Jack Hoover
SPORTS EDITOR
An extended offseason has seen plenty of changes happening to the Maverick coaching staff. With a new season hopefully just around the corner, here is a look at some new faces you will see on the sidelines for Omaha athletics this year.
Carrie Banks, Women’s Basketball Head Coach
Without a doubt, the biggest coaching change of the year for Omaha is the addition of former Ohio State assistant coach Carrie Banks. Banks will be taking over a women’s basketball team that has been mired near the bottom of the Summit League standings the last few years. Omaha has the potential to be a sleeping giant in the Summit League, and it will be Banks’ job to get the Mavericks to wake up.
Autumn Rademacher, Women’s Basketball Assistant Coach
With Banks’ appointment as head basketball coach, it was expected that large-scale changes would be coming to the rest of the women’s basketball staff. Autumn Rademacher was one of the first additions to the new staff, alongside other assistant coaches Darryl Hudson and Jacqui Grant.
Rademacher was previously an assistant coach at Youngstown state. Before that, she was the head coach of Detroit Mercy from 2008 to 2015, where she became the program’s all-time winningest coach. Rademacher brings an experienced pedigree to the Omaha bench that should prove invaluable.
Jake Koch, Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach
While he’s not stranger to the men’s basketball staff at UNO, 2019-20 will be Jake Koch’s first year serving in an official coaching capacity. Having experience as the director of men’s basketball operations for the past two years, Koch earned a promotion to assistant coach this year.
Koch brings plenty of DI experience to Omaha, as he was a four-year player for the Norther Iowa Panthers from 2009 to 2013. Koch brings an underdog mentality to a Maverick team that will be looking to spring a few upsets, as in 2010, Koch helped lead his UNI Panthers on a fairytale run to the Sweet 16.
Matthew Barlow, Men’s Tennis Head Coach
Matthew Barlow is another addition in the head-coaching department for the Mavericks this year. Barlow takes over a men’s tennis program that has been on the rise lately. Over the past few years, Omaha tennis has started to see players qualify for national tournaments, receive national rankings and break school records.
Barlow was a contributing factor to that success last season as he was heavily involved with the team as assistant coach. With the whole program under his control, he will look to take them even further than before.
