Coaching Staff
Already in his fifth year coaching men’s basketball at his alma mater, Jon Furbush ’05 began his career as the youngest head coach in the NCAA. Photo by Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College.
Jon Furbush Office: (207) 786-6343 E-mail: jfurbush@bates.edu
Jon Furbush enters his fifth season as head coach of the Bates College men’s basketball team in 2012-13, with a 52-50 overall record and four NESCAC Championship tournament appearances through four seasons, including two appearances in the NESCAC semifinals in the past three seasons.
In his first season, during which Furbush was the youngest head men’s basketball coach in the NCAA, the Bobcats posted a 13-12 campaign and an appearance in the quarterfinals of the 2009 NESCAC Championship. In his second year, Furbush led Bates to a 14-12 record, and the Bobcats advanced to the semifinals of the 2010 NESCAC Championship.
Furbush was named the new men’s basketball coach at Bates after the 2007-08 season, succeeding his former coach, Joe Reilly. Furbush, a 2005 Bates graduate and native of South Portland, Maine, became the college’s 21st head men’s basketball coach.
Furbush was an assistant men’s basketball coach at Springfield in 2007-08 while pursuing a master’s degree in athletic administration. He held the same position for two seasons at Bates after graduating with a degree in American cultural studies.
“I strive to use basketball as an extension of the classroom, preparing our student-athletes for the next step in life,” says Furbush. “The players in my program will all be respectful and valuable members of the Bates community and will take pride in striving towards excellence on the court and in the classroom.”
Tommy Verdell
Tommy Verdell enters his second season as the assistant men’s basketball coach at Bates College in 2012-13. Coach Verdell assists in all aspects of the Bobcat basketball program, including game management, practices, scouting, and recruiting.
Coach Verdell has experiences at all levels of basketball. For the past two seasons he served as an assistant coach for the Springfield Armor of the NBA Developmental league for Head Coach and former Boston Celtic Dee Brown. Alongside coaches Dee Brown and Kevin Whitted, Tommy helped develop Armor players including former Division I First Team All-American Scottie Reynolds and current Philadelphia 76er Craig Brackins.
Coach Verdell also has experiences at the scholastic level, serving for three years as head coach at Wilbraham & Monson Academy. Previous to that he was an assistant coach at Amherst Regional High School on their Massachusetts Division 1 state championship team.
Coach Verdell has vast camp experiences both here and abroad. He has worked at the Hoop Mountain, Hoop Group, and Five Star basketball camps throughout the U.S., as well as other showcase events. Internationally, he has worked several camps in Beijing, China, for Five Star Basketball, as well as conducting coaching clinics in Beijing as well.
The native New Yorker is known for his energy, passion, professionalism, and commitment to teaching the game of basketball. As a student-athlete he was a walk-on at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst for current University of Kentucky head coach John Calipari. He graduated from UMass with a bachelor’s degree in coaching and currently resides in Lewiston with his wife Kristin.
Steve Milks
Steve Milks enters his 11th season as assistant men’s basketball coach at Bates for 2012-13. Milks assists in several aspects of the program, including practices, game management and scouting. He works full-time as a branch manager for a telecommunications company.
Originally from Massachusetts, Coach Milks is a 1989 graduate of Cornell University, where he was a member of the Big Red football team.
Milks’ passion for Bobcat basketball is unmatched. He brings the sort of positive energy to the program that can be scarce in the coaching realm. He lives in Auburn and is a proud father of two children, daughter Julia and son Dan.
Josh LaPrell
Josh LaPrell enters his second season as an assistant coach with the Bates men’s basketball team in 2012-13. Coach LaPrell was born and raised in the Lewiston/Auburn area. A 2004 graduate of the University of Maine at Farmington, LaPrell has been involved with youth basketball programs in the area for over 10 years.
Coach LaPrell works in many aspects of the program including scouting, practices, recruiting and fundraising. LaPrell lives in Auburn with his wife Dawn and their four children, Benjamin, Chloe, Daniel, and Michaela.
Ryan Weston
Ryan Weston is serving as an assistant coach for Bates men’s basketball in 2012-13 on the heels of his productive varsity career with the Bobcats. Weston, who graduates from Bates in the 2012-13 academic year, also completed a stellar football career with the Bobcats, where he was an All-NESCAC selection as an offensive left tackle. The former Bangor High School standout totaled 187 rebounds and scored 182 points in his three basketball seasons at Bates. A career highlight was his 15-rebound effort in a win over Bowdoin in February 2010.