Northwest Nazarene head men’s basketball coach Jon Hawkins has announced the addition of Aaron Cufr as a new assistant coach on the Nighthawks’ staff.
 
Cufr comes to Nampa after spending the last two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana.
 
“We are thrilled to have Aaron join us with his past experience and success at IWU,” said Hawkins. “Aaron brings a wealth of basketball knowledge during his playing days at Trinity International as well as the development he received as a coach from Greg and Jeff over at IWU.
 
“What stood out the most about Aaron during the interview process was his heart for The Lord and desire to impact players lives for eternity. He will certainly bring different ideas and insights into what matters most here at NNU, the transformation of the whole person.”
 
During his time at IWU, the team went 51-16 in the two years, with an NCAA DIII Elite 8 appearance in 2024 and a Round of 32 appearance in 2025.
 
Prior to IWU, Cufr spent four years playing basketball at Trinity International University under head coach Greg Miller. While there, he was an NCCAA Scholar-Athlete, NAIA Scholar-Athlete, and a part of the multiple CCAC All-Academic Teams.
 
“I am super excited to help continue the growth of the Christ-centered culture that has been established here at NNU,” said Cufr. “Along with that, I want to help continue to elevate the program to compete at the highest level.”
 
He graduated from Trinity International with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and Secondary Education in 2023, and followed that up with a Master’s of Organizational Leadership from Indiana Wesleyan in 2025.
 

https://nnusports.com/news/2025/6/12/mens-basketball-adds-aaron-cufr-as-assistant-coach.aspx