Northwestern University Men's Basketball

The 2022-23 Big Ten Coach of the Year, Sullivan-Ubben Head Men’s Basketball Coach Chris Collins has guided Northwestern men’s basketball to new heights over ...

Brendon Ziegler joined Northwestern as an assistant director of sports performance in 2022 and works primarily with the men’s basketball and fencing programs. Ziegler previously spent 11 seasons overseeing the strength and conditioning programs with Cal State Bakersfield basketball, handling the implementation of season and off-season programs. Ziegler helped the Roadrunners achieve the program’s first Big West Conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2015-16. Ziegler helped CSU Bakersfield reach the NIT semifinals hosted at Madison Square Garden the following year in 2016-17. Prior to his time at CSU Bakersfield, Ziegler spent five years as an assistant sports performance coordinator at Oregon State working with the men’s basketball, football, softball and golf programs. He also has experience as a strength and conditioning coach at Hawai’I, Wisconsin and the Chicago Bulls. Ziegler is also a championship-winning weightlifter and captured men’s division titles in state competitions while at Oregon State. The Edgerton, Wisc. native graduated from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn. with a degree in exercise science/biology in 2004, where he played defensive line for the football team. Ziegler is married to former CSU Bakersfield head softball coach Crissy Buck-Ziegler. The couple has a son, Brock.

Brian James enters his 13th season on staff at Northwestern on head coach Chris Collins’ staff and begins his fourth season as special assistant to the head coach in 2025-26. James, who has been a part of three NCAA Tournament team in Evanston, is in charge of working with Northwestern's post players and out of bounds plays. He is credited for drawing up “The Play,” Nathan Taphorn’s length-of-the-court pass to Dererk Pardon that resulted in a buzzer-beating 67-65 win for Northwestern over Michigan in 2017 that all but clinched NU’s first NCAA tournament berth in program history. During his time in Evanston, James has worked with the top three shot blockers in school history in Alex Olah, Pardon and Matthew Nicholson. Northwestern has recorded its top four shot blocking seasons in program history during James’ tenure. Most recently in 2024-25, Nicholson recorded a career-best 45 blocks and became the first player in program history to register three seasons of 40+ rejections. The Wildcats posted their third straight winning season and Nick Martinelli became the first Wildcat to lead the Big Ten in scoring since 2011-12 (John Shurna), averaging 20.5 points per game, the highest scoring average by a Wildcat since Evan Eschmeyer (21.7) in 1997-98. Martinelli was named All-Big Ten Second Team. Brooks Barnhizer, who was named All-Big Ten Honorable Mention and NABC All-District Second Team, posted averages of 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game

One of the most accomplished players in school history and career assist leader at Northwestern, Bryant McIntosh enters his fourth season as an assistant coa...

A veteran college coach with more than 25 years of experience, Chris Lowery enters his fourth season at Northwestern as an assistant coach in 2025-26. Since ...

A former All-Big 12 player at Kansas State, Shane Southwell enters his second season at Northwestern as an assistant coach in 2025-26. During his first season on Head Coach Chris Collins’ staff, Southwell aided the Wildcats to their third consecutive winning season. Nick Martinelli became the first Wildcat to lead the Big Ten in scoring since 2011-12 (John Shurna), averaging 20.5 points per game, the highest scoring average by a Wildcat since Evan Eschmeyer (21.7) in 1997-98. Martinelli was named All-Big Ten Second Team. Brooks Barnhizer, who was named All-Big Ten Honorable Mention and NABC All-District Second Team, posted averages of 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game in 17 games before missing the remainder of the season due to injury. Southwell came to Evanston after spending two years (2022-24) at Northern Illinois as associate head coach and previously had coaching stops at his alma mater, Kansas State (2020-22), where he was instrumental in recruiting all-american Markquis Nowell, and Robert Morris (2019-20). He also served on Weber's staff as video coordinator for the 2019 U19 World Cup, helping the USA win a gold medal with a 7-0 record. In 2023-24, Southwell helped NIU to its best start since 2015-16 as the Huskies opened 5-1. The Huskies finished the season recording the fourth-most 3-point field goals in school history (227) while playing the toughest schedule in the Mid-American Conference. David Coit became just the fourth