St. John's University Men's Basketball

Bio • A 2004 SJU graduate, Pat McKenzie is in his 12th season as head coach of the Johnnies in 2026-27. • He became the 15th head coach in the 113-year history of Johnnie basketball on April 15th, 2015, and replaced Jim Smith who retired following 51 seasons at SJU. 2025-26 Season • McKenzie led SJU (16-11, 11-5 MIAC) to its sixth MIAC playoff championship game in the past seven seasons. He earned his 200th-career victory in a 74-71 win over Central (Iowa) in the Johnnies' home opener. SJU tied for second in the conference and earned the No. 2 seed in the MIAC playoffs, the program's 14th-consecutive appearance and 32nd since the postseason tournament started in 1984-85. First-year guard Peyton Podany (Anoka, Minn.) became the first Johnnie freshman in 50 years to earn All-MIAC honors. 2024-25 Season • McKenzie led SJU (25-4, 15-1 MIAC) to its 12th MIAC regular-season championship (fourth in the last six seasons) and earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament with a 74-59 win over Carleton for the program's fourth MIAC Playoff championship in the last six tournaments (ninth overall). The national postseason appearance was the Johnnies' 22nd (13th at the Division III level) and fifth in the last seven seasons. SJU ended the season ranked No. 13 in the final D3hoops.com Top 25 poll. The 20-win season was the Johnnies' 16th overall and sixth in the past nine seasons. Three of SJU's four losses were decided by four points or less. 2023-24 Season • McKenzie led SJU to its 11th MIAC regular-season title in program history and fourth in the last six seasons (no MIAC season in 2020-21) in 2023-24. The 20-win season was also the Johnnies' 15th overall and fifth in the past eight seasons. Four of the Johnnies' six losses were decided by three points or less. SJU finished as the NCAA Division III leader in shooting percentage (.516) and three-point percentage (.409), and fourth in free-throw percentage (.804). He was named the MIAC Men's Basketball Coach of the Year for the third time of his career. 2022-23 Season • Saint John's basketball (17-10, 13-7 MIAC) recorded 10 home wins or more for the fifth-consecutive (full) season, finished second in the conference and reached the MIAC Playoff championship game for the fourth-straight tournament (and fifth in the last six) in 2022-23.  2021-22 Season • The Johnnies (23-5, 17-2 MIAC) won their second consecutive MIAC regular-season championship (10th overall) and third consecutive MIAC Playoff title (eighth overall) in 2021-22. SJU made its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in a row and ended the regular season ranked No. 24 nationally. 2019-20 Season • He led SJU to a 27-2 record (19-1 MIAC), which tied the program record for single-season wins (1978-79), its ninth MIAC regular-season title, seventh MIAC Playoff championship and third consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament appearance in 2019-20. The Johnnies advanced to the third round (Sweet 16) of the NCAA Tournament, but the season abruptly ended with the NCAA's cancellation of all winter and spring championships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 27 wins served as the program's 13th 20-win season. 2018-19 Season • McKenzie led SJU to a 23-5 record (17-3 MIAC), the MIAC Playoff championship, and second consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament appearance in 2018-19. 2017-18 Season • SJU became just the sixth team to tally a 19-1 MIAC record or better in 2017-18 and was the eighth team to win the regular-season title by four games or more since the league moved to a 20-game conference schedule in 1983-84. The Johnnies won 16 consecutive games during the 2017-18 season, their longest win streak since they won 27 straight in 1978-79. 2016-17 Season • The Johnnies posted a 19-9 record (13-7 MIAC) and earned their 24th trip to the conference playoffs, advancing to the MIAC Playoff Championship game for the first time since 2006-07, during McKenzie's second season as head coach in 2016-17.  2015-16 Season • SJU finished third in the MIAC with a 13-7 record (19-8 overall) and earned its 23rd trip to the conference playoffs in McKenzie's first season as head coach. Past Experience • McKenzie served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for Jim Smith for nine seasons from 2006-15. The Johnnies recorded the second-most wins (110) in conference play during McKenzie's nine-year tenure as an assistant. He coached 14 All-MIAC first-team selections and the team finished fifth or better (out of 11 teams) in the MIAC standings eight of the nine seasons. • As a collegiate player, McKenzie manned the point-guard position as a four-year letter-winner for the Johnnies from 2000-04. He led the MIAC in assists as a senior and was a member of the Johnnies' NCAA Division III Sweet 16 team as a freshman in 2000-01. McKenzie is currently seventh in SJU history with 305 career assists.  • McKenzie returned to Collegeville after two seasons as director of basketball operations at Division I Wisconsin-Green Bay from 2004-06.  Personal • McKenzie's father, Pat '79, was a point guard on four national-tournament teams at SJU from 1975-79 and younger brother, Kevin '14, also played point guard for the Johnnies from 2010-14. • McKenzie and his wife, Jillian (CSB '09), reside in Sartell, and have two daughters, Evelyn and Margaret, and a son, Patrick.    Pat McKenzie's Record at SJU Year Overall Pct. MIAC Finish Notes 2015-16 19-8 .704 13-7 T-Third 2016-17 19-9 .679 13-7 Fourth 2017-18 23-4 .852 19-1 Champions NCAA 2018-19 23-5 .821 17-3 Second NCAA 2019-20 27-2 .931 19-1 Champions NCAA 2020-21 3-4 .429 2-3 2021-22 23-5 .821 17-2 Champions NCAA 2022-23 17-10 .630 13-7 Second 2023-24 20-6 .769 18-2 Champions 2024-25 25-4 .862 15-1 Co-Champions NCAA 2025-26 16-11 .593 11-5 T-Second 11 Seasons 215-69 .757 157-39 5 MIAC Titles 5 NCAA Appearances  

Polk is in his first season as an assistant basketball coach at Saint John’s in 2026-27. A 2025 graduate of DI Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, Polk most recently played with the Windsor Express, a professional team based in Windsor, Ontario and a member of the Basketball Super League (BSL). With the Express, Polk averaged 7.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game while shooting 40 percent in 28 games.   As a student-athlete, Polk played in 144 games for the Cougars from 2020-25. His 144 games rank second in the Cougar record books all-time. He totaled 582 points and 87 three-pointers (19th all-time). He started all 34 games of his final season and averaged a career-best 4.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. He helped his team to an Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Tournament Championship and the NCAA Tournament in 2025.    

Jerry Fogarty is in his 26th year as an assistant coach for SJU in 2026-27. A 1964 graduate of St. Thomas, Fogarty played basketball for the Tommies and became a basketball assistant at Rochester Lourdes High School after earning his degree. In 1969, he became the school’s head coach and guided Lourdes to a state independent crown in 1973. He was inducted into the Lourdes Sports Hall of Fame in December 2009. Fogarty and his wife, Becki, live in Avon. They have three children.

Heiderscheidt is in his first season as an assistant basketball coach at Saint John’s in 2026-27. He served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Bethany Lutheran College, in 2025-26, helping the Vikings to a UMAC Playoff Championship in 2026 and an NCAA tournament appearance. He helped coach a UMAC Rookie of the Year and three All-UMAC players. Heiderscheidt played in three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances and coached in another. As a student-athlete, Heiderscheidt began his basketball career at DII Southwest Minnesota State before transferring to BLC in January of 2023. He played in 63 games for the Vikings in three seasons, averaging 3.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists at guard before graduating with his degree in business (finance) in 2025.   

Saint John's University hired Minnesota native and former U.S. National Team standout Nate Augspurger as the new Director of Rugby in December of 2025.  Augspurger serves as the head coach of the Saint John's rugby team, while overseeing operations and development for the Saint Benedict rugby program. He provides leadership for all aspects of CSB+SJU rugby, including coaching, recruiting, player development, alumni relations and overall program growth. The Johnnies currently compete in the Northern Lights League in Division III of the Small College Division and tied for first with a 3-1 league record in the fall of 2025. SJU earned a spot in the national tournament after defeating St. Thomas in the league's title game. The Johnnies fell to Xavier (Ohio) 29-12 in the Midwest Regional play-in game.  Augspurger brought more than a decade of elite playing experience at the professional and international levels to CSB and SJU. A 2012 graduate of the University of Minnesota, he was a member of the Golden Gophers' rugby program before a distinguished playing career with USA Rugby and Major League Rugby. From 2012-25, Augspurger earned 51 caps (international games played) with the USA Men's XVs National Team, competing in the 2019 Rugby World Cup, and represented the United States on the World Rugby Sevens Series, including serving as a traveling reserve for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. At the professional level, Augspurger spent seven seasons in Major League Rugby, including six years with the San Diego Legion (2018-23), then most recently with the Chicago Hounds (2024-25). He also served as a youth coach and community ambassador for the local rugby communities in San Diego and Chicago.  Augspurger began coaching in 2015 as an Olympic Development Program Skills Coach with Play Rugby USA. He also served as a coach and recruiter for the Rhinos Rugby Academy, a high-performance program based in California that focuses on creating pathways for young athletes to collegiate, professional and international rugby. He is also a certified functional strength coach and spent time as a personal trainer while competing in Chicago. Augspurger directs a rugby program with a rich history at both Saint Ben's and Saint John's, with more than 107 combined years of competition and numerous championships.  Dating back to 1967, the SJU rugby team has won two national championships (2013 and 2014) with five Final Four appearances. Saint John's earned regional championships in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018 and 2021.