North Platte, Ne- North Platte Community College rolled out the red carpet, or should we say gold carpet on Thursday evening for new Mens Basketball Coach Jacob Brandl. Brandl a North Platte St. Patrick's graduate and former Knights basketball player under Kevin O'Conner comes back to the city he grew up in to take over a program that until December of 2023 had only had one head basketball coach over the previous 39 years; O'Conner who was in attendance during the press conference.
Brandl, who had his wife, mother and father-in-law watching as he was introduced to the media, comes to the Knight's after stints at Dakota Wesleyan University as an assistant and as Head Coach at McCook Community College . Brandl spent the last four years as the head coach of the McCook Community College men's basketball program, amassing a 47-72 record. In his first season at the helm, Brandl helped guide the Indians to a Region IX tournament championship appearance, their first since 1997. During his four seasons he coached 12 Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference selections and eight All-Region IX honorees. Coach Brandl thanked Jon Olson and Kelly Rippen at McCook Community College for giving him his first chance as a head coach. He said he told MCC that the "North Platte Community College job was the only job I'd leave McCook for''. He went on to say "this is bittersweet, this is home".
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"This is a surreal moment," said Brandl. "Having grown up here and played here I'm super grateful to have the opportunity to come back home to my alma mater."
Brandl completed his collegiate playing career at Dana College, amassing 966 career points and 221 career 3-point field goals. Brandl began his coaching career as a student assistant at Midland University, before spending eight years climbing the ladder to become the associate head coach at Dakota Wesleyan University (S.D.) in 2019-20.
Brandl holds an Associate of Arts degree from Mid-Plains Community College and a bachelor's degree in history and secondary education, as well as a field endorsement in social science and coaching from Midland University. He also holds a master's degree in education policy and administration from Dakota Wesleyan University.