Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Associate Vice President for Athletics Kevin Lanke has announced the hiring of Maverick Harris as the new head coach of the Pomeroys men’s basketball program.”I am excited to bring Maverick Harris back to Indiana as head men’s basketball coach at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College,” Lanke said. “Maverick has been successful at every stop along his career path and brings successful NAIA head coaching experience and his Indiana connections to SMWC. He connected extremely well with student-athletes, coaches, faculty and staff during the interview process. We look forward to welcoming coach and his family as the newest residents of the Wabash Valley.”

An Indiana native, Harris returns to his home state to lead the SMWC men’s basketball team, bringing with him a diverse and impactful coaching background across many levels of college basketball.

“My family and I are extremely excited to be joining the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College family,” Harris said. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to join a growing athletics department at an institution deeply rooted in rich academic tradition.”

Harris most recently served as the  during the 2024–25 season. Taking over a program that recorded just four wins the year before, he tripled the win total in his first year at the helm — a turnaround that ranked as the . Under his leadership, Bethany earned victories over NCAA Division II Colorado Christian University, , and . The team improved in every offensive statistical category and .

“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 added. “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.”

Before being elevated to head coach, Harris served as an assistant at Bethany in 2023–24, where he also contributed as a game management assistant and adjunct professor, teaching Academic Study Skills.

His prior coaching stops include , where he helped guide the Grizzlies to a statement win over Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) No. 1 seed Rose-Hulman. He also played a key role in recruiting a foundational roster that would go on to win .

At NCAA Division II , Harris helped lead the Tigers to the . His teams ranked among the national leaders in rebounds, defensive field goal percentage, scoring, and steals. He coached All-American guard Stan Smith, who ranked top-10 in the nation in scoring and three-point shooting.

Harris also spent four seasons coaching in the  with stints at  and . While at Minot, he helped guide the Beavers to a school-best semifinal appearance in the NSIC Tournament. His coaching journey began as a player development coach alongside NBA trainer Joey Burton, assisting with pre-draft and summer workouts for professional players in the NBA, G-League, and overseas.

“We’d like to thank President Randolph and Kevin Lanke, as well as the entire hiring committee for their belief in us to lead the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Men’s Basketball program,” Harris said. “From the moment we stepped foot on campus, we could just feel the energy, care, and hospitality that make SMWC a special place.”

As a player, Harris was a senior captain at Northland College in Wisconsin, helping lead the program to its best finish in 20 years. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business management with a minor in writing and later earned a master’s degree in sports management from Minot State.

Harris, his wife Danielle, and their young son, Million James, are relocating to Indiana to begin this next chapter with the Pomeroy family.

“We can’t wait to hit the ground running and get to know everyone at SMWC and within the community,” Harris said.