A new head coach will be joining the Buena Vista men’s basketball team this season. Jeff Horner, former Head Coach of Division II Truman State University, takes the helm with years of coaching and playing experience behind him. But what kind of difference does Horner plan to make to help this Beaver basketball team be successful? What sort of experience does he bring to Buena Vista?
Horner, a Mason City native, was a four-sport standout in high school. This led to him being recruited by and signing with the Iowa Hawkeyes for basketball in 2002. Horner had a very successful career at Iowa, ranking in the top 10 among various career stats for not only Iowa, but for the entire Big Ten Conference. He also led the Hawkeyes to a Big Ten Tournament championship in 2006, being named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. Horner said that this was a great experience as they were a “successful team who won a lot of games,” in his own words.
Following his career as a Hawkeye, Horner would play professional basketball overseas for multiple teams in Belgium and France but would ultimately return to the state of Iowa to play for the NBA Development League team, the Iowa Energy. Facing injuries and surgeries, Horner was forced to play overseas a few more times, before finally settling down and starting his coaching career. Horner said that the things he experienced while playing basketball professionally were “awesome moments that I will always remember.”
Horner began his coaching career with NAIA Grand View University, where he would be an assistant coach for the Vikings’ basketball team. At this time, he would also be an assistant coach for nearby Valley High School. Eventually, the opportunity came for Horner to take over the head coaching position at Valley, which he would accept. He would coach the Valley Tigers for four years, leading the team to two state tournaments and the state championship game in 2014. Horner then became the Director of Basketball Operations and an assistant coach at Division I University of North Dakota, where he would remain until 2018 when he was offered the head coaching position at Division II Truman State University. Horner was the head coach of Truman State for seven years, before becoming the head coach at Buena Vista. Horner brings a long list of experiences in coaching and playing basketball across many different levels. This experience will be key to his ability to lead the Beaver team this year.
Horner was excited about the opportunity to coach at Buena Vista. He said, “I could see that the university cared a lot for athletics and wanted to get the basketball program going. I was sold.” Amy Maier, Director of Athletics at Buena Vista, met Horner in college as she also graduated from the University of Iowa. She said that Horner “leans on teaching and developing the game of basketball,” and that Division III “is the perfect place for him to be.” Maier, as well as other staff at BVU, were part of the hiring process for the new coach. She said that “His [Jeff’s] experience and success really stood out.”
A few aspects that Horner is trying to bring out with the team this year include intensity, discipline, respect, and accountability. Horner said that “We have to be the team that plays harder every game.” The goal is to have this team work hard and stay disciplined while doing so. Horner said that he wants this team to earn respect and understand that it is not given. He also said that he understands that it will take time for the team to learn with him, but he also wants the team to know that he will be there for them through it all. His goal is to truly build a family and a strong, well-rounded unit with the team this year. The ultimate focus: play hard and compete.
Horner also stated that it will take the students to help this team compete and be successful. In his own words, “Get out and come to the games! Be the sixth man on the court for this team.”
The Beaver basketball team is 1-to-1 so far and will play an exhibition game against Drake University on November 21.
