University of Wyoming head men’s basketball coach Jeff Linder announced that Ken DeWeese has been promoted and will now serve as associate head coach of the Cowboy basketball program. DeWeese is entering his fourth season with the Cowboys and eighth season on staff with Linder.
“Coach DeWeese has played a key role in this program both on and off the court,” Linder said. “He is a talented coach, and his enhanced role will be key to the future of our program. I look forward to this opportunity for him and he will continue to help push Cowboy Basketball to success.”
DeWeese helped the Cowboys reach the NCAA Tournament in 2022 finishing the season with a 25-9 overall record. The Pokes received their first at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament since 2002 and marked the first trip to the Big Dance since 2015. The Pokes recorded 24 wins in the regular season for the most since the 1951-52 campaign. The Pokes, who were picked to finish eighth in the Conference ranked as high as No. 22 in the nation in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches’ polls.
“My family and I are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue the work we started here at Wyoming three years ago,” DeWeese said. “Helping Coach Linder lead this program has been a great honor. I want to thank Coach Linder and the University of Wyoming athletic administration for trusting in my ability as a coach and character as a person. I am excited about the future of the program as we continue to grow and develop.”
The Cowboys featured the top offense in the Mountain West in his first season with the program. He helped revamped the Cowboy offense to averaging 76.5 points per game. Wyoming also led the MW in three-point field goals per game at 10.1. The Pokes ranked No. 12 in the nation in three-point field goals per game as well.
The Pokes went 6-1 in non-conference play in 2020-21 including a road win over an Elite Eight team in Oregon State. Wyoming won six total road games on the season for the most away from Laramie since the 2012-13 season. UW also had a winning record on the road since 2000-01 season.
In 2020, DeWeese was named one of 50 impactful mid major assistant coaches in college basketball.
DeWeese helped UNC to the most wins during a three-year stretch in program history, with 69 wins. The Bears also finished in the top-100 of the NCAA NET Rankings this past season.
DeWesse has also helped the Bears record 15-wins in Big Sky play in back-to-back seasons for the most in school history. He also helped lead Northern Colorado to its first postseason title in 2017-18, as the Bears won the College Invitational Tournament. It marked the first postseason title for any Colorado school since the 1940 season. It was also the first postseason title for ateam from the Big Sky Conference. During the 2017-18 campaign, UNC won a school record 26 games on their way to the CIT Championship. The Bears finished the season ranked in the top-100 of the RPI.
During his time with the Bears he mentored Big Sky Player of the Year Jordan Davis, as well as Defensive Player of the Year Jonah Radabaugh, Sixth Man of the Year Kai Edwards and Freshman of the Year Bodie Hume.
Prior to his time at Northern Colorado, DeWeese helped guide the UTEP to over 120 wins, including three seasons of 22 wins or more and two NIT appearances. Known for his recruiting at UTEP, DeWeese signed 26 players that were on Conference USA commissioner’s Honor Roll selections.
In his first year as an assistant at El Paso, he recruited four-student athletes that went on to earn All-Conference USA honors, including C-USA Defensive Player of the Year. He recruited a consensus national Top 100 recruit, Vincent Hunter. Hunter went on to be C-USA Freshman on the Year in 2013-14 and First Team All-Conference in 2014-15. His 2013 recruiting class was ranked in the Top 25 by numerous media outlets.
In back-to-back years, DeWeese was ranked as the top assistant in C-USA by NextUpRecruits.com and was the second ranked assistant in 2013-14 and ’14-’15.In six seasons at UTEP the Miners defeated nationally ranked opponents Oregon, Nebraska, Michigan, Texas Tech, New Mexico State, Auburn, Memphis, Tennessee, Xavier and Washington State.
Prior to UTEP, DeWeese spent a season at Utah Valley and four seasons at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. With the Wolverines at Utah Valley he was in charge of recruiting the 2010 recruiting class, which led to back-to-back winning seasons for UVU, going 19-11 and 20-12 after finishing 12-18 in 2009-10.
DeWeese coached Vince Hunter of the Memphis Grizzlies, Former Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year Julian Washburn of the Memphis Grizzlies and Julyan Stone, who played for the Nuggets, Raptors and Hornets. Two of his players also play in the NFL in Cederik Lang of the Eagles and Aaron Jones of the Packers.
As an assistant at Mary Hardin-Baylor (2005-09) as an assistant under his father Ken DeWeese, the Crusaders finished with an 85-27 (.758) in DeWeese’s four seasons and clinched two NCAA (Division III) tournament berths. DeWeese was solely responsible for the recruitment of four student-athletes that helped UMHB reach the 2013 D3 National Championship game.
The many other accolades that DeWeese helped Hardin-Baylor receive were, No. 12 National Ranking in the Top 25 poll, leading all of Division III in field goal percentage, four American Southwest Conference tournament appearances and two division titles. His father has over 800 wins in his career as the head coach.
DeWeese got his start in the coaching ranks at Idaho in 2005 as the Director of Basketball Operations.
