Maverick Harris enters his second season as head coach of the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College men’s basketball program in 2026-27 after a strong debut campaign that established a competitive identity built on defensive intensity and balanced scoring. In his first season, Harris led SMWC to the River States Conference Tournament and secured victories over nationally ranked opponents No. 25 Georgia Gwinnett and No. 25 IU Kokomo.
Harris coached three All-River States Conference Second Team selections in Taray Howell, Mike Ajukwa, and Ellis Todd, while DeYon Bell earned River States Conference Defender of the Week honors and Quamar Hobbs was named River States Conference Defensive Player of the Week. Under Harris, the Pomeroys saw multiple players emerge in key roles, highlighted by Howell leading the team in scoring and Bell anchoring the interior defense as the team’s leading rebounder and shot blocker.
Harris brought immediate structure and physicality to the program, emphasizing defensive presence and player development. SMWC showed improvement in rebounding production and interior defense while developing depth across the roster with contributions from both veteran leaders and underclassmen.
Harris was named head coach on April 17, 2025, by Associate Vice President for Athletics Kevin Lanke. An Indiana native, he arrived at SMWC following a successful stint at Bethany College, where he led one of the top single-season turnarounds in NAIA basketball during the 2024-25 season.
Prior to SMWC, Harris built a diverse coaching résumé with stops at Bethany College, Franklin College (Ind.), Salem University (W.Va.), Bemidji State, and Minot State. He has coached at multiple collegiate levels and has been part of championship-caliber programs, including a USCAA Division I National Championship team at Salem and an NSIC Tournament semifinal team at Minot State.
Harris 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.
As a player, Harris was a senior captain at Northland College (Wis.), helping guide the program to its best finish in two decades. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business management with a minor in writing from Northland and later completed a master’s degree in sports management from Minot State.
Known for his emphasis on toughness, connectedness, and resilience, Harris continues to build the foundation of the SMWC program with a focus on developing leaders both on and off the court.
Harris and his wife, Danielle, have two children, Million and Maddix, and reside in Indiana as part of the Pomeroy community.
