Central Missouri has primarily competed in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association since its founding in the 1912–13 academic year.

The "Jennies" nickname for Central Missouri's women's athletic teams was officially adopted in February, 1974 after the school's student newspaper, The Muleskinner, offered a prize of $50 in a contest to choose a nickname for the women's athletic teams.

Almaguer told the contest judges, "The reason I picked the name is because of the obvious feminine kinship of the jenny to our mule mascot.

In truth, however, mules are sired by jack asses (male donkeys) mated to mares (female horses).

The Mules have been playing basketball since 1905, and are among the top two teams in all-time wins on the NCAA Division II level.

[2] The Mules have won four national titles: in 1937, 1938 (both National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, before the NCAA sponsored a Division II tournament), in 1984 (when UCM, then Central Missouri State University, was the first school ever to win NCAA men's and women's basketball championships in the same season), and in 2014.

The Mules have a large number of current pro players, especially considering that UCM is a Division II school.

Prior to the NCAA sponsoring a playoff in Division II, Central Missouri played in three bowl games.

After leaving Central Missouri, Molde coached at Eastern Illinois, followed by Division I Western Michigan.