On Wednesday morning, Iowa head basketball coach Ben McCollum officially added Jesse Shaw and Xavier Kurth to his new staff with the Hawkeyes. Shaw will serve as the Hawkeyes’ chief of staff, while Kurth will be the director of player development. Both follow McCollum from his tenure at Drake.
“Jesse brings a loyalty to me personally and to the program that we’re at,” McCollum said in a release. “He has had a lot of success in the JUCO ranks and at the Division II level. He is good at a lot of different things, which will help us as we go forward.
“Xavier played for me at Northwest and is an elite recruiter. He is great on the floor with the guys and is excellent in building player relationships. I can’t wait for him to get started working with the guys.”
Shaw joins the program with 16 years of coaching experience, including head coaching stops at Maryville University (2020-24) and Pratt Community College (2011-16). He also coached at Missouri-St. Louis as an assistant (2016-20) and started as a graduate assistant at Emporia State (2006-08).
“This opportunity to assist coach Mac in representing the University of Iowa in the Big Ten is something my family and I will be forever grateful for,” said Shaw. “We look forward to pouring our hearts and souls into our student-athletes, the university, the Iowa City community and representing the state of Iowa.”
In his four years leading Maryville University, Shaw registered the second-highest overall winning percentage in program history and led the team to two of its five total wins over ranked opponents all-time.
As the head man at Pratt CC, Shaw transformed the program from a last-place team to a regional champion in his first three years leading the program, coaching 15 All-Jayhawk Conference selections and eight professional basketball players.
He amassed a five-year record of 92-69 in his five seasons and was named NJCAA Region VI Coach of the Year and the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association Junior College Men's Coach of the Year.
As a player, Shaw and McCollum were teammates at Northwest Missouri State. Shaw graduated as the second-winningest player in school history, and he was on the first of two Bearcat teams to reach the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.
Kurth joins the program after serving as an assistant coach under McCollum at both Northwest Missouri State and Drake. He also played for McCollum as a Bearcat.
Kurth served as a part-time assistant coach at Northwest from 2018-22 before being elevated to a full-time role from 2022-24. He helped the program capture three NCAA Division II National Championships and compile a 191-16 record during his tenure on staff.
He suited up for the Bearcats from 2014-18, helping the program capture its first NCAA title during his junior season when the team posted a 35-1 overall record. Northwest won a total of 114 games during his four years.
“I want to thank coach McCollum for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to coach in the Big Ten at the University of Iowa,” Kurth said. “I am excited and filled with gratitude to become part of the Hawkeye family and to build lasting relationships while representing the black and gold.”
