Justin Wetzel enters his fifth season with the Montana State University Billings men's basketball program after being promoted to the title of Associate Head Coach. Wetzel has had the opportunity to coach at every level, high school, professional and college.
The 2011-12 MSUB men's basketball squad went 18-12 with the help of Wetzel and claimed the program's first GNAC tournament title which earned the Yellowjackets a berth into the NCAA tournament.
Wetzel helped the 2010-11 squad beat a Division I opponent for the first time since 1997 by defeating Eastern Washington University and also defeated 2010 defending NCAA Division II National Champion Cal Poly Pomona.
The Jackets had signature GNAC wins by defeating Seattle Pacific University for the first time since 1998 and they also defeated Western Washington for the first time since 1979, those wins were key to helping the Jackets qualify for the inaugural GNAC playoffs.
Prior to MSU Billings, Wetzel was most recently head coach in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) for the Butte Daredevils. When he was hired by the Daredevils in early 2008, he was the youngest head coach in professional basketball in the United States.
Despite being half the age of most of the opposing CBA coaches and coaching against former NBA stars such as Kenny Anderson, Michael Ray Richardson and Vincent Askew, Wetzel quickly gained respect around the league for his team’s hardnosed, competitive play and effort. The Daredevils showed immediate benefits as they improved their offense by six points a game while allowing eight fewer points per game.
In October of 2006, Wetzel was hired as an assistant coach for the Great Falls Explorers of the CBA. In the Explorers first year, led by head coach Steve Aggers, they were runner-up in the West Division to eventual CBA champions, Yakima Sunkings, and Wetzel helped Explorer Travis Garrison (University of Maryland) earn CBA Rookie of the Year.
In 2007, Wetzel was named Director of Player Personnel for the Explorers. That same season as an assistant coach, Wetzel worked under former NBA sharp shooter and two-time world champion (Boston Celtics) Scott Wedman.
In his time in professional basketball Wetzel coached over 30 Division I athletes from numerous conferences including the ACC, Pac 10, SEC, Big East, and Big 12. He also has had the privilege of using some of his contacts at the professional level to closely observe and be involved with the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Nev.
Wetzel’s professional coaching and front office experience has aided in professional tryouts and contracts for former Yellowjackets such as Travis Bunker (ABA) Sacramento Heat, DaVell Jackson, NBA- Developmental League invite only tryout( Utah Flash)and recently departed seniors Raason Young and DeAndre Chambers are schedule for fall pro tryouts.
Wetzel also was a head high school coach at Broadview/Lavina from 2004-2006 and prior to that he was a the coach at Ryegate High School and got his start in coaching at Joliet High School.
A native of Cut Bank, Mont., Wetzel played two years at Dawson Community College. He has a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Montana State Billings and is currently working on his master’s in sports management from MSUB. He is an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Indian Tribe. He resides in Billings.
