University of Nebraska men’s basketball coach Tim Miles announced Saturday the hiring of Phil Beckner as an assistant coach for the Husker basketball program.
Miles believes that Beckner’s coaching experience on the collegiate and professional levels, as well his player development skills, made him a great addition to the Nebraska coaching staff.
“I believe hiring Phil Beckner will help our program immensely,” said Miles, who begins his fourth season in charge of the Husker basketball program. “I have known Phil for years - meeting him out on the recruiting trail. I have a great deal of respect for his ability to recruit, coach and develop players in all areas of their lives. As strong as he is as a coach, he's a better person who truly cares about the young people he works with. I can't wait to get him started working for the Huskers!”
Beckner joins the Nebraska coaching staff after spending the 2014-15 season as an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Blue, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s NBA Development League affiliate. In his lone season in Oklahoma City, he helped the Blue to a 28-22 record and an appearance in the Western Conference playoffs, continuing a string of postseason appearances that dates back to his time at Weber State.
Before joining Oklahoma City, Beckner spent seven seasons at Weber State, helping the Wildcats to six consecutive postseason appearances. He served as the program’s Director of Basketball Operations for two years before being elevated to assistant coach for five years. Beckner was primarily responsible for the defensive plays, as Weber State won a trio of Big Sky titles in his tenure at the school.
