Mike Maker - Associate Head Coach - Men's Basketball Coaches

Mike Maker

Title:
Associate Head Coach
Email:
mike.maker@stthomas.edu
Phone:
651-962-5929

Mike Maker is entering his fifth season in 2025-26 as the associate head coach of St. Thomas Men's Basketball.

Maker has over 30 years of collegiate coaching experience, including a combined 10 years as a head coach at Division I Marist College and Division III power Williams College.

St. Thomas delivered one of the most efficient and dynamic offensive performances in the country during the 2024–25 season. The Tommies ranked top 10 nationally in four offensive categories—effective field goal percentage (.582, 3rd), overall field goal percentage, 2-point field goal percentage, and 3-point field goal percentage—and were the only program in the nation to rank among the top 20 in 2FG%, 3FG%, free throw percentage, and turnover margin. Maker’s offensive system powered St. Thomas to 24 wins—the program’s highest mark in the Division I era—and a .706 Summit League winning percentage, the best in the conference. The Tommies also became the only transitioning program to post three consecutive 19-win seasons while finishing top three in KenPom and NET rankings among all programs in the D-I reclassification process. St. Thomas averaged more than 75 points per game and was the only Summit League team to feature four scorers averaging 11.0+ points and five at 9.5+ per game. Under Maker’s guidance, junior Miles Barnstable earned All-Summit First Team and All-Newcomer honors, while graduate guard Drake Dobbs was named to the Second Team and All-Defensive Team after ranking fifth nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.50).

Behind the offensive attack led by Maker, the Tommies finished with their first 20-win season of the DI era following a win over North Dakota State to open the Summit League Championship, beating a Bison program that reached the league title in each of the past five seasons. The Purple played two Power Six programs on the road, losing by a combined 10 points, including an 84-79 loss at No. 7 Marquette that finished as a two seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Tommies ranked among the top 20 nationally in turnovers per game and were among the top 35 in four other offensive categories. Raheem Anthony and Parker Bjorklund were both named to the All-Summit League Second Team while Anthony also earned a spot on the All-Newcomer Team, the second consecutive season St. Thomas has featured a student-athlete on the newcomer team. Bjorklund was selected to the CSC Academic All-District Team for the second consecutive season.

After entering the 2022-23 season picked to finish eighth in the Summit League Preseason Coaches’ Poll, Maker helped the Tommies to a fourth place finish and a run to the semifinals of the league’s postseason tournament. The Purple nearly doubled their win total from the previous season, finishing with a 19-14 record overall and a 9-9 mark in the Summit League. Additionally, St. Thomas went 12-2 at Schoenecker Arena to rank among the top 25 percent of NCAA DI teams at home. Maker coached two All-Summit League student-athletes in Parker Bjorklund and Andrew Rohde, including the Freshman of the Year award and a selection to the All-Summit League Newcomer Team for Rohde. From year one to year two of the NCAA Division I era, Maker and the Tommies improved by nine wins, six conference wins, a +5 point scoring margin, doubled its block total, and improved its 3-point field goal defense in conference play by nearly 10 percent. St. Thomas’ first postseason victory of the DI era came in a 67-60 win over Western Illinois during the quarterfinal of the Summit League Championships. The Purple’s season was ended after taking No. 1 seed, 30-win Oral Roberts to the wire, losing 70-65 in the playoff semifinals.

While at Williams, Maker guided the Ephs to three Final Four trips (including two national championship game appearances) and one other Elite Eight, while compiling an overall record of 147-32, giving him the highest winning percentage in school history (.821). He was the Basketball Times Co-National Coach of the Year in 2010, the D3Hoops.com Northeast Region Coach of the Year in 2010 and 2013, and the NESCAC Coach of the Year in 2010.

Two of his former players at Williams are currently in the NBA. Will Hardy is the head coach of the Utah Jazz. Meanwhile, sharpshooter Duncan Robinson of the Miami Heat is the fastest player to reach 1,000 made 3-pointers in NBA history.

As the assistant coach under John Beilein at West Virginia, the Mountaineers captured the 2007 NIT Championship (WVU's first postseason title in 65 years) and advanced to the 2006 Sweet 16. While at West Virginia, Maker coached Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, who led the Celtics to the 2024 NBA Championship; Cleveland Cavs' GM Mike Gansey; 2008 NBA lottery pick Joe Alexander; and Golden State Warriors director of pro personnel Jonnie West, son of the late NBA legend Jerry West, the NBA logo.

Maker also served as an assistant coach at Creighton under current Oregon coach Dana Altman, as well as serving as an assistant at Samford and Dartmouth.

Maker resides in Lakeville, Minn., with his wife Erica, the head women’s cross-country coach at St. Olaf College, and their son Jack.