Maverick Harris enters his first season as the head coach of the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College men’s basketball program in 2025-26. An Indiana native, Harris was announced as the program’s new leader by Associate Vice President for Athletics Kevin Lanke on April 17, 2025.
“Maverick has been successful at every stop along his career path and brings successful NAIA head coaching experience and his Indiana connections to SMWC,” Lanke said at the time of his hire. “He connected extremely well with student-athletes, coaches, faculty, and staff during the interview process. We look forward to welcoming Coach Harris and his family as the newest residents of the Wabash Valley.”
Recent Head Coaching Success
Harris comes to SMWC after serving as head coach at Bethany College during the 2024–25 season, where he engineered one of the top single-season turnarounds in NAIA basketball. Taking over a program that won just four games the year prior, Harris tripled the win total in his debut season — the 13th-largest improvement in the NAIA.
The team claimed signature victories over NCAA Division II Colorado Christian, Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) champion University of Saint Mary, and KCAC runner-up Bethel College. Under Harris, Bethany improved across every offensive category and ranked among the nation’s top 10 in three defensive metrics.
Before his promotion to head coach, Harris served as an assistant at Bethany in 2023–24. He also contributed as a game management assistant and adjunct professor, teaching Academic Study Skills.
Coaching Career Path
Harris has built a diverse coaching résumé across multiple levels of the college game:
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Franklin College (Ind.): Played a pivotal role in recruiting a roster that would go on to capture three HCAC championships. Helped the Grizzlies to a statement victory over HCAC No. 1 seed Rose-Hulman.
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Salem University (W.Va.): Helped guide the Tigers to the USCAA Division I Small College National Championship. Salem ranked among the nation’s leaders in rebounds, defensive field goal percentage, scoring, and steals. He coached All-American guard Stan Smith, who finished top-10 nationally in scoring and three-point shooting.
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Bemidji State & Minot State (NSIC): Spent four seasons coaching in the highly competitive Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. At Minot, Harris helped lead the Beavers to a school-best semifinal appearance in the NSIC Tournament.
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Player Development: Began his coaching career working alongside NBA trainer Joey Burton, assisting with pre-draft and summer training for professional athletes competing in the NBA, G-League, and overseas.
Playing Career
Harris was a senior captain at Northland College (Wis.), where he helped guide the program to its best finish in two decades. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business management with a minor in writing, and later earned a master’s degree in sports management from Minot State.
Vision for SMWC Men’s Basketball
Known for his ability to rebuild programs and emphasize toughness, connectedness, and resilience, Harris brings an ambitious vision to the Pomeroys.
“Our program mission seeks to empower connected individuals whose passion, toughness, and resiliency ignite purposeful effort we are proud of – and that is what we will strive to do every single day,” Harris said. “We look forward to building upon the recent success of the SMWC Men’s Basketball program, while developing strong, charismatic leaders throughout campus and in the community.”
Family
Harris and his wife, Danielle, have a young son, Million James. The family has relocated to Indiana as they begin their journey with the Pomeroy community.
“From the moment we stepped foot on campus, we could just feel the energy, care, and hospitality that make SMWC a special place,” Harris said. “We can’t wait to hit the ground running and get to know everyone at SMWC and in the community.”
