Head Coach 
Missouri State University
132-31 (6th Season at JCCC)
188-68 (9th Season at NJCAA Level)
490-234 (24th Season Overall)

Rand Chappell is in his sixth season as head coach at Johnson County Community College, and his 24^th overall as a collegiate head coach in 2025-26. He was hired as JCCC’s eighth men’s basketball coach on May 15, 2020.

Chappell has amassed 132 wins in his first five seasons, the most of any of the previous five coaches in program history. He stands 132-31 good for an .810 winning percentage. For his career he has amassed a 188-68 (.734) record over eight seasons coaching at the NJCAA level and is 490-234 (.677) over his 23-year college coaching career.

Chappell's tenure at JCCC boasts five straight winnings seasons and four consecutive 20-win campaigns, four NJCAA D-II Tournament appearances (2021, 2023, 2024, 2025), three Region VI/Plains District titles (2021, 2023, 2024) and three KJCCC D-II tiles, two outright (2021, 2023, 2025). His teams have been ranked nationally in 62-of-74 polls (84%) including a span of 32 straight from January 19, 2021 to November 28, 2022. Currently his teams have been ranked in 29 consecutive polls (3-6-23 – present). His teams have also been ranked in the top 10 in 37-of-74 polls (50%) and in the top 5 in 17-of-74 polls (23%).

In five seasons at JCCC, Chappell has coached five NJCAA All-Americans, 16 All-Region VI performers, 16 All-Jayhawk Conference picks, one MVP selection, three conference Defensive Players of the Year, one conference Newcomer of the Year, two Freshmen of the Year selections and one 1,000-point scorer. Off the court, Chappell has five student-athletes earn College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® and nine earn NJCAA All-Academic honors. In addition, he has helped 16 players move on to play at the four-year level, including two at NJCAA D-I.

Last year the Cavaliers won the KJCCC D-II title outright with a perfect 14-0 record in conference play. In the Region 6 final, rival Kansas City Kansas upset JCCC 74-73 but their body of work throughout the season was good enough for the national tournament selection committee to grant the Cavaliers an at-large bid. After falling to Macomb in the opening round, JCCC rebounded two wins to reach the seventh/eighth place game. One of those wins was a 90-63 thumping of Kansas City Kansas, avenging their Region 6 Championship setback. Rand’s team would end up eighth in the tournament and finish 31-6 overall, tying a team record for most wins in a season. Sophomore forward Brandon Mann, the team’s MVP, was named All-Region 6 and All-KJCCC D-II first-team and NJCAA D-II All-America second-team. He also became the third student-athlete to be named Academic All-District® College Division At-Large by College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) in men’s basketball history. Joining Mann on the All-Region 6 and All-KJCCC D-II teams were Gavin Harvey, Tavian Cruse and Steven Samuels. Harvey was also named Freshman of the Year and Samuels was the Defensive Player of the Year. Samuels also was selected to the NJCAA D-II All-Tournament team after averaging 21.3 points over the four games in the tournament, and his 85 total points set a new tournament record. Chappell was named the KJCCC D-II Coach of the Year.

In 2023-24 Johnson County won districts and qualified for the NJCAA Division II National Tournament for the third time Chappell’s four-year tenure at the college. The Cavaliers finished 28-7 overall and ranked No. 18 in the final NJCAA D-II Poll. Individually the men’s basketball team had three players earn postseason accolades.  Sophomore guard Massi Malterer was named All-Kansas Jayhawk Conference D-II first-team and NJCAA All-America third team. Sophomore forward Kyler Mann also was named first-team all-conference, and freshman forward Brandon Mann was selected third-team all-conference. Malterer and Kyler Mann also became the first student-athletes to be named Academic All-District® College Division At-Large by College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) in men’s basketball history.

In 2022-23, Chappell guided the Cavaliers to an outright KJCCC D-II championship, a Region VI/Plains District Championship and a berth to the NJCAA D-II National Tournament for the second time in his three seasons as head coach. His team went on to finish seventh overall with a 29-8 mark, tying the second-most wins in team history. For those efforts he was named the KJCCC D-II Coach of the Year. He also coached three all-conference performers, including conference MVP Tymer Jackson, who also became just the fourth player to be selected first-team NJCAA All-American and the 14th player in team history to score over 1,000 career points.

In 2021-22, Chappell's team raced out of the gate winning a school record 20 straight games. Johnson County opened the season ranked 11th but by mid-January his squad had moved all the way up to No. 2. JCCC eventually finished the season 28-4, ranked fourth nationally and finished runner-up in both the KJCCC D-II Conference and the Region 6/Plains District Tournament. Chappell also coached three All-KJCCC and Region 6 performers in Tymer Jackson, Desi Williams and Jayland Whitehead. Jackson also became the 21st player to be selected All-American. He also was named the conference Newcomer of the Year, and Whitehead was selected the Defensive Player of the Year for a second straight season.

In his inaugural campaign at JCCC, Chappell led the Cavaliers to a 16-6 mark, a tie for the D-II Kansas Jayhawk Conference title, a Region VI Championship and berth to the NJCAA D-II National Tournament in Danville, Ill.  The Cavaliers were also ranked all season, reaching the No. 2 spot for two weeks, and closed out the year ranked No. 11.  Chappell also coached three All-KJCCC and All-Region VI performers in Jaycson Bereal, Jaland Whitehead and Desi Williams. Whitehead also became the 20th player to be selected All-American.

Prior to JCCC, Chappell had ties to the state of Kansas and the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference having served head coaching stints at Labette Community College (1993-95) and Garden City Community College (2012-13).  Overall, Chappell has served 19 years coaching college men’s basketball, compiling a 374-209 record.

Chappell came to Johnson County after serving the past seven seasons as assistant coach to Jay Spoonhour at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Ill. While at EIU, Chappell coached 11 All-Ohio Valley Conference performers, including three first-team and five All-Newcomer team selections, and four NABC All-District selections. He also helped the Panthers to six OVC Tournament appearances in seven seasons. In the 2014-15 campaign, EIU posted an 18-15 record and won the program’s first-ever NCAA Division I postseason game. The Panthers posted a 99-118 record (.456) over his sevens at Eastern Illinois.

Chappell played for Charlie Spoonhour at Missouri State University and began his coaching career serving as a graduate assistant at the University of Mississippi and Missouri State University. 

Chappell spent five seasons(1988-93) as an assistant coach at Southwest Baptist University under head coach Jerry Kirksey where he helped guide the 1990-91 team to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.

Chappell began his head coaching career in 1993 in the state of Kansas at Labette Community College in Parsons, Kan. In two seasons at Labette, Chappell posted a 45-17 record, led the Cardinals to consecutive Independent Tournament Championships and reach the NJCAA Region VI Tournament both seasons. 

In 1995 Chappell was hired as head coach of Phillips University in Enid, Okla., and he took over a program that had three straight losing seasons. During his three years at Phillips, he guided the Haymakers to the No. 1 ranking in the final NAIA Division I regular season poll, compiled a 78-22 record, and led the team to two NAIA tournament appearances. He was twice named Sooner Athletic Conference Coach of the Year and was named the Basketball Times NAIA National Coach of the Year in 1998. 

In 1998 Chappell took over the program at Henderson State University. During his five seasons at Henderson State, he guided his teams to an unprecedented four Gulf South Conference men’s basketball tournament championships, three Gulf South Conference West titles, and led teams to five NCAA tournament appearances. Overall, Chappell compiled a 120-40 record and a 58-14 mark in Gulf South Conference games. He was named the NABC South Region Coach of the Year in 1999. He also coached six All-Americans, two Gulf South Conference Players of the Year, five first-team and eight second-team All-GSC performers. 

In 2002-03, Henderson State finished 30-5 overall, tying a school record, and reached the NCAA D-II Tournament South Regional championship game. The Reddies were ranked 15^th in the nation in the final NABC/Division II Bulletin Top 25. 

Following that season, Chappell took over the University of Central Arkansas program that went 5-20 the previous year. In his first two seasons, he produced a 43-18 record as head coach of the Bears, and the Central Arkansas tied for the league title and made their first ever trip to the NCAA D-II Tournament. They started the 2004 season with 11 straight victories, captured their first ever national ranking and won the Gulf South Conference West title.  Chappell led the Bears to two straight appearances in the GSC tournament, advancing to the semifinals both years. 

In 2006 Central Arkansas began its multi-year transition to Division I and joined the Southland Conference. At the end of his D-II career, Chappell’s overall coaching record was 243-79, which ranked him in the top five on the NCAA D-II list with a .761 winning percentage. He also had the all-time highest winning percentage in Gulf South Conference history with a .750 percentage. 

Overall, Chappell coached seven seasons at Central Arkansas, compiling a 104-104 mark. He coached one second-team, one third-team and two honorable mention All-Southland Conference selection, and one first-team and three second-team All-Gulf South Conference performers. 

Chappell returned the state of Kansas in 2012-13, serving one year as head coach of Garden City Community College. He led the Broncbusters to a mark of 11-20. 

A native of Springfield, Mo., Chappell received both his bachelor’s degree in finance and Master of Business Administration from Missouri State University. He is married to Molly Chappell, and has two daughters, Lauren and Paige.

Chappell's Record at Labette Community College

Chappell's Record at Phillips University

 Chappell's Record at Henderson State University

Chappell's Record at University of Central Arkansas

Chappells Record at Garden City Community College

Chappell's Record at Johnson County Community College

Chappell's Overall Coaching Record