Langston University head men’s basketball coach Chris Wright announced the addition of Kevin Kaerwer to the Lions coaching staff, Kaerwer will serve as the associate head coach for the men’s basketball program.
“I am excited to get the opportunity to work with and learn from Coach (Chris) Wright as well as the rest of the staff at Langston University,” Kaerwer said. “The program has a winning tradition that I can’t wait to be a part of. I will strive to do all I can to keep that tradition going as we try to bring a national championship to Langston.”
Kaerwer spent the last four seasons as assistant coach at the University of Texas at El Paso. While at UTEP, he helped the Miners record three winning seasons in four years. In the 2023-24 season UTEP won 18 games on the way to appearing in the 2024 CUSA Tournament Championship. This marked the first time since 2011 since the program advanced to the title game. In 2021-22 Kaerwer helped the Miners to their first 20-win season since 2014-15. The program earned a berth in The Basketball Classic for its first postseason appearance since 2015 and subsequently earned their first postseason win since 2009.
Kaerwer started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Angelo State from 2014-2016. He worked under then-head coach Chris Beard during the 2014-15 season and stayed on staff when Cinco Boone was promoted to the Head Coach in the Spring of 2015.Overall, during Kaerwer’s two seasons as a graduate assistant the Rams went 53-12, while making a pair of NCAA DII Sweet 16 appearances.
Angelo State promoted Kaerwer to an assistant coach in 2016 where he worked alongside Coach Wright for 2016-2017 season where the Rams climbed as high as #4 in the country before falling in the Lonestar Conference Championship Game. Kaerwer remained at Angelo State thru 2020 helping the Rams reach two more NCAA DII tournaments. Throughout his career he has coached 32 players that have went on to play professionally.
“I have been extremely blessed to have been surrounded with assistant coaches that are both great people and outstanding coaches since becoming a head coach again and Kevin Kaerwer is exactly that,” head men’s basketball coach Chris Wright said. “When we worked together at Angelo State nine years ago I knew how valuable he was in any program. Since that time, he has had great success at both the Division I and Division II level. We hit a homerun adding him as our associate head coach.”
Kaerwer played collegiately at Central College in Pella, Iowa. He was selected as the team captain for his senior season and was a three-year letter winner. He also earned 2013-14 first team All-Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) honors, while helping to lead Central College to regular season and conference tournament championships.
