Casper College Hires New Men’s Basketball Coach

Casper College announced Monday afternoon that Dan Russell will be the next men’s basketball coach at the school.

Russell, 27, was introduced by Athletic Director Bill Landen, who told members of the media that the former Thunderbird player and longtime assistant coach for Joel Davidson was “a natural fit” to take the reins of the program. Davidson resigned last week after five years with the Thunderbirds to accept an assistant coach position with the University of Northern Colorado.

Russell is a native of Casper. He graduated from Natrona County High School, where he was a two-sport all-state athlete for the Mustangs. He played two years at Casper College (for Bill Johnson and Doug Stewart) and is among the top 10 Thunderbirds all time in 3-point field goals made during a career. He is eighth all time in career field goal percentage.

Russell earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Wyoming. While in Laramie he worked on Heath Schroyer’s staff as a graduate assistant. He spent the past five years as Davidson’s assistant. Under him and Davidson, the Thunderbirds averaged 24 wins per season the past four years and finished as Region IX runners up in 2012. He helped recruit two NJCAA All-Americans and 12 Thunderbirds will have signed Division I scholarship offers.

“Dan has earned this opportunity,” Landen said. “It is nice to have someone of his caliber right here. And it is nice that the program is in a position to simply make this transition. We know what this means to Dan and we know he will be a great coach.” “"Having been a ball boy here, and assistant coach here, this is a dream come true. We are going to work very hard to make sure the Thunderbirds are successful,” Russell added.

Russell becomes the 13th men’s coach in the school’s history, dating back to 1945.