Cheryl Burnett Says No to Missouri State Basketball Opening

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Former Missouri State women's basketball coach, and Centralia, Mo. native Cheryl Burnett says she's flattered by the offer, but she has declined an invitation to be the next head coach of the Lady Bears.

Missouri State University announced Monday that Nyla Milleson's contract has been canceled, and she will not return as head women's basketball coach next season. 

Read More: Lady Bears Coach Nyla Milleson Fired After Six Seasons

University officials have said a nationwide search is underway for her replacement.

Burnett took two separate Missouri State teams to the Final Four during her 15-year tenure, winning a total of 319 games while in Springfield. Burnett then coached at the University of Michigan before retiring from the coaching ranks.

She is now Director of Development for the Missouri State University Foundation -- a combination university ambassador and fundraiser. She tells CentralMoInfo.com, the University tried hard to get her to come out of retirement, but she says she's very happy in her current position. Burnett says she would support the hiring of any former player, if Missouri State thought that was the best decision.

Names that have been mentioned for the job include Tina Robbins, Charity Shira-Elliot and Jackie Stiles.

The person selected will be expected to win games, earn NCAA tournament berths and help replenish a dwindling season ticket base.

"We have a tremendous fan base. We have to rekindle that fan base," MSU Athletics Director Kyle Moats told KOLR10 News. "We have great facilities. And we're going to get even better facilities with the locker rooms that we're going to put in. We've got something you cannot buy and that's tradition. You can't buy it, we have that. And I think we have a league that we can win at. So I think it's a very attractive job for those reasons."

Read More: Missouri State Starts Nationwide Search