Rocky Mountain College Men's Basketball

Danny Neville enters his second season as the Head Coach for Rocky Men’s Basketball in 2026-27. Coach Neville was named the Frontier Conference Coach of the Year in 2025-26, leading the Battlin’ Bears to a 31-4 overall record, including 25-3 in the regular season and 20-2 in Frontier Conference play.  His debut season with the Battlin’ Bears was one to remember, as the Battlin’ Bears won both the Frontier Conference Regular Season and Tournament titles, the first the program has won since 2014, and earned their first trip to the NAIA National Championship Tournament since 2019. Rocky Men’s Basketball hosted the first NAIA National Championship First and Second Rounds Pod in program history, defeating Simpson University and The Master’s University to advance to the NAIA National Championship Final Site and the Round of 16 for the first time since Rocky’s National Championship-winning season in 2009.  The inaugural season under Coach Neville saw Rocky Men’s Basketball set new program records in wins (31), conference wins (20), and winning streak (21). Senior guard Omari Nesbit was named the program’s first-ever NAIA First Team All-American, while Royce Robinson earned NAIA All-Tournament honors, the first Battlin’ Bear to do so since 2009, the first Frontier Conference student-athlete to earn such honors since 2019, and was the only underclassman honored on the All-Tournament team. Nesbit and Robinson were also named First Team All-Frontier Conference; Senior Carter McCoy was named Second Team All-Conference, while Robinson and Mekhi Jourdan earned All-Defensive Team honors.  The Battlin’ Bears ranked as the third-best defensive unit in the NAIA in 2025-26, allowing just 65.3 points per game, which led them to a Quarterfinals appearance at the NAIA National Championship Tournament.  In 2024-25, Neville served as the Associate Head Coach at Langston University (Okla.). His track record of success continued with the Lions, the number one team in the NAIA MBB Preseason Coaches Poll. Langston combined for an overall record of 26-8, winning the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament title and advancing to the Round of 16 in the NAIA National Tournament before falling to the eventual national champions, the College of Idaho.    Neville's collegiate coaching career began as the head assistant coach at Presentation College for two seasons before becoming an assistant coach at the University of Jamestown. After three seasons as an assistant coach, Neville was named head coach of the Jimmies ahead of the 2015-16 season and spent eight seasons at the helm. His eight seasons at Jamestown were dominant in the classroom and on the court, as Neville totaled an overall record of 178-84, including 122-45 in his final five seasons. The Jimmies qualified for the NAIA National Tournament four times (2019, 2021, 2022, & 2023), advancing to the Round of 16 three times and the Round of eight once, totaling an 8-4 record at the national tournament. Neville's groups excelled in the classroom, boasting some of the highest team GPAs in the University of Jamestown men's basketball program's history, including 3.49 in 2020-21, 3.52 in 2021-22, and 3.48 in 2022-23. At the University of Jamestown, he coached twenty-five All-Conference selections, one Conference Freshman of the Year, a three-time Conference Player of the Year, seven NAIA All-American selections, and one NAIA National Player of the Year.  Neville, originally from Bondurant, Iowa, played collegiately at Grand View College, where he graduated with a BA in Sports Management. He later earned an MA in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University Irvine. He is joined in Billings by his wife, Erin, and kids, Emma and Landon.  

Garrett Duffin enters his second season in 2026-27 as an assistant coach with the Rocky Mountain College men's basketball program under head coach Danny Neville. During his first season on staff, Duffin contributed in all phases of the program, serving as the team's defensive coordinator while assisting with player development, recruiting, scouting, and game preparation. Rocky Mountain College developed into one of the nation's premier defensive teams, finishing with the third-best scoring defense in the NAIA by allowing just 65.3 points per game. The 2025-26 season was one of the most successful seasons in program history. Rocky posted the best regular-season record in school history (25-3) while capturing both the Frontier Conference Regular Season Championship (20-2) and Frontier Conference Tournament Championship. The Battlin' Bears also advanced to the Elite Eight of the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship. Individually, Omari Nesbit earned First Team NAIA All-America honors, while Nesbit, Royce Robinson, and Carter McCoy were all recognized with Frontier Conference All-Conference honors. As he enters his second season, Duffin continues to play an integral role in the sustained success and growth of the Rocky Mountain College men's basketball program. Duffin spent the 2024-2025 season as an assistant at Trine University, where they finished the 2024-2025 season 21-5. He assisted in all aspects of the program, including recruiting, player development, and game planning via film breakdown and scouting.  Before his time at Trine, Duffin worked as the Director of Player Development for Minnesota State University, Mankato, for the 2023-2024 season. During his tenure, the Mavericks won the NCAA Division II National Championship, completing the run with a final record of 35-2 and NSIC regular season and conference tournament championships. Duffin began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant for three seasons with Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, Illinois, while attending Physical Therapy School. While at Waubonsee, the Chiefs achieved their most successful season in school history, advancing to the NJCAA Division II Elite Eight and setting a program record with 26 wins. He earned his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Northern Illinois University in May 2023. In five full seasons assisting at the collegiate level, Duffin has helped develop 14 All-Conference selections and three All-Americans. A native of Princeton, Illinois, Duffin graduated from Princeton High School in 2015.