A former All-Big 12 player at Kansas State, Shane Southwell enters his second season at Northwestern as an assistant coach in 2025-26.
During his first season on Head Coach Chris Collins’ staff, Southwell aided the Wildcats to their third consecutive winning season. Nick Martinelli became the first Wildcat to lead the Big Ten in scoring since 2011-12 (John Shurna), averaging 20.5 points per game, the highest scoring average by a Wildcat since Evan Eschmeyer (21.7) in 1997-98. Martinelli was named All-Big Ten Second Team. Brooks Barnhizer, who was named All-Big Ten Honorable Mention and NABC All-District Second Team, posted averages of 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game in 17 games before missing the remainder of the season due to injury.
Southwell came to Evanston after spending two years (2022-24) at Northern Illinois as associate head coach and previously had coaching stops at his alma mater, Kansas State (2020-22), where he was instrumental in recruiting all-american Markquis Nowell, and Robert Morris (2019-20). He also served on Weber's staff as video coordinator for the 2019 U19 World Cup, helping the USA win a gold medal with a 7-0 record.
In 2023-24, Southwell helped NIU to its best start since 2015-16 as the Huskies opened 5-1. The Huskies finished the season recording the fourth-most 3-point field goals in school history (227) while playing the toughest schedule in the Mid-American Conference. David Coit became just the fourth player in program history to reach 1,000 career points in just two seasons, en route to being named Third Team All-MAC and NABC All-District Second Team in 2023-24.
During his first season in DeKalb, Southwell helped the Huskies improve to 13 victories and an appearance in the MAC Tournament. NIU recorded its longest road winning streak since the 2002-03 season. The Huskies finished league play second in the MAC in field goal percentage, third in three-point percentage, third in field goal defense, third in three-point defense and third in assists. NIU had a pair of All-MAC honorees for the first time since 2003-04 as Coit was named to the All-MAC Third Team and Kaleb Thornton claimed All-MAC Honorable Mention recognition.
As an assistant at Kansas State, Southwell mentored three All-Big 12 selections, including Nijel Pack, who was named the league's most improved player. He also spent two seasons as a graduate assistant in Manhattan from 2017-19, where the Wildcats made a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances, reaching the Elite Eight during the 2017-18 season while winning 25 games. The following season, the Wildcats were the regular season champions of the Big 12, again posting 25 victories, including a 14-4 league mark.
While at Robert Morris, he helped the Colonials win both the Northeast Conference regular season and tournament championships before the 2020 NCAA Tournament was canceled due to COVID-19.
As a player at Kansas State, the Harlem, N.Y. native played four seasons, earning four NCAA Tournament bids as well as the program's first Big 12 regular season crown in 2012-13. He played for current Northwestern assistant coach Chris Lowery in Manhattan and is one of just eight Wildcats to reach the NCAA Tournament in all four seasons as a player.
An Honorable Mention All-Big 12 selection, Southwell appeared in 126 career games at Kansas State, making 68 starts, and finished his career ranking eighth in program history with 271 assists. As a senior in 2013-14, he averaged career-highs of 9.9 points, 2.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game, and poured in a career-best 21 points against George Washington. He contributed to the team in many areas, ranking first in blocks, second in rebounds, assists and steals and third in minutes. Following his collegiate career, Southwell played three seasons professionally around the world in Mexico, Australia and Switzerland.
Southwell earned a bachelor's degree from Kansas State in communications studies in 2014 and a master's in college student personnel and intercollegiate athletics from Kansas State in 2019.
During his first season on Head Coach Chris Collins’ staff, Southwell aided the Wildcats to their third consecutive winning season. Nick Martinelli became the first Wildcat to lead the Big Ten in scoring since 2011-12 (John Shurna), averaging 20.5 points per game, the highest scoring average by a Wildcat since Evan Eschmeyer (21.7) in 1997-98. Martinelli was named All-Big Ten Second Team. Brooks Barnhizer, who was named All-Big Ten Honorable Mention and NABC All-District Second Team, posted averages of 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game in 17 games before missing the remainder of the season due to injury.
Southwell came to Evanston after spending two years (2022-24) at Northern Illinois as associate head coach and previously had coaching stops at his alma mater, Kansas State (2020-22), where he was instrumental in recruiting all-american Markquis Nowell, and Robert Morris (2019-20). He also served on Weber's staff as video coordinator for the 2019 U19 World Cup, helping the USA win a gold medal with a 7-0 record.
In 2023-24, Southwell helped NIU to its best start since 2015-16 as the Huskies opened 5-1. The Huskies finished the season recording the fourth-most 3-point field goals in school history (227) while playing the toughest schedule in the Mid-American Conference. David Coit became just the fourth player in program history to reach 1,000 career points in just two seasons, en route to being named Third Team All-MAC and NABC All-District Second Team in 2023-24.
During his first season in DeKalb, Southwell helped the Huskies improve to 13 victories and an appearance in the MAC Tournament. NIU recorded its longest road winning streak since the 2002-03 season. The Huskies finished league play second in the MAC in field goal percentage, third in three-point percentage, third in field goal defense, third in three-point defense and third in assists. NIU had a pair of All-MAC honorees for the first time since 2003-04 as Coit was named to the All-MAC Third Team and Kaleb Thornton claimed All-MAC Honorable Mention recognition.
As an assistant at Kansas State, Southwell mentored three All-Big 12 selections, including Nijel Pack, who was named the league's most improved player. He also spent two seasons as a graduate assistant in Manhattan from 2017-19, where the Wildcats made a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances, reaching the Elite Eight during the 2017-18 season while winning 25 games. The following season, the Wildcats were the regular season champions of the Big 12, again posting 25 victories, including a 14-4 league mark.
While at Robert Morris, he helped the Colonials win both the Northeast Conference regular season and tournament championships before the 2020 NCAA Tournament was canceled due to COVID-19.
As a player at Kansas State, the Harlem, N.Y. native played four seasons, earning four NCAA Tournament bids as well as the program's first Big 12 regular season crown in 2012-13. He played for current Northwestern assistant coach Chris Lowery in Manhattan and is one of just eight Wildcats to reach the NCAA Tournament in all four seasons as a player.
An Honorable Mention All-Big 12 selection, Southwell appeared in 126 career games at Kansas State, making 68 starts, and finished his career ranking eighth in program history with 271 assists. As a senior in 2013-14, he averaged career-highs of 9.9 points, 2.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game, and poured in a career-best 21 points against George Washington. He contributed to the team in many areas, ranking first in blocks, second in rebounds, assists and steals and third in minutes. Following his collegiate career, Southwell played three seasons professionally around the world in Mexico, Australia and Switzerland.
Southwell earned a bachelor's degree from Kansas State in communications studies in 2014 and a master's in college student personnel and intercollegiate athletics from Kansas State in 2019.