The William Woods University athletics department named Jordan Ashton as the next men’s basketball coach, announced Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Steve Wilson.
Ashton’s start date will be April 28, 2023.
“I couldn’t be more excited, thankful, and humbled to be joining the William Woods family and serve as Head Men’s Basketball Coach,” stated Ashton. “I want to thank President Moreland, Steve Wilson, and the hiring committee for this great opportunity. These are exciting times with a lot of big things happening at the Woods, and I’m extremely grateful to be a part of it. Can’t wait to experience the home-court advantage of Anderson Arena as we look to bring a new level of excitement to the program. Ready to get to work!”
“The Woods is getting a champion in Jordan Ashton, and I am excited to see how he will shape and put his stamp on this basketball program from the moment he steps on our campus,” stated Wilson. “He brings a high set of academic standards and a program philosophy that centers around respect and responsibility with on-court success. Our student-athletes and campus community really lit up in conversations with Jordan, and his on-court success, especially in the 2022-23 season, stood out. Jordan rose to the top of one of the best pools of candidates that I have seen in my time as an athletics administrator. This is an exciting hire for William Woods Basketball.”
Ashton was named the Iowa Wesleyan University head coach in April of 2022. In his first season at the helm, he led the Tigers to the winningest season in the program’s 115-year history, finishing with a 27-3 overall mark for the Continental Athletic Conference (CAC) Coach of the Year title. His team was ranked as high as #23 in the NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll and won the first conference tournament title since 2011, qualifying for the NAIA National Championship. They had a 20-game win streak through their season and finished with an undefeated 11-0 home record – the best records in school history. The team finished ranked first nationally for overall defense as well.
Ashton coached the NAIA All-America Honorable Mention recipient Henry Shannon and three all-conference recipients in Shannon, Gacoby Jones, and Joey Brown. On the academic front, Ashton saw five earn NAIA Daktronics Scholar-Athlete titles.
Ashton spent the 2021-22 academic year as an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota Duluth. During this season, the team earned the most wins in over 50 years in program history and went undefeated with a perfect 13-0 record at home, the first time since the 1990-91 season. The team received their highest national ranking, fifth, in school history and earned the title of NSIC North Division Conference Champions. Ashton coached the NSIC North Division Player of the Year and two First-Team NSIC All-Conference players.
Before the University of Minnesota Duluth, Ashton was the assistant coach/offensive coordinator for the Iowa Wesleyan Men’s Basketball Team for the 2020-2021 season, the Tigers’ final season as an NCAA Division III member. The Tigers made an appearance in the semifinals of the SLIAC Tournament and saw a First-Team All-Conference player in Jarryd Fernandes.
Ashton spent two years coaching at the University of South Dakota and Kirkwood Community College. While at South Dakota, Ashton contributed to a team that would win seven more wins than the previous season and a third-place finish in the Summit League. While at Kirkwood Community College, he assisted the Eagles in winning the 2019 NJCAA National Championship, coaching the National Player of the Year and five All-Region Players.
As an athlete, Coach Ashton competed under Head Coach Ben Jacobson at the University of Northern Iowa. He led the team in minutes played, three-point percentage (44%), and was the third-leading scorer. Ashton spent one year at Iowa State University competing under Head Coach Steve Prohm, a year at Kirkwood Community College under Head Coach Bryan Petersen when the team won a national championship, and two years at Northwest Missouri State University under Head Coach Ben McCollum. Coach Ashton played high school basketball at Mount Pleasant Community High School, where he assisted in leading the team to become 3A State Champions in 2012. Ashton was named the Class 3A Player of the Year, 1st-Team All-State, and State Tournament MVP.
Ashton named Head Basketball Coach at NAIA William Woods
