2011-12 Men's Basketball Record:
GPACPct.OverallPctStreakHomeAwayNeutral
11-4.73317-7.708Won 16-410-31-0

2011-12 Men's Basketball Coaches
Nic Nelson Image
Nic Nelson - Head Coach
Nic Nelson is in his first year as Briar Cliff's head men's basketball coach, after spending four years as the program's top assistant. In those four seasons, Nelson has helped the Chargers to a 91-38 record and a pair of national tournament appearances.  This past season, the Chargers were ranked as high as No. 4 in the nation, qualified for the national tournament and finished with a record of 23-9.
 
Nelson takes over the storied BCU program from Todd Barry, who produced a record of 139-80 in seven seasons. The 2010-11 campaign was the program's 45th season of competition. The program has produced 821 victories, 35 winning seasons, 18 national tournament appearances and four National Basketball Association draft picks.
 
Nelson came to Briar Cliff from Central College, where he served as an assistant coach for three seasons. There, he assisted in making the program competitive within the Iowa Conference and helped the Dutch to their best record and conference finish in more than a decade. With the entire starting five he helped recruit to Central leading the way, the Dutch won the 2009-10 regular season and conference tournament championship for the first time in fifteen years. Prior to Central, Nelson was thevarsity boys' basketball coach at Ogden High School, where he guided the Bulldogs to a record of 39-10 over two years. Following the 2003-04 season, he was tabbed as the Mid-Iowa Coach of the Year. During the 2000-01 season, he served as the sophomore boys' coach at Sioux City West High School.
 
The 2001 Morningside graduate was a four-year baseball letterwinner for the Mustangs. The two-time team MVP went on to play two seasons of professional baseball, including a season with the Sioux City Explorers in 2000. The former four-sport standout at Central Lyon High School holds a master's degree in health science from Fort Hays State University. Nelson and his wife, Michelle, reside in Sioux City with their two daughters, Grace and Claire.
Mark Svagera Image
Mark Svagera - Assistant Coach
Mark Svagera is in his first year as an assistant with the Briar Cliff men's basketball program.  He came to Briar Cliff following two years as an assistant coach at Dickinson State University. The Blue Hawks posted a 16-13 mark this past season. Prior to that, he spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Hastings College. He began his coaching career at his alma mater, Dana College, serving as an assistant with the women's basketball program during the 2006-07 campaign.
 
The Ralston, Neb. native graduated from Ralston High School in 2002 and Dana College in 2006. Svagera was a four-year member of the Vikings' basketball program. He holds a bachelors' degree in physical education from Dana, and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Hastings.
Ron Schultz Image
Ron Schultz - Assistant Coach (Junior Varsity)
Ron Schultz is in his 30th year as an assistant with the Charger basketball program.  He coached along side NAIA and Briar Cliff Hall of Fame coach Ray Nacke for 22 years, guiding the Chargers to 11 national tournaments and a No. 1 ranking in 1981.  Schultz then spent seven seasons working under Todd Barry.  During that span, the Chargers qualified for a pair of national tournaments and climbed as high as No. 4 in the nation.  Schultz's portfolio also includes coaching freshmen football, girls' basketball and sophomore boys' basketball at Bishop Heelan High School, Sioux City, Iowa.  A Sioux City native, Schultz is a Heelan graduate and a Briar Cliff alumnus. While playing basketball at Briar Cliff, he scored the first basket in BC history and finished his playing career with 1,353 points.  The 1970 Briar Cliff graduate was inducted into the BCU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992. 
 
In addition to coaching at Briar Cliff, Schultz is a counselor at Heelan High School in Sioux City. He and his wife, Ann, have five grown children.
Angelo James Image
Angelo James - Assistant Coach (JV)
Angelo James is in his third year as an assistant coach with the Chargers. Most recently, he served as an assistant football coach at North High School in Sioux City during the past five seasons. Previously, he coached baskeball at Bishop Heelan High School for eight seasons. James is a 1982 graduate of Westmar College, in Le Mars, Iowa, where he was a multi-sport athlete. As an NAIA All-American at Westmar in football, he set numerous school records. James also played basketball for the Eagles, competing against the likes of BCU Hall of Famers Roland Frazer and Mario Galvez. He has owned his own insurance agency in Sioux City for the past 15 years. James and his wife, Carla, have two sons, Angelo Jr., a senior at Wayne State College, and Marcus, who is a student at University of Northern Iowa.
Austin Busch Image
Austin Busch - Student Assistant

Austin Busch is in his first year as a student assistant coach.  He will assist primarily with the varsity program.

Spencer Fahey Image
Spencer Fahey - Student Assistant

Spencer Fahey is in his first year as a student assistant coach.  He will assist primarily with the varsity program.

Justin Hummelgard Image
Justin Hummelgard - Student Assistant

Justin Hummelgard is in his first year as a student assistant coach.  He will work primarily with the junior varsity program.  Hummelgard is also a member of the Briar Cliff track program.

Ben O'Neill Image
Ben O'Neill - Student Assistant

Ben O'Neill, a Sioux City, Iowa native, is in his first year as a student assistant coach.  He will work primarily with the junior varsity program.  O'Neill was a member of the BCU basketball program as a freshman.

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