Augsburg University Men's Basketball

Aaron Griess (Colorado College ’93) enters his 21st season as the Augsburg University men’s basketball head coach in 2025-26, making him the second longest-tenured coach in the MIAC. In 2024-25, Griess passed Auggie legend Ernie Anderson to become Augsburg's winningest men's basketball coach in history; he now has a 275-226 (.549) overall record Under Griess’ guidance, the Augsburg basketball program has methodically moved to the upper echelon of MIAC men’s basketball success. Since the 2008-09 season, Griess has led the Auggies to the third-highest winning percentage among MIAC opponents, and has led the Auggies to the conference postseason tournament 11 times in the past 13 seasons. Griess also led the Auggies to the school's first-ever win against a NCAA Division I opponent, as Augsburg defeated Houston Baptist University 74-68 on November 5, 2011. Coach Griess led the Auggies to back-to-back MIAC Championship games, winning Augsburg’s first-ever MIAC playoff championship in 2017-18 and advancing to the NCAA tournament. No stranger to turnarounds, Griess came to Augsburg from NCAA Division II Chaminade University in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he helped rebuild the Silverswords’ tradition on the hardwood. In his five years as the head coach, Griess became the second all-time leader in victories at the school, and led the Silverswords to a pair of wins against NCAA Division I opponents, including an upset over Big East powerhouse Villanova (Pa.) in the 2003 Maui Invitational. Augsburg Coaching Highlights: 2021-22: Led Augsburg to an overall record of 17-7 with a mark of 13-4 in MIAC play. The Auggies finished second in the MIAC in the regular season and advanced to the MIAC Playoff Semifinals. Joe Palmer was named MIAC Player of the Year and also earned D3hoops.com All-Region and NABC All-America (2nd Team) honors.  2020-21: Led the Auggies to an overall record of 4-3 with a mark of 3-3 in MIAC play. Season shortened due to COVID-19 Pandemic.  2019-20: Led Augsburg to the MIAC Playoffs for the fifth-consecutive season and 10th time in 12 years. The Auggies finished third in the MIAC regular season standings. Booker Coplin earned D3hoops.com All-American honorable mention honors, D3hoops.com First Team All-West Region honors, NABC All-West District Team, and MIAC Player of the Year honors. 2018-19: Led Augsburg to the MIAC Playoffs for the ninth time in 11 years. The Auggies finished as Playoff runner-ups reaching the championship game for the second year in a row. Booker Coplin earned NABC D-III National Player of the Year and NABC First team All-American honors. Coplin also earned D3hoops.com Second Team All-American, NABC All-West District Player of the Year and MIAC Player of the Year honors. 2017-18: Led Augsburg to its first MIAC Playoff Championship in program history and qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 1998-99 season. Collin Olmscheid earned MIAC Player of the Year Honors, the second Augsburg student-athlete to claim this honor under coach Griess. Olmscheid also was named an NABC and D3hoops.com All-American. 2016-17: Led Augsburg to the MIAC Playoffs for the seventh time in the past nine seasons. Coached the Auggies to the second-best overall winning percentage (.602) in the MIAC over the course of the last nine seasons. Augsburg has posted four top-three MIAC finishes since '08 (2nd best in the MIAC). Collin Olmscheid earned his second consecutive All-MIAC selection and jumped into the top-10 in the rich history of Augsburg men's basketball with 1,274 career points.  2013-14: Led Augsburg to an overall record of 18-8, including its second third-place finish in as many seasons (MIAC 14-6). The Auggies have now won 104 games in the last six years; only one other MIAC team has won over 100 games since 2008. Griess earned his 200th career victory on February 19 in a 75-67 defeat of Carleton College. MIAC Player of the Year selection Dan Kornbaum was selected to the D3hoops.com and NABC All-American second teams, the first such honor for an Auggie since Devean George '99. 2012-13: Led team to an overall record of 21-7, Augsburg's best record since the 1998-99 season. The Auggies recorded a third-place finish in the MIAC (14-6), the sixth-consecutive .500 or better record in the MIAC, and made the MIAC playoffs for the fourth time in the past five seasons. Griess also led the Auggies to the MIAC championship game for the first time since the 1998-99 season. Since 2008, the Auggies have won 86 games (65%), the second highest win total in the conference. All-MIAC selection Dan Kornbaum was selected to the D3hoops.com All-West Region team, and All-MIAC first-year selection Brett Rasmussen was selected as the D3hoops.com All-West Region rookie of the year.  2011-12: Led team to an overall record of 16-10, including a 4th-place finish in the MIAC (13-7 record), which is the fifth-consecutive .500 or better record in the MIAC. The Auggies made the MIAC playoffs for the third time in the past five seasons. Griess led team to a 74-68 exhibition win over NCAA Division I Houston Baptist University. All-MIAC selection Andy Grzesiak-Grimm was selected to the D3hoops.com All-West Region team. 2009-10: Led team to an overall record of 19-8, a 13-7 conference record, and second-place finish which marked the program's highest conference finish since the 1998-99 season. The Auggies reached the semifinal round of the MIAC post-season playoffs for the second consecutive season. Augsburg improved its win total for the fifth consecutive season. Griess was named MIAC Coach of the Year and senior guard Jon Cassens was selected as College Sporting News Conference Player of the Year. 2008-09: Led team to an overall record of 15-12 and a third-place finish in the MIAC standings, which marked the program's highest conference finish since the 1999-00 season. Defeated Carleton College 65-64 to advanced to the MIAC Playoff Semifinal round for the first time since the 1998-99 season. Griess earned his 100th career win on December 3 in a 76-73 defeat of Hamline University. Senior forward Nate Alm earned All-West Region honors. Previous Coaching Experience: Head Coach - Chaminade University (Honolulu, Hawaii), 71-62 coaching record (2000-2005) Assistant Coach - Chaminade University (1996-2000) Graduate Assistant - Loras College (Iowa) (1993-96) Playing Experience/Achievements: As a player at Colorado College, Griess was a three-year starter at point guard and was a team captain his junior and senior years. In 1991-92, the Tigers won a school-record 22 games (22-5 overall) and won the first NCAA Division III tournament game in school history. Griess finished his career as Colorado College's career record-holder in steals (131), finished fifth in career assists (321) and 25th in career scoring (755 points) in 88 career games. Tiger teams he played on finished 62-41 during his four seasons. Other Duties/Campus Involvement at Augsburg: Griess also serves the University as an assistant athletic director. Personal/Family Notes: Griess and his wife Tracey Griess reside in Andover, Minn. with their daughter Madison and three sons, McClain, Makena and MacIntyre. Griess received his bachelor's degree in political science from Colorado College in 1993, and completed his graduate work in Physical Education with an emphasis in Athletic Administration at Loras College in 1996. Coach Griess Season Records:   Year                 Overall Record Overall Pct.  MIAC MIAC Pct.  MIAC Finish Notes 2024-25 12-14 .462 8-8 .500 t5th/11 MIAC Playoffs 2023-24 8-17 .320 6-14 .300 t9th/11 2022-23 8-17 .320 6-14 .300 10th/11 2021-22 17-7 .708 13-4 .765 2nd/11 MIAC Playoff Semifinals 2020-21 4-3 .571 3-3 .500 --- Shortened schedule; no MIAC standings or MIAC Playoffs due to COVID-19 pandemic 2019-20 18-8 .692 14-6 .700 3rd/11 MIAC Playoff Semifinals 2018-19 19-9 .679 13-7 .650 4th/11 MIAC Playoff Runner-Up 2017-18 21-8 .724 13-7 .650 4th/11 MIAC Playoff Champion NCAA Tournament Qualifier 2016-17 12-14 .462 10-10 .500 6th/11 MIAC Playoffs 2015-16 15-11 .577 10-10 .500 t6th/11 MIAC Playoffs 2014-15 11-14 .440 8-12 .400 7th/11 2013-14 18-8 .692 14-6 .700 3rd/11th MIAC Playoffs 2012-13 21-7 .750 14-6 .700 3rd/11th MIAC Playoff Runner-Up 2011-12 16-10 .615 13-7 .650 4th/11 MIAC Playoffs 2010-11 15-10 .600 10-10 .500 t6th/11 2009-10 19-8 .704 13-7 .650 t2nd/11 MIAC Semifinals MIAC Coach of the Year 2008-09 15-12 .556 12-8 .600 t3rd/11 MIAC Semifinals 2007-08 12-13 .480 10-10 .500 7th/11 2006-07 10-15 .400 7-13 .350 8th/11 2005-06 4-21 .160 3-17 .150 11th/11 2000-05 71-62 .534 Head Coach at Chaminade University At Augsburg 275-226 .549 200-179 .527 MIAC Coach of the Year (09-10) Overall 346-288 .546

Darnell Clavon (Chaminade '98) joined the Augsburg men’s basketball coaching staff ahead of the 2022-23 season. A native of Stockbridge, Ga., Clavon spent more than a decade as both a professional basketball player and head coach in Europe. Playing Experience: Clavon spent 10 years as a professional basketball player in Europe, first playing for Namika Basketball in Lahti, Finland from 1998-99 where he averaged 26 points, three rebounds, and three assists per-game. During the 1999-2000 season, Clavon played for Laniers Basket in Riga, Latvia where he averaged 27 points, six rebounds, and six assists per-game. From 2001-2004, Clavon played for Baschet Olympique Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland, averaging 31 points, four rebounds, and six assists per-game. Clavon earned Swiss Basketball League All-Star honors four times and was named League MVP in the 2001-2002 season. Following his time in Switzerland, Clavon spent one season with the Eiffel Towers Basketball Club in Den Bosch, Holland where he averaged 18 points, five rebounds, and five assists per-game while helping his team reach the league’s championship round. Clavon spent the final four years of his playing career from 2004-2008 with CSU Sibiu in Sibiu, Romania. There, he averaged 29 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists per-game, was named a League All-Star four times, and earned League MVP honors. Coaching Experience: Following his playing career with BC CSU Sibiu in Romania, Clavon was hired as the head coach for the club in 2009. Clavon coached in Romania for two seasons before accepting a new job as the head coach for Morges Baschet, a professional basketball club in Morges, Switzerland, where he coached for an additional year. Throughout his three-year head coaching career, Clavon recorded a record of 56-19 and coached his team to the playoffs in every season. In addition, Clavon continues to serve as a coach at the Swiss All-Star Basketball Camp in Switzerland each year.  Other Professional Experience: In addition to his playing and coaching careers, Clavon is also the founder of DC Sports International, LLC, a non-profit organization that is designed to provide opportunities for today’s youth to be taught by professional coaches and to learn about and respect different international cultures. Personal Notes: Clavon earned his Associate's Degree from Neosho County Community College prior to his playing career in 1994. In May of 2019, Clavon graduated with his Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences and Physical Education from Pittsburg State. Just a year later in December of 2020, Clavon earned his Master of Science in Health, Human Performance, and Recreation at Pittsburg State.