College of DuPage Men's Basketball

Joe Kuhn enters his fourth season of leading the men's basketball program at the College of DuPage in 2025-2026 Kuhn, who spent a sterling 25 seasons at nearby Joliet Junior College, delivered COD's first Region 4 championship in 14 seasons and a sixth-place finish, its best in 16 seasons, at the NJCAA Division III Championship in 2022-23. The Chaps enjoyed a 22-15 overall record, their most wins since that 2008-09 team. They were led by All-Americans Drew Gaston and Matt Elliott. In 2023-24, Kuhn led the COD to its first season as a scholarship program, playing at the Division II level and finishing 17-14 overall. COD then earned its second 20-win season in the last three seasons when the Chaps went 21-10 in 2024-25. In three seasons, Kuhn owns an overall record of 60-39 with the Chaps.   He is the sixth head coach in COD school history for a program that began in 1967. Under Kuhn's leadership, Joliet JC went 525-259 (a .670 winning percentage) and won the 2010 NJCAA Division III championship. Joliet won at least 20 games in 15 of his final 18 seasons and 16 times overall. He led the Wolves to the national tournament seven times (1998, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2022) with three title game appearances and four Final Four appearances. He coached 16 All-Americans, seven N4C conference players of the year and more than 40 All-Region players. The Wolves played in the Region IV title game 19 of his 25 seasons including 15 consecutive seasons with seven conference titles (2001, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013).   Kuhn was inducted into the NJCAA Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2017, and also is a member of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame (2015) and the NJCAA Region IV Hall of Fame (2013.). Kuhn served as the President for the NJCAA Basketball Coaches Association (2021-24). Under Kuhn's leadership, the NJCAA partnered with the NCAA to be included in the NCAA College Basketball Academy. He also continued the NJCAA All-Star Game in Las Vegas, renewing the event after a two-year hiatus due to COVID. He was instrumental in creating the Coaches Association's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee, providing a more comprehensive and varied view point to represent all participants in NJCAA Basketball. He is also on the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Board of Directors. Kuhn served as an assistant coach at JJC during the 1992-93 season. That year, the Wolves advanced to the NJCAA Division II nationals in Delta, Mich., finished with a 30-6 record, and won the N4C championship. Before accepting the coaching position at JJC, Kuhn was the head coach at Rich East High School for three seasons. Kuhn was an assistant coach at the University of St. Francis for two seasons (1990-92) before taking the assistant coaching position at JJC.   Prior to coaching at USF, Kuhn was an educator and assistant coach for both basketball and baseball at Thornwood High School in South Holland.   Kuhn received his Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education from Chicago State University and earned Master’s Degrees in Curriculum and Instruction from National-Louis University and Educational Leadership from American College of Education.   Kuhn, who retired from his physical education position at Rich Township High School, and his wife Kathy make their home in New Lenox.                      

Kristin Ison, who spent the two seasons as an assistant women's basketball coach at nearby North Central College, begins her first season as COD's women's head coach in 2025-26. At North Central, she also served as recruiting coordinator for head coach Maggie McCloskey-Bax's program. She contributed to academic support initiatives, in addition to scouting and opponent film breakdown. Prior to North Central, she spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Lake Forest College. She performed year-round recruiting efforts, while managing administrative duties that included travel, fundraising, and scouting. She brings a wealth of coaching experience at the high school level, directing programs in Arizona, California and in Illinois. Ison played four seasons of basketball at Northwestern, where she led the Big Ten and established the NU single-season free throw percentage record (87.4 percent) her junior season. She ranks third in career free throw percentage (82.7 percent) and 12th in career games (120) for the Wildcats. Ison, a Lake Forest native, earned her bachelor's degree in communication studies from Northwestern in 2010. She is working toward her MBA at North Central.  

Former Wheaton College All-American and long-time college basketball head coach Matt Nadelhoffer returns to COD, beginning his second season season as an assistant coach for Chaparrals’ head coach Joe Kuhn in 25-26.   Nadelhoffer brings 20 years of collegiate coaching experience with 15 seasons as a head coach, most recently eight seasons at Division III Millikin (2011-17). He also spent nine seasons at Eastern University in St. David’s, Pa, and served as an assistant at nearby Elmhurst, where he assisted coach John Baines and helped the Bluejays reach the NCAA Division III Sweet Sixteen in 2020.   He began his coaching career here at COD, as an assistant to Hall of Famer Don Klaas and served on the Chaps’ NJCAA Division III title staff in 2002.   A 1998 graduate of Wheaton College, Nadelhoffer closed out his collegiate playing career with All-Conference and All-America honors. He set an NCAA record for assists in an NCAA Tournament game with 20 and holds the Wheaton single-season assist record at 221. As a senior, he ranked among the top-five in the nation in assists and field goal percentage. He was inducted into the Wheaton College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012.? Nadelhoffer played in the CBA and earned a tryout stint with the Miami Heat in the NBA. He also played internationally in Croatia, Portugal, England, Spain, Ireland, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Matt and his wife, Rebecca, have three children: Matthew, Natalie and Libby and a soft coated wheaten terrier puppy named Louie. The Nadelhoffers own the Warrenville-based Nadelhoffer Family Agency Brightway Insurance firm, offering home, auto and commercial insurance.