Russ Beck is no stranger to junior college basketball and has experienced successful coaching stops at National Junior College powerhouses such as Western Nebraska Community College, The College of Southern Idaho, Salt Lake Community a college and Dixie State Junior College.
In all, Russ Beck has 18 years of coaching experience at the NCAA D1, NJCAA D1, High School and AAU level including assisting with local AAU Nike EYBL powerhouse Las Vegas Prospects in the programs beginnings in 2004 under the leadership of current University of Utah assistant men’s basketball coach Demarlo Slocum.
Beck also has worked several prestigious summer camps including Double Pump’s West Coast All-Star camp, USC Elite camp and as the Camp Director for US Sports Camp Nike Basketball Youth Camps in Las Vegas and Mesquite.
As the head coach at Western Nebraska Community College Beck registered 124 wins in 7 seasons placing him fourth all-time in coaching wins at Western Nebraska trailing Shelby Edwards and Hall of Fame Coaches Soupy Campbell and Ron Brillhart.
Beck’s 124 wins are the most wins a coach has experienced at WNCC since the late 1990’s during the Soupy Campbell era. Beck returned the cougars to the NJCAA poll for the first time since 2003 where they were ranked as high as 11th in the country in the 2011-2012 poll.
In addition, Beck has assisted at Dixie State University, Salt Lake Community College, and the College of Southern Idaho. Beck also spent one season as an assistant at the NCAA division I level at Southern Utah University.
Prior to Beck’s arrival at Western Nebraska Community College Beck recruited Local legend Pierre Jackson from Desert Pines High School to CSl. Pierre went on to lead CSI to an NCAA title before finishing his college career as a member of two highly successful NCAA tournament teams at Baylor University. The dynamic guard went on to be drafted by the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers. Pierre is currently playing in China while “They Sleep”.
Another one Becks coaching stops was at Salt Lake Community College where he assisted Norm Parrish and helped lead the SLCC Bruins to a 32-4 school record and a National Runner-up finish in 2007-2008 while coaching First team All American Davell Jackson of El Dorado High school.
At SLCC Beck was key to the recruitment and signing of the NJCAA National tournament MVP, DJ Wright, who lead SLCC to the 2008-2009 National Championship after Beck had departed from SLCC to take the top assistant spot at the College of Southern Idaho.
Beck has worked for three NJCAA National Coaches of the Year in Jeff Kidder, Norm Parrish and Steve Gosar . “I have been privileged to work for some of the best coaches and programs in the country at the junior college level,” Beck said. “Of the JC’s I have had a chance to work for they have collectively won 6 national championships during the history of their programs”.
In his 13 years coaching at the junior college level and numerous years working with some of the nation’s top high school athletes at high profile camps Beck has coached and recruited 65 players that have gone on to play at the NCAA division I level at schools such as the Hawaii, Utah Valley, San Jose State, Weber State, Wyoming, Southern, Boise State, Utah, Louisiana Tech, Portland State, Baylor, Washington, Utah State, Arizona State, Northern Colorado, Cal State Northridge, Stephen F. Austin, Cornell, Montana, Cal State Fullerton, BYU, Idaho, Eastern Washington, Southern Utah, Florida International, New Mexico State, Miami, UNLV, Fresno State, UCLA and North Carolina just to name a few.
Beck earned his associate's of science degree at Dixie State College, his bachelor's of science degree in interpersonal communication and journalism at Southern Utah University and his master’s of science degree in human performance and physical education with a coaching emphasis from Adams State College.
