men's basketball program, and collegiate basketball world. Bess arrived at NJCAA member college Three Rivers in 1969 after a 12-year stint coaching in high school basketball. From there he had an acclaimed coaching career which consisted of 17 NJCAA national tournament appearances with two national championship titles. Bess led the Three Rivers men's basketball team to have one of the best winning traditions in junior college basketball history.

Bess is a two-time National Coach of the Year, 19-time Missouri Community College Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, 23-time Regional Coach of the Year, and the first college basketball coach at any level to reach 1,000 wins. Under his leadership, the Raiders averaged 26 wins per season with four trips to the national championship game, 20 NJCAA Region 16 titles, and 29 MCCAC championship victories. Throughout his career he has coached two future NBA players in Marvin McCrary and Latrell Sprewell and at least 42 former Raiders went on to become coaches.

Bess is in the Poplar Bluff Sports Hall of Fame, Missouri Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, NJCAA Men's Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, and most notably the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The Three Rivers basketball court is named after him along with a bronze statue in front of the sports complex built in his honor. At the time of his retirement in 2020, Bess amassed 1,300 wins, the most in collegiate basketball at any level with a final coaching record of 1,300-416.