Men's Basketball

James Bankhead begins his 27th year as an assistant coach for the Reivers and his second stint with the men's program in 2023-24

Coach Bankhead previously worked with the women's basketball program under head coaches Lindsey Vande Hoef and Jillian Flores Bennett for four seasons.

Prior to being an assistant with the women, Coach Bankhead worked under Jim Morris and Michael Johnette with the men's basketball team.  Coach Bankhead joined the men's basketball staff during Jim Morris's 2nd season in 1996 and helped to build the Reivers into a nationally recruited and respected program.  In his 22 seasons working with the men's team, Iowa Western was ranked in the NJCAA Top 20 at some point during 14 of those years.  During his tenure, the Reivers had 99 former players move on to continue their playing careers at four-year institutions, 75 of those to NCAA Division I programs.

Coach Bankhead brings valuable college playing and coaching experience with him to the Iowa Western staff. His playing days started at Southwestern Community College in Creston, Iowa, where he played one season and led the Spartans in assists from his point guard position. From there, he went to Bellevue University where he led his team to the championship game of the Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament. After college, James played professionally for the West Palm Beach Stingrays of the USBL.

After earning his B.A. in Physical Education from Bellevue University in 1990, James became an assistant coach for two years with the Bruins.  During his time in Bellevue, the team once again reached the NAIA Conference championship. Coach Bankhead has also been a clinician at numerous basketball camps around the country.

A native of Sulligent, Alabama, Bankhead works with juvenile status offense kids and families, and ongoing case management as an Officer of Juvenile Services for the State Juvenile Probation Department. 

Coach Bankhead and his wife Annette live in Omaha with their daughter Tianna.