Mike Brandt has more than 30 years of coaching experience and over 500 collegiate career wins as a head coach. Prior to the completion of his inaugural season as Associate Head Coach for the Mustangs (2016-17), Brandt spent the previous 14 seasons as head coach at USC Aiken, posting a 254-166 record and leading the Pacers to the NCAA tournament five times, including three straight appearances from 2011-2013.
He is the all-time career wins leader for a coach as USC Aiken. Brandt guided the Pacers to a program-record 27 wins in 2010-11 and again in 2011-12, winning the Peach Belt Conference Tournament championship in 2012. The Pacers No. 1 regional ranking enabled them to host the program’s first ever NCAA Regional Championship. USC Aiken was consistently ranked in the top 25, and reached as high as No. 3 in the NCAA Division II national rankings during his tenure. Brandt was on a number of WBCA Committees including the All-America Committee and the USA Today/WBCA Top 25 Committee.
Prior to taking over at USC Aiken, Brandt spent 13 seasons at the helm of the women’s basketball program at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo. For the first seven years of his tenure, he also assisted with the men’s program. He was named NJCAA District G Coach of the Year in 2002 after leading his team to the Region IX championship. Brandt guided his team to at least 20 wins eight times, including six consecutive seasons, and broke the program single-season wins mark five times. Brandt is also the all-time wins leader at Northeastern, finishing with a 253-129 mark. During his time at Northeastern, he coached five NJCAA All-Americans, 52 academic award winners and numerous all-region players.
Brandt began his coaching career in the high school ranks at Winfield High School in Winfield, Kan., in 1986. After two seasons at Winfield, he spent a season as the boys’ varsity coach at Wray High School in Wray, Colo., before advancing to the college ranks.
Brandt played point guard at Northeastern Junior College, leading his team to a 21-2 record after Christmas. He earned an Associate of Arts in liberal arts in 1984, and earned a Bachelor’s in physical education with a minor in computer science from Sterling College in 1986. In 1988, Brandt completed his studies for a Master’s of Education at Southwestern College.
Head coach Travis Mays on Mike Brandt:
“Mike [Brandt] is, first and foremost, an incredible man of high character, integrity and loyalty. He is extremely passionate about the game of basketball, which has been proven by his success as a head coach,” Mays explained. “He has many strengths, one being his ability to evaluate players and strategically put them in position to be successful according to their strengths, but what attracted me the most about wanting him to be a part of my staff is the way he cares for the development of his players on and off the court.”
