Ben McCollum introduced two new pieces to his Iowa basketball coaching staff on Wednesday.
McCollum and the Hawkeyes have hired Jesse Shaw and Xavier Kurth. Shaw will serve as the Hawkeyes’ chief of staff, while Kurth will be the director of player development.
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Shaw and Kurth spent the 2024-25 season at Drake with McCollum where they helped the Bulldogs to a school-record 31 victories and Missouri Valley regular season and tournament championships. Drake advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after upsetting sixth-seeded Missouri.
“Jesse brings a loyalty to me personally and to the program that we’re at,” said McCollum. “He has had a lot of success in the JUCO ranks and at the Division II level. He is good at a lot of different things, which will help us as we go forward.
“Xavier played for me at Northwest and is an elite recruiter. He is great on the floor with the guys and is excellent in building player relationships. I can’t wait for him to get started working with the guys.”
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Shaw joins Iowa with 16 years of coaching experience, including stints as the head coach at Pratt Community College (2011-16) and Maryville University (2020-24). A native of Lincoln, Nebraska, Shaw played with McCollum at Northwest Missouri State.
In addition to his time at Drake and his head coaching stops, Shaw also coached at Missouri-St. Louis as an assistant (2016-20) and started as a graduate assistant at Emporia State (2006-08).
“This opportunity to assist coach Mac in representing the University of Iowa in the Big Ten is something my family and I will be forever grateful for. We look forward to pouring our hearts and souls into our student-athletes, the university, the Iowa City community and representing the state of Iowa,” Shaw said of joining Iowa.
Meanwhile, Kurth joins the program after serving as an assistant coach under McCollum at both Northwest Missouri State and Drake. He also played for McCollum as a Bearcat.
“I want to thank coach McCollum for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to coach in the Big Ten at the University of Iowa,” said Kurth. “I am excited and filled with gratitude to become part of the Hawkeye family and to build lasting relationships while representing the black and gold.”
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A native of St. Joseph, Missouri, Kurth served as a part-time assistant coach at Northwest from 2018-22 before being elevated to a full-time role from 2022-24. He helped the program capture three NCAA Division II National Championships and compile a 191-16 record during his tenure on staff.
He suited up for the Bearcats from 2014-18, helping the program capture its first NCAA title during his junior season when the team posted a 35-1 overall record. Northwest won a total of 114 games during his four years.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa basketball, Ben McCollum introduce pair to coaching staff
