For the third time in six days, University of Evansville head men’s basketball coach David Ragland has made an addition to his coaching staff. On Thursday, Ragland announced the appointment of George Swanson as an assistant on his first Purple Aces staff.
“I have known George for over 15 years. With my staff, I wanted to surround myself with guys that I know and trust who are high in character and work hard. “G” is a tireless recruiter and proven winner,” Ragland said. “He has been a part of numerous championship teams and helped move along countless players to the 4-year level. George has been committed to graduating his student athletes and will be instrumental in molding our players academically, socially and athletically. I’m excited to welcome “G” and his family to Evansville.”
Swanson joins the Evansville program from North Idaho College where he was set to begin his first season as the head women’s basketball coach. He spent the previous eight seasons as an assistant coach with the NIC men’s program and enjoyed great success, including a perfect 30-0 regular-season record in 2016. That team advanced to the NJCAA Sweet 16. His squads won back-to-back Northwest Athletic Conference Championships in 2017-18 and 2018-19, going a combined 56-10.
“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to come to University of Evansville and work with this staff and players, who are so focused on winning at the highest level,” Swanson exclaimed. “I look forward to being part of a team in one of best men’s basketball conferences.”
During his tenure at NIC, Swanson directed multiple student-athletes to the Division I level following their JUCO careers. He oversaw all planning and execution of the annual recruiting process for the program while designing development plans and strategies for the guards and wings. He placed a large emphasis on recruiting quality student-athletes and was actively involved in their success both on and off the court.
He joined the NIC program following two seasons as a head coach at Reardan (WA) High School and Emerald City Basketball Academy. Prior to his time in Washington, he worked as an assistant at Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, Texas. Other stints included time as a head coach at Grays Harbor College and Pierce College. At Grays Harbor, he led the squad to the NWAACC Tournament and a #1 ranking in the NWAACC poll.
His playing days saw him play at Grays Harbor where his efforts resulted in a NWAACC 6th place finish. Swanson also played for Northwest University, leading the school to its only national championship in 1993. He was later a Hall of Fame inductee at Northwest (2014) and Pierce College (2015). He earned his bachelor’s degree in health science from Eastern Washington University in 2006. Swanson has two boys, Jayce and Myles, and a daughter, Jaide.
Swanson named Assistant Basketball Coach at Evansville
Photo Courtesy Evansville Athletics
