Having recruited Eric Nitsche to play for him while he was a coach at Kansas Wesleyan University, Cowley College head men’s basketball coach Tommy DeSalme has long admired Nitsche’s work ethic. He will get to see that work ethic up close as he recently hired Nitsche to serve as an assistant on the Tiger coaching staff.
Nitsche replaces former Tiger assistant coach Dane Kelly, who spent the past four seasons at the school.
Nitsche, who was an All-City basketball and football player at Shawnee Mission North High School, played his first two years of college basketball at Kansas City Kansas Community College before spending his final two seasons at the University of Saint Mary. He led his college teams to 20 plus wins all four years and finished in the top-10 in career three-point field goal percentage at both schools.
Following his playing days he went on to spend three years as an assistant coach at Kansas City Kansas Community College and helped the Blue Devils win 25 games during the 2010-2011 season.
From the time spent recruiting Nitsche to their time coaching against each other in the Jayhawk Conference, DeSalme has enjoyed staying in contact with his new assistant.
“I liked the way he played back then and he has carried that into his coaching,” DeSalme said. “He is a hard-working man that wants to come to work, wants to be successful, and be a part of a great team. He will work to make our guys better players and better student-athletes.”
Nitsche will join a Tiger basketball program that has won 106 games in DeSalme’s five seasons at the helm.
“Playing and coaching in the Jayhawk Conference I know all about Cowley’s tradition in athletics and men’s basketball, so it was a no brainer for me to want to coach here,” Nitsche said. “I have the utmost respect for coach DeSalme. He has won a lot of games and I am really excited to roll up my sleeves and do whatever I need to do to help keep the Cowley tradition alive and reach new heights.”
Stay with HoopDirt for the latest college basketball coaching news and rumors.
