SUU basketball: Head coach Nick Robinson selects 2 assistant coaches

CEDAR CITY — First-year Southern Utah University men's basketball head coach Nick Robinson has taken the first steps in putting his mark on the Thunderbird program as he has named Jared Barrett and Todd Okeson as assistant coaches.

Barrett was the coordinator of basketball operations at Washington State, while Okeson served in a similar capacity at the University of Georgia.

A graduate of Eastern Oregon University with a degree in physical education and health, Barrett is in his second season at WSU where he has been in charge of academics and has assisted with recruiting. Prior to joining the Cougar staff, Barrett spent two seasons as the top assistant to Dick Hunsaker at Utah Valley University.

Okeson is a 2005 graduate of the University of Nevada and has since gone on to receive a master's degree in sports administration from Georgia. He served as the Bulldogs' operations coordinator for the past season and was a graduate assistant with the program from 2009 to 2011. While at Georgia, Okeson worked with film exchange, opponent scouting, academics, and he has assisted with recruiting. Prior to joining the Bulldog staff he spent a season with the Reno Bighorns of the NBDL as assistant for basketball operations and three seasons on the staff at Nevada under current Georgia head coach Mark Fox.

A Weskan, Kan., native, Okeson played two seasons for Trent Johnson at Nevada, earning all-tournament team honors as a senior on the Wolfpack's 2004 Sweet 16 squad. Following his collegiate days he went on to play professionally in Sweden and Finland as well as with the San Jose Skyrockets of the American Basketball Association.