JUCO basketball: Cole Dewey named IHCC's new head coach
May 3—OTTUMWA — Former Indian Hills assistant men's basketball coach Cole Dewey has been named the program's 18th head coach, the school announced on Friday.
Dewey will take over the sidelines at the Hellyer Center after a notable three-year stint as an assistant coach at Texas A&M University-Corpus Cristi. In three seasons with the Islanders, Dewey helped guide the program to three consecutive postseason berths, including back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament. The Islanders captured two Southland Conference Championships while winning more than 21 games each season.
"We are excited to welcome Cole as our next head basketball coach," Indian Hills athletic director Brett Monaghan said. "Cole's experiences at the NJCAA level, including three years as a head coach, coupled with his NCAA Division I experience as an assistant coach and student-athlete, made him the clear favorite in our hiring process."
Dewey will be officially introduced as the next head coach of the Indian Hills men's basketball program on Tuesday at the Hellyer Student Life Center at noon. The press conference will be open to the public.
"First off, I want to express my gratitude to Dr. Brett Monaghan and Dr. Matt Thompson for their faith in me to lead the men's basketball program here at Indian Hills Community College," stated Dewey. "This is one of college basketball's most storied programs at any level, and a responsibility I will not take lightly.
"To Warrior Nation, I can't tell you how excited I am to be back. This is undoubtedly the best fan base in all of Junior College. Know that my staff and I will work diligently to recruit and retain hardworking student-athletes who will represent you well, on and off the court, and consistently compete for championships."
Dewey was a part of the Indian Hills staff from 2015-18, a run that led to a 91-11 overall record, three National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 11 Championships, and three trips to the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson, KS. Dewey's final season at Indian Hills, 2017-18, saw the Warriors climb to No. 1 in the national rankings.
Following his time with the Warriors, Dewey was named the head coach at Otero Junior College (CO) from 2018-20 where the Rattlers won 45 games and were ranked as high as No. 5 in the national polls.
Dewey followed up his time at Otero as the head coach of Garden City Community College from 2020-21, an institution where Dewey began his professional coaching career as an assistant in 2013-14.
"My wife, Kristina, and I are extremely excited to return back to Ottumwa and raise our children around family and this great community," Dewey added. "This is truly an opportunity of a lifetime."
