ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The new Missouri Western men's basketball staff is complete.

Head Coach Brooks McKowen has announced the addition of Joel Hanson and Danny Tabaska as assistant coaches and both are familiar faces to the first-year Griffon head coach. Hanson and Tabasaka join McKowen from Upper Iowa University, where the duo served as assistant coaches under McKowen.

"I have worked with Joel and Danny over the past four years and they are two rising coaches," McKowen said. "They work extremely hard and do a great job recruiting, developing and supporting our student-athletes. They have made me a better coach and I am excited to embark on this journey together as Griffons."
 

Prior to Missouri Western, Hanson served as an assistant coach for the 2024-25 season was the program's graduate assistant during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. He spent the 2023-24 season with the Golden Eagles of Minnesota Crookston. The Decorah, Iowa native was a manager for the Iowa State men's basketball team during the years 2018-21.

Tabaska was a graduate assistant at UIU under McKowen for the last two seasons. Prior to his stint with the Peacocks, he worked as a manager for the Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team from 2019-2023. A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Tabaska graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a Bachelor's degree in journalism and strategic communications.