Northern State University Athletics

Jared Swanson enters his second season with the program and first as the associate head coach in the fall of 2020. He was promoted to his current position in March of 2019. Swanson is no stranger to the Phillips system as a member of his staffs at both North Dakota State and Ohio. 

In 2019-20, the Wolves won their third straight NSIC Overall and Tournament Championships posting a 26-6 record. NSU earned a berth in the NCAA Central Region Tournament as the fourth seed. Three Wolves earned NSIC All-Conference honors this season, with Parker Fox being named the NSIC Defensive Player of the Year. In addition, Fox earned All-Region accolades from both the D2CCA and NABC. 
 
In ten years at the Division I level, Swanson has mentored/developed 21 All-Conference award-winning student-athletes, including five all-first team honorees, three freshman of the year, and one conference player of the year.
 
Swanson most recently spent that last five seasons at Ohio University as an Assistant Coach (2017-19), and prior to that as the Director of Men’s Basketball Operations (2014-17).  In 2015-16, the Bobcats produced the second biggest turnaround in program history, going 23-12 overall with a trip to the CBI semifinals.
 
Prior to his time at OU, Swanson spent one season at San Jose State and two seasons at North Dakota State as the Director of Men’s Basketball Operations. The Bison went 41-24 in his two seasons, earning a berth into the College Basketball Invitational each year.
 
Swanson began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at Boise State University. The Broncos went 22-13 overall and advanced to the semifinal round of the CBI. From 2008-10, Swanson spent time as an assistant coach at Heritage High School in Vancouver, Washington and as the head coach at Payson High School in Payson, Arizona.  Before starting his coaching career, Swanson played four seasons of professional basketball in Australia, garnering two League-MVP awards, while leading the league in scoring two years.
 
He is a 2003 graduate of Concordia College with a bachelor’s degree in Social Studies Education, and 2011 graduate of Idaho State University with a master’s degree in Physical Education in Athletic Administration. Swanson played collegiately at Fergus Falls Community College where he was an all-state and all-region selection, as well as the 2000 Fergus Falls Student-Athlete of the Year. Swanson moved on to the University of North Dakota and then to Concordia College. He closed out his college career as a MIAC first team selection for the Cobbers.
 
Jared and his wife, Jessica, have two sons, Jett and Nash, and one daughter, Luna.