Metropolitan State University of Denver men’s basketball coach Michael Bahl announced Tuesday the addition of two assistants to his coaching staff.
Jeremy Johnston joins the Roadrunners after spending the past three seasons as the head coach at Northwest Kansas Technical College. Brandon Cole comes to MSU Denver after one season as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Central Wyoming College.
At Northwest Kansas, Johnston led the Mavericks to a 90-67 record over five seasons as a head coach and assistant, including a 50-43 mark in three seasons as the head coach at the six-year-old program. While preparing to enter the rugged Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference, the Mavericks produced 13 Division I recruits during Johnston’s five seasons.
Prior to his tenure at the Goodland, Kan., school, Johnston spent time as coordinator of basketball operations at NCAA Division I University of the Pacific (one season), as an assistant coach at Dodge City (Kan.) Community College (three seasons), as an administrative assistant at Division I University of Nevada (one season), and as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Colorado Mesa (five seasons). Colorado Mesa was 89-50 with Johnston on staff, and reached the NCAA Division II national tournament in 2004.
After a stop at Dodge City CC, Johnston played for Colorado Mesa teams that went 58-27 from 1998 through 2001 and played in the 1999 national tournament. He was honorable mention All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference as a senior and played one season for Dodge City in the USBL.
Cole, in his one season at Central Wyoming, helped the Rustlers to a 20-win season while competing in the difficult Region 9. Cole also spent one season as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Division II Fresno Pacific (Calif.) and five seasons at Sierra (Calif.) College, a two-year school where he was promoted to associate head coach in 2015. The Wolverines reached the playoffs each year during Cole’s tenure.
During his playing career at Ashford (Iowa) University, Cole was named an NAIA Division II Academic All-American. Previously, he was an all-conference player at Sierra and then spent one season at Dakota State (S.D.).
MSU Denver went 15-14 overall last season, and was 14-8 and tied for fifth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
