Northwest Missouri State University Men's Basketball

Northwest Missouri State Univeristy head coach Matt Keeley is entering his second season at the helm of the Bearcat men’s basketball program. Director of Athletics Dr. Andy Peterson selected Matt Keeley as the 21st head men’s basketball coach in program history. “I’m very confident in bringing Coach Keeley on board to lead our men’s basketball program,” Peterson said. “I’ve known him for a long time having scrimmaged, coached, and recruited against him over the years and know who he is as a person and a competitor. He will be an asset to our program, our department, our institution and our community. I can’t wait to get started working with him in this next evolution of Bearcat men’s basketball.” “I am so excited and equally honored to join the Northwest Missouri State program as the next men’s basketball coach,” Keeley said. “Being on campus you quickly realize that Northwest is a truly special place whose biggest asset is its amazing people. My family and I can’t wait to work alongside all the Bearcat family in the local community and beyond to continue the program’s success. Thank you to President Lance Tatum and Athletic Director Andy Peterson for allowing me the opportunity to carry on the tradition that is Northwest Missouri State basketball.” Keeley, a native of Great Bend, Kan., served as the head coach at Ottawa University Arizona for the previous seven seasons before joining Northwest in 2024-25. He was named the 2023 NCCAA National Coach of the Year. He guided the Spirit to three consecutive national tournament appearances including a national runner-up finish in 2021 and a spot in the 2023 Fab Four. Keeley secured back-to-back GSAC tournament championships during his time in Surprise, Ariz. Before embarking on creating a new program in Arizona, Keeley was an assistant coach at MidAmerica Nazarene University from 2009-17 under head coach Rocky Lamar. Keeley was also a graduate assistant coach at MNU in the 2004-05 season. “Matt is a proven winner and elite recruiter who approaches his career with a servant leader mentality,” Lamar said. “He will be an incredible mentor to his student-athletes as well as an incredible addition to the Northwest campus and Maryville community.” Keeley is no stranger to the MIAA as he spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Washburn University for head coach Bob Chipman in 2007-08 and 2008-09. As a student-athlete at MNU, Keeley was the starting point guard for Lamar from 2000-04. The Pioneers qualified for the national tournament in each of his four years, making two runs to the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Championship and another to national runner-up in 2001. Keeley earned All-American honors his junior and senior years, leading the NAIA in assists as a senior. He was named the HAAC Player of the Year in 2004, a Champion of Character Award winner, and was an Academic All-American. He was elected to the MNU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014. Keeley earned his degree in secondary business education from MidAmerica Nazarene. He also completed his master’s degree in leadership and management from MNU. He and his wife, Jana, have four children: Cade, Reese, Cam, and Rylee.   Head Coaching Year-by-Year Totals (Ottawa University Arizona) 2017-18           15-13 (.536) 2018-19           5-23 (.179) 2019-20           11-17 (.393) 2020-21           13-6 (.684) 2021-22           25-9 (.735) 2022-23           25-10 (.714) 2023-24           19-11 (.633) Totals              113-89 (.559)  

Cale Brubaker joined the Bearcat men's basketball coaching staff in 2024. Brubaker served as an assistant coach at Ottawa University-Arizona for three seasons with head coach Matt Keeley.   He came to the Spirit after spending five seasons at The University of Texas at San Antonio, serving as UTSA’s video coordinator. He was responsible for all aspects of video exchange, film breakdown, player instructional videos, recruiting videos, and team video database while also working with the coaching staff to create scout tapes and scouting reports.               Before his promotion to the full-time video coordinator role, Brubaker spent the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons as the program’s graduate assistant, earning a master’s in educational leadership. His duties included assisting with the planning and implementation of practices, recruiting efforts, and special projects from the coaching staff. During Brubaker’s first season as video coordinator, the Roadrunners built off a 20-win season in 2017-18 to finish in second place in the C-USA standings with 11 wins. UTSA earned its highest tournament seed in 14 years while spurred by the dynamic guard play of sophomore sensations Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace, the nation’s top-scoring backcourt. A native of New Braunfels, Texas, Brubaker graduated from MidAmerica Nazarene in Olathe, Kan., in May 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in history. He was a four-year letterwinner (2012-16) for the Pioneers men’s basketball program. He helped lead the squad to 91 wins, a pair of NAIA Fab Four appearances (2014, 2016), a Heart of America Conference regular-season title (2016), and a tournament title (2014). Brubaker shot 49 percent from three-point range as a junior to set an MNU single-season record and rank second nationally. His 3.97 assist/turnover ratio also ranked second in the nation as a senior, and he finished his career shooting 45 percent from behind the arc with a 2.75 assist/turnover ratio. Brubaker was named the Heart of America Player of the Week in December 2014 after posting 21 points, five rebounds, five assists, and four steals. He also was a two-time Academic All-American and graduated with a 3.6 GPA.   Brubaker played his prep career at San Antonio Christian High School, where he was an all-state selection, and Lone Stars All-Area pick by the San Antonio Express-News as a senior. He helped lead the team to the Final Four that season.

Northwest Missouri State University head men's basketball coach Matt Keeley has announced the hiring of Braxton Williams as assistant coach. Williams began his duties with the Bearcats on Sept 16, 2024. Prior to arriving in Maryville, Williams spent this past year at Pittsburg State University.  He helped coach the Gorillas to a 21-11 season that resulted in a trip to the MIAA Tournament Championship and the school’s first NCAA Division II National Tournament since 2015. A West Plains, Mo., native, Williams began his coaching career at the NAIA level as a graduate assistant and developmental team coach at Ottawa University – Arizona, for two seasons under Keeley. Williams helped Ottawa to a 25-9 record in 2021-22 as the Spirit claimed the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) Tournament Championship and advanced to the second round of the NAIA National Tournament.  During the 2022-23 season Williams served as an assistant coach at NJCAA DI Missouri State University-West Plains where they made an appearance in the Region XVI Tournament.  Williams also served as a player development coach/trainer for Playmakers Basketball in Phoenix, Ariz. Where he helped with the pre-draft workouts and offseason programs. He helped coach and train a host of NBA players and overseas players including the likes of Deandre Ayton (Portland Trailblazers), Alex Len (Sacramento Kings), Rudy Gay (17-year NBA veteran), Eric Bledsoe (12-year NBA veteran), Matt Thomas (Alba Berlin), and Mike Daum (Crvena Zvezda).  Williams played at NJCAA North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City, Iowa, for three years where he earned all-conference accolades his sophomore season. Williams competed collegiately at Northeastern State University for his last two years. He was a team captain for the RiverHawks as a senior in 2016-17. Williams earned a bachelor’s degree in health & human performance from NSU in December 2017. He earned a master’s degree in business leadership from Ottawa University-Arizona in April 2022.   Williams and his wife, Mary Jane live in Maryville with their dog, Stanley.