Aberdeen, SD (NSUWolves.com) – Northern State University head men’s basketball coach Matt Wilber announced his 2025-26 coaching staff today with the additions of Jack Nelson and Wes Smith. Nelson joins the Wolves after serving as the associate head coach at the University of Sioux Falls and head coach at the University of Mary, while Smith served as an assistant at Missouri Western.
“My goal in building our staff was not only to find highly capable coaches but also great people who will put our players first and be a consistent source of support on and off the court for our roster,” said Wilber. “I am excited to get to work with Coach Nelson and Coach Smith and continue to build on the great tradition of Northern basketball!”
The pair bring a combined 14 years of experience at the NCAA Division II level and within the NCAA Central Region. In addition, they have worked with 22 all-conference performers and two player of the year candidates.
“I am excited to be able to add Coach Nelson to the coaching staff,” Wilber explained. “Jack has been a longtime colleague and friend of mine from his start in Sioux Falls. He is widely respected in our area as not only a basketball coach but as a relationship builder with his players. He has sat on every seat of the bench in college basketball; his experience in the NSIC and his track record in all areas will be a tremendous asset to our university and our basketball program. We are lucky to have him here!”
With years of knowledge in the NSIC, Nelson joins the Wolves as the team’s top assistant. From 2021 to 2025, Nelson served as the head coach at the University of Mary where he developed one NSIC Newcomer of the Year and one NSIC All-Conference first team recipient. In addition, 16 Marauders earned Academic Honor Court accolades, his team’s earned the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award twice, and five were named to the CSC Academic All-District® Team.
“I’m incredibly excited to join the Northern State University men’s basketball program,” noted Nelson. “This is a special place with a rich tradition, and I’m honored to be part of it. I look forward to building strong relationships with the players, staff, and community as we work together to continue the program’s proud legacy of excellence both on and off the court.”
Prior to his stint with the Marauders, Nelson was the associate head coach at the University of Sioux Falls. USF posted a 48-24 record in his three seasons on staff. They won the 2020 NSIC South Division title with six NSIC All-Conference performers and one All-Region recipient.
Nelson opened his coaching career as an assistant at Saint Mary’s University during the 2007-08 season. He moved on to assistant coaching stops at Sioux Falls from 2008 to 2011, Bellevue University in 2011-12, and Minot State University from 2012 to 2016. In his first stint at USF, the Cougars advanced to the GPAC Tournament Championship in 2009, 2010, and 2011, winning top honors in 2009 and 2011. He assisted with the program’s transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II, while also leading the junior varsity team as the head coach. In his one season at Bellevue, the Bruins went 28-6 winning the MCAC regular season and tournament championships. At Minot State, Nelson recruited the program’s first NSIC All-Conference player and NSIC Player of the Year.
He led the Central Wyoming College Rustlers from 2016 to 2018 as the head coach, posting a 41-21 record overall. CWC advanced to the quarterfinal round of the NJCAA Regional tournament in back-to-back seasons. He coached three all-region selections and all of his student-athletes went on to play at the 4-year level.
Nelson holds an Associate of Arts from Black Hawk College, Bachelor of Arts in Sports Management from Saint Mary’s University, and Master of Science in Education Leadership from Winona State University. Jack and his wife Jamie have two children, Raelynn and Kai.
Smith will fill the team’s second assistant role heading into the 2025-26 season, after three seasons in a full-time role at MWSU.
“I am looking forward to working with Coach Smith, as he came highly recommended for his work ethic, enthusiasm, and relationship building with his time at Missouri Western,” said Wilber. “He has a great story of working his way up from the ground level and is going to be great in all areas in our office, on the court, and on the recruiting trail.”
Smith has spent the entirety of his collegiate coaching career at Missouri Western on staff with head coaches Brent Weiberg, Sundance Wicks and Will Martin. He spent the past three seasons as an assistant for the Griffons. Smith opened his career as a graduate assistant at MWSU from 2020-2022 after serving as a student assistant from 2016-2020.
“I couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity to serve Coach Wilber, our student athletes, and this community,” explained Smith. “Northern State basketball has such a legendary story and I’m honored to now be a part of it.”
In his time at MoWest, Smith worked with seven MAIA All-Conference performers and saw the program grow into a contender in the MIAA. The Griffons qualified for the NCAA Central Region Tournament hosted in Aberdeen in 2021, opened the 2023-24 season with seven wins, the best start since 1999, were ranked as high as No. 17 in the NABC Top-25 poll in 2024-25, and recorded the most regular season victories in over 20 years this past season with 18.
Smith earned both his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Master of Business Administration from Missouri Western State University.