Coaching Staff

Erik Crawford
Assistant Coach

Erik Crawford is in his fifth season as an assistant coach for the University of Northern Iowa men’s basketball team.

Crawford, a native of Oakdale, Minn., totaled 1,108 points as a collegiate basketball player. As a Panther from 2003-06, he helped lead UNI to three straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament (2004, 2005, 2006). The Panthers posted a mark of 65-31 during Crawford’s playing days. He was an honorable mention all-Missouri Valley Conference pick as a junior. He earned MVC All-Newcomer status in 2004 following a transfer from Bowling Green State University.

Crawford played prep basketball at Tartan High School in Oakdale, Minn., where he helped the Titans win the 2000 Minnesota Class 4A state title.

Crawford served as Creighton University’s director of basketball operations in 2010-11. Prior to his year at Creighton, Crawford spent the previous four seasons at Iowa State University. With the Cyclones, he served as a graduate manager (two years) and as an assistant director of basketball operations (two years). Crawford worked for head coach Greg McDermott at both Creighton and Iowa State.

Crawford earned his undergraduate degree in leisure youth and human services from UNI in May 2006. He also earned his master’s degree in kinesiology from Iowa State in May 2011.

He and his wife, Nicole, have a daughter, Mya Marie (8), and son, Treyvin Randall (5).

Kyle Green
Assistant Coach

Kyle Green will serve as the Panthers’ recruiting coordinator along with his role as an assistant coach.

Green is in his third stint as an assistant coach for the UNI Panther men’s basketball team. Green served as an assistant from 2001-2003 and from 2006-2011.

In the 2011-2012 season, Green was the head coach at Wisconsin-Eau Claire - a Division III school in Eau Claire, Wis.

In between his previous two terms as a Panther assistant, Green was an assistant coach at Marquette University in the 2003-2004 season and the head coach of Lewis University, a Division II school in Romeoville, Ill., in the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 seasons.

Green started his coaching career in 1992 as player/coach of the Frederica (Denmark) Basketball Club. He was named Denmark Serie Coach of the Year after guiding Frederica to a 30-3 record and the Denmark Serie title. He then served as an assistant coach from 1993-1995 at his alma mater, Hamline (Minn.) University. He has also served as an assistant coach at Southwest Minnesota State (1995-1997), and Augustana (S.D.) College (1997-2000) and was head coach at Western State (Colo.) College during the 2000-2001 season.

A native of Minneapolis, Minn., Green received his bachelor’s degree in social studies/psychology from Hamline in 1992. He was a four-year letterwinner for Hamline, earning academic all-conference honors as both a junior and senior.

Green earned his master’s degree in athletic administration from St. Thomas University in 1999.

He and his wife, Michele, are the parents of a son, A.J. (16), and a daughter, Emerson (13).

P.J. Hogan
Assistant Coach

P.J. Hogan is in his 13th year at the University of Northern Iowa, and his 11th as a full-time assistant coach.

Hogan is responsible for coordinating player development, particularly with the Panthers’ perimeter players, and is heavily involved in recruiting. He also is in charge of coordinating UNI’s opponent scouting as well as the team’s numerous summer camps.

Prior to coming to UNI, Hogan served as the top assistant coach at Southwest State University (known today as Southwest Minnesota State) for two years. At the Division II school, he helped lead them to an overall record of 38-18 and two second-place finishes in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. The 2001-02 team won 21 games – the second-most wins in school history – and advanced to the conference tournament championship game.

While at Southwest State, he was in charge of recruiting and player development. In addition, he oversaw the team’s strength and conditioning program, and served as the team’s academic coordinator.

Before going to Southwest State, Hogan worked at North Dakota State University during the 2000-01 season as an assistant coach, as well as the 1999-2000 season at Wayne State College. Hogan was part of one of most successful seasons in school history, as the Wildcats went 26-6 and reached the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen.

A native of Dubuque, Iowa, Hogan was a four-year letterwinner at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. He graduated from Morningside in 1999 with a degree in sociology and was named to the North Central Conference’s honorable mention all-academic team.

A high school graduate of Dubuque Hempstead, Hogan was a Class 4A first-team all-state performer.

Hogan earned his master’s degree in leisure services from UNI in 2008.

Andrea Comini
Strength and Conditioning Coach

Andrea Comini is in his third season with the UNI men’s basketball staff as the program’s strength and conditioning coordinator.

In 2012, he was a UNI strength and conditioning apprentice coach under the supervision of UNI head strength and conditioning coach Jed Smith and assistant Nick Davis.

Since 2006 he has been working with several basketball teams as well as individuals players in Italy. While in Italy, he also worked as a high school teacher and elementary school educator.

A native of Gavardo, BS, Italy, Comini received his bachelor’s degree in science of physical and sport activities from the University of Verona in 2005. Comini earned his master’s degree in sport science and technique from the University of Verona in 2009, as well as a first level master in team sports and the youth: physical and technical preparation in 2007. He also earned a post-lauream specialization in physical education teaching from the University of Milan in 2014.

Derrik Netten
Director of Basketball Operations

Derrik Netten is in his ninth year working with the UNI men’s basketball program, and eighth year in a full-time role as director of basketball operations. Netten coordinates team travel arrangements, the recruiting database and players’ academics.

Prior to joining UNI, he served as an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin-Superior during the 2006-07 season, serving as the team’s recruiting coordinator and camps director. He was on staff when UWS signed four top-40 recruits from the state of Wisconsin for the first time in school history, giving it the top recruiting class in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Netten, who served as the team’s administrative assistant in 2007-08, graduated from UNI in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary and middle school education.

He and his wife, Gina, reside in Cedar Falls with their daughter, Ellia (5) and son, Christian (2).

Don Bishop
Director of Athletic Training

Don Bishop, Director of Athletic Training Services, is in his 15th year at UNI. He is directly responsible for the health care of the men’s basketball team and supervision of 10 certified athletic trainers on the UNI athletic training staff.

Bishop also is a clinical instructor within the UNI Athletic Training Education Program. Prior to his arrival at UNI, he was the director of athletic training education and head athletic trainer for seven years at Upper Iowa University.
Bishop was recognized as the Collegiate Athletic Trainer of the Year by the Iowa Athletic Trainers’ Society (IATS) in 2013.

Bishop received his bachelor’s degree in health, physical education and recreation from Upper Iowa in 1992 and his master’s in health, physical education and leisure services from UNI in 1997. In his position at Upper Iowa, he coordinated athletic training coverage for 17 Division III sports teams.

Prior to joining Upper Iowa’s staff, he was the clinical athletic training outreach coordinator at Winneshiek County Memorial Hospital in Decorah, Iowa, from 1992-94, and was an adjunct instructor at Northeast Iowa Community College in Calmar, Iowa, in spring 1994.

Bishop is a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), Mid-America Athletic Trainer’s Society and the College Athletic Trainers’ Society. He has served on the NATA College/University Athletic Training Student Committee since spring 1999 and has been an examiner for NATA Board of Certification Exam.

In his free time, Bishop is an avid runner and has taken part in numerous marathons, including the 2013 Twin Cities Marathon.

He and his wife, Sheri, have two daughters, Bri and Tori, along with a son-in-law, Cleighton Watson.

John Little
Video Coordinator

John Little is rejoining the UNI men's basketball program after completing a 10-year professional playing career in Europe.

Little will serve as the video coordinator in 2017-18 for the Panther basketball team.

He served as a team captain for multiple years and was a part of the 2016 FIBA EuroCup championship squad. He also helped claim the 2010 Euro Challenge title.

Little earned his bachelor of arts degree in non-profit youth administration at UNI in 2006. Little played on three consecutive NCAA Tournament teams at UNI in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Little scored 581 career points for the Panthers and ranks No. 93 on the all-time scoring list.

Jake Koch
Graduate Manager

Jake Koch joined the UNI men's basketball staff in the 2015-16 season as a graduate manager.

Koch enjoyed a four-year playing career for the Panthers from 2009-2013. He ranks No. 2 on UNI's all-time games played chart after he saw action in 138 games. He is one of 37 players in UNI's history to record 1,000 points. Koch ranks No. 2 on UNI's all-time blocked shots list with 123.

Koch played two seasons overseas in Europe before returning to the Panther program.

He is married to the former Sam Copley. The couple resides in Cedar Falls.