MARSHALL, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State University head men's basketball coach Brad Bigler announced on Wednesday that Brooks McKowen has been named assistant men's basketball coach at SMSU.

McKowen comes to SMSU after spending last season as an assistant coach at Des Moines Area Community College.  At DMACC, he served as recruiting coordinator, and worked with player development, scouting and game preparation, and was also academic and camp coordinator.  DMACC finished the season 23-8 and advanced to the region semifinals.  

“Brooks is a passionate coach who has been around the game for a long time,” Bigler said.  “He is a coaches kid who learned from two good programs in Northern Iowa and DMACC.  He will be a great fit for our program and I look forward to getting him up to Marshall.”

Prior to joining DMACC, McKowen spent three seasons (2007-10) on the coaching staff at the University of Northern Iowa.  He served his first two seasons as a graduate assistant coach, before moving to video coordinator in his final season.  In 2010, UNI advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament.   

As video coordinator, McKowen was in charge of film exchange, assisting and preparing scouting reports and coordinator of in-season camp and assistant for summer camps.  As a graduate assistant he was involved with on court drills in practice and during individual workouts.

McKowen was a four-year letterwinner at point guard for Northern Iowa, helping lead the Panthers to three, 20-plus win seasons and three trips to the NCAA tournament.  He was a three-time second team Academic All-Conference honoree and was also named first team Academic All-District in 2007.  A member of the 2004 Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman team, McKowen ended his career holding the school record for assists in a single-season, while ranking second all time in assists and fourth all-time in games played.

McKowen is a 2007 graduate of UNI in physical education, while earning his master's degree from UNI in 2009 with a degree in physical education and coaching.  

“Our conference is getting better every year,” Bigler said.  “All of the programs in the league are working hard at recruiting and Brooks will be a factor in us recruiting the Midwest at a high level.  Brooks has a good feel for the game and his playing experience will help him relate to the players in the program.”

Southwest Minnesota State University, located in Marshall, is a member of NCAA Division II and finished 12-14 overall this past season.