Story: Adam Nelson (@HD_DirtKing)
A little Sunday Dirt…
More Changes at Southern Indiana; Veteran D1 Assistant Targeted
The staff changes at Southern Indiana continue…back on March 3rd, I mentioned that John Spruance was out as head coach Stan Gouard had to make staff changes to save his own job. I can now confirm that assistant Jon Aldridge is no longer on the staff. He had been on Gouard’s staff since 2020 and also worked as an assistant at D3 Loras. Aldridge was not released from the university however, he has been moved over to the administrative side, and will now serve as the Director of Athletic Marketing and Fan Engagement for the athletic department. It sounds like one of the open spots will go to a veteran D1 assistant with 30+ years of experience. More on this one shortly
Kansas City Staff Taking Shape
Kansas City officially announced the additions of Will Turgeon and Brandon Burgette to their staff on Friday. A few more pieces are falling into place here. It sounds like Mark Turgeon had retained staffer Logan Kingsbury (he’s the son of former Iowa star Chris Kingsbury). I’ve also heard from multiple people that Colorado associate head coach Mike Rohn is in play for a spot here. Rohn had previously spent time with Turgeon at both Wichita State (2000-07) and Texas A&M (2007-10).
Familiar Names Surface in Troy Opening
Some early names for Troy include Vanderbilt assistant Kenneth Mangrum (a former Troy assistant) and High Point assistant Ben Fletcher (former interim head coach at South Florida and assistant at Troy from 2005-19). Working on a more complete list now.
Dartmouth Search: Names Emerging
Names floating around at Dartmouth include Florida assistant Dave Klatsky and Tufts head coach Brandon Linton. Prior joining the Gators staff last spring, Klatsky went 68-16 in 2 seasons at NYU including an appearance in the 2025 D3 National Championship game. Linton is 99-38 (.723) in 5 years at Tufts, including a 23-6 mark this season and a trip to the NCAA D3 Elite 8. Elevate and Kyle Bowlsby have this search.
JUCO Opening: West Plains Search Underway
Yesterday I posted that NJCAA D1 Missouri State West Plains had opened (JUCO DIRT). A name making the rounds here is D2 Northwest Missouri State assistant Braxton Williams. The West Plains, Missouri native spent the 2022-23 season as an assistant at Missouri State West Plains and has also worked at Pittsburg State, and Ottawa University (AZ).
D2 Ferris State Search Update
Interesting search at D2 Ferris State. Word on the street is that a D1 assistant and a current NAIA head coach have passed on it. Sounds like this one could be done this week, but not sure with who.
20-Win D2 Program Opening Imminent
A Midwest D2 that had a 20+ win season is opening tomorrow. Head coach on the move – stay tuned…
Check out all of the openings at every level of college basketball in HoopDirt’s Coaching Changes Tracker presented by The Coaching Portfolio. The complete list can be found HERE.
My complete list of schools and their search firm partners is HERE.
