William & Mary head men’s basketball coach Dane Fischer announced his staff on Friday. Fischer added Mike Howland and Jason Kemp to the Tribe program as assistant coaches, while retaining W&M alum and assistant Julian Boatner ’14.
“I am thrilled to welcome Mike, Jason and Julian as assistant coaches at William & Mary,” Fischer said. “Collectively, we have a group of coaches who will be great teachers and mentors to our student-athletes, work tirelessly on the recruiting trail, and embrace the academic mission of the institution. Each coach possesses a unique skill set that balances our staff extremely well, and they will all be visible and involved members of our campus and community.”
Howland, who was an NABC All-American at DePauw University in Indiana, joins the Tribe after spending the last four seasons at Winthrop University. After joining the Eagles as the program’s director of basketball operations in 2015, he was promoted to an assistant coach prior in 2017. During his tenure in Rock Hill, Winthrop compiled an impressive 86-40 record, including a 50-20 Big South Conference mark.
“Mike brings a tremendous basketball pedigree to our staff both as a college assistant and a high school head coach,” Fischer said. “He has been instrumental in the success at Winthrop as a coach and a recruiter, and he will be relied upon heavily in our program in both of those areas. His basketball acumen is extremely high, and his experience as a head coach is imperative on our staff. He and his wife Shannon, along with their twins, Tucker and Bella, will be great additions to our campus and community.”
The Eagles won two regular-season Big South Championships during Howland’s time in 2017 and 2018. Winthrop won the Big South Tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2017. In total over his four seasons, the Eagles produced two league players of the year and eight all-conference selections. Last season, Howland served as Winthrop’s offensive coordinator, and the Eagles ranked eighth nationally in scoring offense at 83.3 points per game.
Prior to his time at Winthrop, Howland was the director of basketball operations at Missouri State in 2014-15 and excelled coaching at the high school level and on the AAU circuit. As the varsity basketball coach at Saint Viator High School in Arlington Heights, Ill., for three seasons, he led the Lions to a 69-19 record and a trio of regional championships. Howland was a three-time IBCA District 4 Coach of the Year and took home the 2012 East Suburban Catholic Conference Coach of the Year as well. He was the co-founder of the Chicago Lockdown AAU Basketball 14U-17U program, which earned a top 25 national ranking in 2013.
Kemp brings a wealth of experience to Williamsburg with 12 years as a Division I assistant coach, including stops at North Dakota State, Toledo and Ohio. Over his career as an assistant, Kemp, who played and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, has helped teams to an overall record of 215-161 with four post-season appearances, including an NCAA Tournament bid, and two regular-season conference championships. He has recruited and mentored four league players of the year and eight all-conference first-team selections.
“Jason has an incredible track record of success at the college level and will bring a great deal of experience to our staff,” Fischer said. “Every Division I program he has coached at has reached the post-season and his connections in recruiting span the country. He has a remarkable ability to connect with people and will be a great teacher and mentor to our student-athletes. I am really excited for Jason, his wife Michelyn, and their children, Violet and Zander, to be a part of our program.”
Over the last five seasons, Kemp has coached in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) with Toledo (2013-14) and Ohio (2014-19). In his lone season with the Rockets, UT won the regular-season MAC Championship, finished with a 26-7 record and earned a spot in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). At Ohio, Kemp helped the Bobcats to the best turnaround in school history and one of the best in the country in 2016 (13 games). OU finished the year at 23-12 and advanced to the semifinals of the College Basketball Invitational (CBI).
At North Dakota State, Kemp helped lead the Bison to the Summit League Championship and a spot in the NCAA Tournament during the program’s first season of eligibility in 2009. NDSU also participated in the CBI in both 2012 and 2013. Kemp aided in the development of a trio of Associated Press All-Americans during his seven seasons in Fargo.
Boatner, who helped both Indiana and Mount St. Mary’s to the NCAA Tournament in three of his four seasons on staff, continues at his alma mater after rejoining the program as an assistant coach last season. Boatner worked primarily with the Tribe’s guards in 2018-19 and also impacted the program defensively as the Tribe ranked second in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in defensive efficiency. Boatner played at W&M from 2011-14 and graduated as one of the program’s top 3-point shooters.
“Julian is a rising star in the coaching ranks and his experience as a student-athlete at William & Mary gives him a unique perspective for connecting with our current players,” Fischer said. “He has made tremendous inroads as a recruiter, especially in the DMV, which will be a key area for us as we move forward. Julian is an excellent teacher and communicator on the floor, and I am thrilled to have him on our staff.”
Fischer was named the 31st head men’s basketball coach in W&M history on April 2. A 16-year coaching veteran, he enjoyed successful Division I coaching stops at Rider, Bucknell and George Mason. Click HERE for the complete recap of Fischer’s introduction at W&M.
William & Mary Basketball Staff Update
Photo Courtesy W&M Athletics
