It may be awkward the next time basketball coach Dave Slifer returns to St. Joseph. After leading the Missouri Western University to 205 wins in nine seasons, he’s leaving the Griffons to take a job with Central Missouri State, which is also in the MIAA conference. Slifer, didn’t want to leave but said CMSU offered to much money to say no, “I saw this as a way to make it more financially stable. I think that they probably paid me more than anybody else in the conference is making. It was a deal that I felt like I just had to take it.” In his time at Missouri Western, Slifer led the Griffons to eight-straight seasons of 20 wins or more and led them to the NCAA Division-II women’s tournament in each of those seasons. He is a three-time MIAA Coach of the Year and coached Missouri Western to two MIAA championships. Assistant Josh Keister has been named interim head coach.