Lamont Frazier (left) has been Kim Anderson's top assistant at Central Missouri State for four seasons. (Photo by Dave Kopp)

WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- With success comes opportunity.

The resurgence of the Central Missouri State men's basketball program is bringing just that to the Mules' coaching staff. Assistant coach Lamont Frazier is leaving his post to become the head boys' basketball coach at Poplar Bluff High School in southeast Missouri.

"It's a dream for a lot of people to be a head coach, it doesn't matter at what level," Frazier said. "It's a great opportunity to do something I love to do. Hopefully, I can do it for a long time."

Frazier added family considerations were a big factor in his decision to take the job at Poplar Bluff. His daughters, Ali, 10, and Ana, 6, live there and he grew up in nearby Charleston, Mo.

"The biggest thing is for me to get back, closer to home, be around family and be able to enjoy a lot of what I've been away from since I went to college," he said. "My daughters are at an age where they've got a lot going on. I felt it was something I had to do for them, if I wanted to see them do the right things down the road."

Frazier joined the Central Missouri staff prior to the 1999-2000 campaign after two seasons as an assistant at Lincoln University. He worked three seasons under Don Doucette and the last four for head coach Kim Anderson.

"I've learned a lot in seven seasons," Frazier said. "I've learned how to deal with losing and I've learned how to deal with winning. Probably the biggest thing is how true and how genuine the people here in Warrensburg and the people here at Central Missouri State have been for seven years. It would have been easy during those hard times for people to look the other way because college sports are competitive.

"I was fortunate enough to be around people that continued to believe in my abilities in terms of what I could bring to the program. It's something I'll always be thankful for. Central Missouri provides you with a lot of opportunities to further whatever it is you wish to do. I'm thankful for that."

Since Frazier was reunited with Anderson in 2002, the Mules have gone from a team scrambling to qualify for the MIAA postseason tournament to conference champions and have received NCAA Tournament bids each of the past two seasons. Those accomplishments are a source of pride for Frazier.

"I'm proud of the fact that I was part of the turnaround, from where it was when I first got here seven years ago, to where it is today," he said. "Obviously, I'm not one to take a lot of credit, I'm just happy to be a part of it. A lot of people contributed to help us get where we are today."

"The initial attribute he brought to us was consistency," added Anderson. "He had been here for three years prior to my arrival. He had a great knowledge of Division II basketball, the campus, the community and was a great help to me in that respect. Since then, he's done an outstanding job in all aspects. He's been a tireless recruiter, has done a phenomenal job of coaching and in strategy and administrative work. He'll be missed."

At Poplar Bluff, Frazier will take over a program that has been highly successful, especially in recent years, with five straight district titles and three conference crowns. The Mules reached the Missouri State High School Championships three straight years, winning the Class 5 title in 2004 and 2005 after a fourth place finish in 2003.

This past season, Poplar Bluff was ousted by Kirkwood in the Class 5 Sectionals, finishing 21-6.

"That area, as a whole, is rich in basketball," Frazier said. "There have been a lot of basketball games won in that city. I don't want to do anything to disrupt that. I'm not going in there with the idea that it's my way or no way. I've got to figure out what has worked and continue to do it."

Anderson, for one, is confident Frazier will step into the head coach's role and be successful.

"He's prepared," Anderson said. "He's a very good basketball coach. He relates well to people. He possesses all the essentials to be very good. I know he's going into a situation that's been successful, but he's excited. It's a place where they have the resources and commitment to have a good high school program. There's no doubt in my mind he'll do very well."

Frazier played four seasons (1990-94) for Missouri under Norm Stewart while Anderson was an assistant coach. As a senior in 1993-94, Frazier earned Honorable Mention All-Big Eight honors and was named to the conference All-Defensive Team as the Tigers won an undefeated Big Eight title and reached the NCAA's Elite Eight with a 28-4 record.

He then played football for the Tigers in 1995, earning Second Team All-Big Eight accolades as a tight end.

Frazier was a two-time All-SEMO Conference selection at Charleston, winning the John Gibbs Award as the most outstanding player in the conference as a senior. The Blue Jays finished 33-0 in 1990, winning the Class 3A title for the third time in four years

As a junior, Frazier scored 42 points in the state semifinal and out rebounded Marshfield by himself, 23-21, in the state championship game as the Jays won 54-49.

At Central Missouri, Brad Loos, who has been Anderson's second assistant for four seasons, will move into the top assistant's role. The search for a second assistant is under way, but Anderson said Frazier will remain on staff until the end of May and the new assistant will likely not join the program until July 1.