Kirkwood Mens Basketball

Petersen created fond memories at Kirkwood

Bryan Petersen did not go hunting for a new job after leading the Kirkwood Eagles to their second NJCAA Division II national title in four years this past season.

As it turned out, an attractive new job found him.

Petersen, 32, has left the Kirkwood men's basketball program to become an assistant coach at South Dakota State, an NCAA Division I program that competes in the Summit Conference. Tim Sandquist, who led Rock Valley College to the championship game of the NJCAA DIII tournament this year, was hired last week as Kirkwood's new coach.

Petersen compiled a 157-38 record in six years at Kirkwood with national titles in 2016 and 2019. And although he was not looking for a new job, he was receptive when new South Dakota State Coach Eric Henderson offered him a spot with the Jackrabbits.

Henderson and Petersen have known each other for 10 years. Henderson worked with the Iowa State men's basketball program when Petersen played for the Cyclones as a junior and senior, and they communicated quite a bit the last two years when Henderson helped recruit Kirkwood All-American Doug Wilson to South Dakota State.

When Henderson became the head coach at South Dakota State this spring, he called Petersen and popped the question. "If I was going to leave Kirkwood, there were only a few places where I felt comfortable," he said. "This was one of them."

Petersen did not accept right away, but quickly became intrigued by the possibility of coaching at the NCAA Division I level.

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Sandquist named KCC men's basketball coach

Tim Sandquist of Rock Valley College has been hired as the new men's  basketball coach at Kirkwood Community College.

Sandquist replaces Bryan Petersen, who has left Kirkwood to become an  assistant coach at South Dakota State after leading the Eagles to two  NJCAA Division II national titles in four years.

Sandquist led Rock Valley to the championship game of the NJCAA  Division III playoffs this year, where the Golden Eagles lost to  Herkimer and finished with a 25-7 record in his only year at the school.

"I am incredibly humbled and honored to become the head coach at  Kirkwood," Sandquist said in a press release. "I'm grateful to  athletic director Doug Wagemester and the search committee for the  opportunity to join the Eagle family.

"Kirkwood is a special place with a great tradition of excellence and  I cannot wait to get started in Cedar Rapids."

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Petersen leaving KCC for Jackrabbits

Bryan Petersen, one of the top young basketball coaches in the country, apparently has decided to leave Kirkwood Community College to become an assistant coach at South Dakota State.

No official announcements have been made by South Dakota State or Kirkwood, but the Metro Sports Report has confirmed from numerous sources that the move will happen.

Petersen has declined comment.

Kirkwood athletic director Doug Wagemester has confirmed that Petersen probably will be leaving and that the Kirkwood players have been informed about the impending move.

Petersen, 31, led the Eagles to the NJCAA Division II national title this season with a 31-4 record. He also led Kirkwood to the national title in 2016, giving him two championships in four years. He was named the NJCAA Division II National Coach of the Year both times.

Doug Wilson, the national Player of the Year at Kirkwood this season, has signed to continue his career at South Dakota State, so Wilson and Petersen will be united again.

The Jackrabbits are an NCAA Division I program that competes in the Summit Conference. Petersen and Eric Henderson, the new head coach at South Dakota State, know each other from their days at Iowa State.

Henderson worked for the ISU program when Petersen played for the Cyclones as a junior and senior from 2007-2009.

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Petersen named National Coach of Year again

Bryan Petersen was only 25 years old when he was named the interim  head coach of the Kirkwood men's basketball team in March of 2013.

He quickly shed the "interim" tag after running the program for a year  and the awards have been rolling in ever since.

Petersen, 31, was named the 2019 Spalding D-II Men's Basketball Coach  of the Year Friday for the second time in his career after leading the  Eagles to the junior college national title last month.

Petersen also was saluted as the Spalding Coach of the Year after  guiding Kirkwood to the 2016 national crown, giving him two national  titles and two Coach of the Year awards in four years.

"I am honored to receive the coach of the year award," Petersen  remarked. "There are many great coaches out there and to receive the  award is very humbling.

"All the credit goes to my staff of excellent coaches and also our  great athletes," he said. "We were lucky as a coaching staff to have  such a great group of kids that really cared about each other and  bought into improving every day as a team.

"We challenged our group to compete every day and give their best, and  they did. I am very thankful to them for buying into that message."

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