Coaching Staff

JAMES MILLER | ASSISTANT COACH

With nearly two decades of coaching experience, James Miller has worked his way into being heralded as one of the nation's top up-and-coming assistant coaches as he enters his first season with Mississippi State in 2022-23.

Miller spent the last four seasons at New Mexico State working under Chris Jans after being elevated from assistant coach to associate head coach leading into the 2019-20 season.

During his time in Las Cruces, Miller aided the Aggies to a 94-26 record and a .783 winning percentage. New Mexico State secured a program single-season 30 victories in 2018-19 and continued to validate its reputation as one of the nation's premier mid-major programs.

The Aggies piled up three WAC regular season titles, two WAC Tournament titles and two NCAA Tournament trips with Miller on-staff. After nearly upsetting eventual 2019 NCAA Final Four participant Auburn, NM State toppled Connecticut in a 12-5 upset at the 2022 Big Dance. 

New Mexico State was poised for another postseason run following a 19-game winning streak in route a 25-6 record and an undefeated WAC regular season during the 2019-20 season before being cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Aggies amassed a dominant 52-11 mark and an .825 winning clip during conference games as the WAC's showcase program from the 2018-19 to 2021-22 seasons. The .825 conference winning percentage is sixth-nationally during that four-year span.

New Mexico State players accounted for 18 All-WAC honors headlined by 10 selections to either the All-WAC First Team or All-WAC Second Team over the four-year run. Four Aggies went onto to capture NABC All-District accolades headlined by Teddy Allen's first-team nod after he earned the 2021-22 WAC Player of the Year. 

Prior to New Mexico State, Miller served as an assistant coach at Omaha (2015-16) under Derrin Hanson followed by a pair one-year stints at Arkansas State (2016-17) and North Texas (2017-18) both for Grant McCasland.

The Mean Green won the 2018 College Basketball Invitational (CBI) title in addition to posting the program's first 20-win campaign since 2011-12 and the nation's fifth-highest win improvement.

Arkansas State notched the country's second-best turnaround with a 10-win increase in 2016-17, while Omaha's 18 victories resulted in a CBI berth and stand tied for second in the program's 10-year Division I history.

Miller gained three years of head coaching experience at New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs where the Thunderbirds came away with a 77-23 record and three consecutive postseason appearances from the 2012-13 to 2013-15 seasons. He was an assistant coach from 2009-10 to 2011-12.

Miller's New Mexico Junior College tenure resulted in 21 players moving onto the Division I level headlined by Power 5 programs in Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, TCU and North Carolina State.

The 2014-15 season saw Miller's squad notch a 23-9 record and a semifinals berth at the NJCAA Region V Tournament. His first season in 2012-13 was highlighted by a Region V championship and the program's first national tournament berth of the century.

Miller cut his teeth in the coaching profession at Colorado State Pueblo as an assistant coach from 2005-06 to 2008-09 before he served as an intern with Arizona State out of college. He also was a student manager at Colorado State where he earned his bachelor's degree in 2005 and received his master's degree from Northern Colorado in 2007.

Miller and his wife Darlene have two daughters: Mia and Maci.
 
The James Miller File
Seasons • School • Years at School • POSITION
2022-23 • Mississippi State • 1 Season • Assistant Coach
2019-22 • New Mexico State • 3 Seasons • Associate Head Coach
2018-19 • New Mexico State • 1 Season • Assistant Coach
2017-18 • North Texas • 1 Season • Assistant Coach
2016-17 • Arkansas State • 1 Season • Assistant Coach
2015-16 • Omaha • 1 Season • Assistant Coach
2012-15 • New Mexico Junior College • 3 Seasons • Head Coach
2009-12 • New Mexico Junior College • 3 Seasons • Assistant Coach
2005-09 • Colorado State Pueblo • 4 Seasons • Assistant Coach

DAVID ANWAR | ASSISTANT COACH

David Anwar will reunite with Chris Jans and James Miller as an assistant coach for the Mississippi State men's basketball program.

“Coach Anwar is a tireless worker armed with a resume of production,” Jans said. “He is an expectational relationship builder with student-athletes and anyone he meets. David is a quality person who is well-respected by his peers because of his character and his integrity. Coach Anwar was a valuable member of our program at New Mexico State from day one and will continue to be as he transitions to the Bulldogs.”

An integral part of New Mexico State’s success over the last five seasons, Anwar has been by Jans’ side for every monumental step of the program’s rise.

Anwar, regarded as one of the nation’s elite recruiters, possesses a wealth of experience which paid more than its fair of share of dividends for the Aggies.

“It’s exciting to get the opportunity to continue my coaching journey at a SEC program like Mississippi State which has a great basketball tradition,” Anwar said. “I’m very happy to continue to have the chance to work for my mentor and friend in Coach Jans. I look forward to being able to promote the development of great young men both on and off the court.”

New Mexico State staked its claim to three of the program’s top five single season win totals with Anwar on the bench. The Aggies dialed up at least 25 victories in four of five seasons and accumulated a program-record 30 victories in 2018-19.

New Mexico State was showered with trophies headlined by four WAC regular season championships (2018-19-20-22) and three WAC Tournament titles (2018-19-22). The Aggies made three trips to NCAA March Madness and broke through with a 12-5 upset of Connecticut in 2022 after nearly defeating 2019 NCAA Final Four participant Auburn.

New Mexico State was on the cusp of another postseason trip after a 19-game winning streak, an undefeated WAC regular season and a 25-6 mark in 2019-20 before the season ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Aggies were the fixture atop the WAC standings with a 64-13 conference record. The .831 winning percentage was good enough for sixth in the nation over the five-year period.  

Anwar has the reputation of putting together top-notch opponent scouting reports fueled by a win over No. 6 Miami at the 2017-18 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic which resulted in the program’s first Associated Press top 10 since the 1989-90 season.

Before New Mexico State, Anwar spent five seasons at North Texas from 2012-13 to 2016-17 working for Tony Benford. He held the role as the program’s lead recruiter on Benford’s staff and helped the Mean Green rake in a top 50 national recruiting class in 2013-14.

Anwar gained six years of experience at the Power 5 level at Nebraska from 2006-07 to 2011-12 under Doc Sadler and alongside Benford during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons. He worked mainly with the guards and forwards during his time with the Cornhuskers. Nebraska secured postseason berths during three of his last five seasons in Lincoln.

Staples of the Nebraska program was back-to-back top 25 finishes in scoring defenses in 2007-08 and 20008-09. Anwar’s tutelage of the guards also saw a huge uptick in three-point shooting for the Huskers. The program connected for 244 treys in 2006-07 which was second-most in program history. Nebraska set a school-record with a 39.7 percent shooting clip from downtown in 2009-10 which also ranked 15th in the country.

Anwar’s presence in the recruiting world landed the Huskers arguably its best recruiting class in the Big 12 era in 2007. That year, Nebraska’s class was ranked inside the top 25 by three major scouting services by ESPN.com’s Bob Gibbons (21st), CSTV.com’s Van Coleman (12th) and HoopScoopOnline.com’s Clark Francis (5th).

Anwar made the jump to Division I basketball as UTEP’s Director of Operations in 2004-05 and 2005-06 for Sadler after spending four seasons as an assistant coach at Division II’s University of Arkansas at Fort Smith from the 2000-01 to 2003-04 seasons. His last three seasons at UAFS was where he and Sadler first paired up.

Anwar helped the Lions post a 101-29 record in addition to a pair of top-seven national finishes in 2001 (5th) and 2002 (7th). UAFS captured the Bi-State Conference East title in each of his final three seasons and produced a multitude of all-conference players. He’s also helped over 20 players get to the Division I level during his time at UAFS.

Anwar’s coaching career began at the prep level in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, where he saw over 40 of his players continue their careers at the Division I or II levels.

The Philadelphia, Pa., native received his bachelor’s degree in special education and sociology from Fitchburg State in 1998. Then, he earned a master’s degree in sports management/sports leadership from Virginia Commonwealth in 2004.
 
The David Anwar File
Seasons • School • Years at School • POSITION
2017-22 • New Mexico State • 5 Seasons • Assistant Coach
2012-17 • North Texas • 5 Seasons • Assistant Coach
2006-12 • Nebraska • 6 Seasons • Assistant Coach
2004-06 • UTEP • 2 Seasons • Director of Operations
2000-04 • Arkansas Fort Smith • 4 Seasons • Assistant Coach

GEORGE BROOKS | ASSISTANT COACH

George Brooks begins his 13th season with the Mississippi State basketball program in 2022-23 after a successful 13-year stint at the junior college ranks where he guided his Meridian Community College program to numerous titles.

Brooks is in the midst of his second decade of loyal service to the Maroon and White under Chris Jans, Ben Howland, Rick Ray and Rick Stansbury.

Brooks’ main responsibilities on staff are working with MSU’s forwards, assisting with scouting reports and all aspects of recruiting. He has been impactful on the recruiting trail and served as the lead recruiter to eight players, who have garnered a combined 12 All-SEC and All-SEC Freshman accolades. The Bulldogs have had at least one All-SEC First-Team or Second-Team selection in five consecutive seasons and six of the last seven since 2014-15, each were Brooks’ signees.  

Mississippi State had three NBA players in 2020-21 for the first time since the 2005-06. Brooks served as the lead recruiter for all three: Reggie Perry (Brooklyn Nets), Quinndary Weatherspoon (San Antonio Spurs) and Robert Woodard II (Sacramento Kings). Each member of the trio heard their names called on NBA Draft night and recently was joined by fellow Brooks’ signees Tyson Carter (Miami Heat) and D.J. Stewart Jr. (Miami Heat) in the 2021 NBA Summer League.

Weatherspoon and Perry came away with All-SEC First-Team honors in 2018-19 and 2019-20, respectively. Perry was a top five finalist for the 2020 Karl Malone Award given to the nation’s top power forward, while Weatherspoon was a top 10 finalist for the 2019 Jerry West Award given to the nation’s best shooting guard. Both also captured the Bailey Howell Trophy during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, which is awarded to the state of Mississippi’s top collegiate player.  

Weatherspoon was selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2019 NBA Draft. He finished his career ranked among the program’s top 10 in points (2,012 – 3rd), steals (201 – 3rd), field goals made (706 – T-3rd), free throws made (413 – 5th) and three-pointers made (187 – 8th). The Canton native is one of three MSU players to register over 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists and 100 steals in program history.

Brooks landed fellow 1,000-point scorers in Carter, Craig Sword and Gavin Ware. All three wrapped up their careers ranked inside the top 20 on MSU’s scoring list. Carter made program history as the first player to earn the SEC’s Sixth-Man of the Year award in 2019-20. Brooks also aided in the development of Arnett Moultrie, who is one of 12 players in program history to average a double-double for a season and was a first-round choice of the Miami Heat during the 2012 NBA Draft.

Brooks has collected a multitude of honors for his recruiting efforts during his Mississippi State tenure. He has been listed as the SEC’s top recruiter among assistant coaches three times (2011, 2016, 2018) in addition to being one of the SEC’s top 5 recruiters among assistant coaches on seven occasions by 247 Sports. Nationally, Brooks has been tabbed inside the country’s top 10 recruiters among assistant coaches five times, fueled by four straight seasons from 2015-18 in the 247 ratings. He also has managed eight national top 30 marks among assistant coaches. State’s 2018 class of Perry, Stewart Jr. and Woodard II was dubbed a consensus top 20 class in the country.

Brooks played an instrumental role in the signing of a pair of impact transfers, his son Garrison Brooks from North Carolina along with D.J. Jeffries from Memphis. Garrison Brooks is rated ESPN’s No. 7 impact transfer for the 2021-22 season, whereas Jeffries was an ESPN top 25 recruit and the state of Mississippi’s top prospect for the Class of 2019.

Garrison Brooks racked up 1,276 points and 798 rebounds over his four seasons with the Tar Heels. He was a 2019-20 All-ACC Second-Team pick, the 2019-20 ACC’s Most Improved Player of the Year and the 2020-21 ACC Preseason Player of the Year. Jeffries secured 10.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game over his two seasons at Memphis. He was a 2020-21 All-AAC Second-Team preseason selection.

Brooks landed Tolu Smith, who is the SEC’s defending rebounding champion. He also served as the lead recruiter for Javian Davis, Derek Fountain, Cameron Matthews and KeShawn Murphy on this year’s roster. Murphy is the No. 86 recruit in the ESPN top 100 for the Class of 2021.

Mississippi State has tucked away 86 wins going back to the start of the 2017-18 season, which is tied for fourth-highest in the SEC. State also has claimed three straight bids to postseason play when postseason tournaments have been played ignited by a 2019 NCAA Tournament trip and a 2021 NIT Runner-Up finish.

The Bulldogs have piled up 38 SEC victories over the last four seasons, which is the program’s best four-year in close to a decade. Mississippi State also has captured 10-plus SEC victories during consecutive seasons for the fifth time in program history and earned the program’s best SEC regular season finish in 2019-20 since the 2010-11 campaign.  

Brooks appeared in 67 games as a three-year letterwinner for the Bulldogs from 1992-94. He served as a student assistant coach in 1995-96 under Richard Williams when Mississippi State advanced to the NCAA Final Four and won the program’s first SEC Tournament title.

Brooks began his coaching journey at Meridian Community College, where he spent two seasons as an assistant coach before being promoted to head coach in 1999-2000. He spent 11 seasons leading the Eagles to numerous Mississippi-Louisiana Conference titles and NJCAA Region 23 Tournament berths.

Brooks had 20-plus players during his tenure sign with NCAA programs, highlighted by Jamal Edmondson, who played at Mississippi State from 2005-06. He also had two additional standouts, Jamario Moon and Ronald Murray, go onto NBA careers.

After being drafted No. 42 overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2002 NBA Draft, Murray went onto to have an eight-year NBA career. Murray averaged 13.5 points per game as the 2005-06 Cleveland Cavaliers went to the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, while Moon was chosen to the 2008 NBA All-Rookie Second Team as a member of the Toronto Raptors.

Brooks put together a stellar multi-sport prep career at Lafayette High School in Alabama under the tutelage of John T. Woody. His team captured the Alabama 3A title in 1989 during his sophomore season.

Individually, Brooks notched a trio of Opelika-Auburn News All-Area and Valley Times News All-Valley honorees. The All-State performer posted averages of 16 points, 14 rebounds, seven blocks and three assists and was named to the Birmingham Post-Herald’s “Ten Most Wanted List” as a senior. He also was a three-time All-State selection at tight end on the gridiron.

Brooks is a 1997 graduate of Mississippi State. He and his wife, Kalia, are the parents of four children. The two oldest are sons Garrison and Justin, and the two youngest are daughters Katelyn and Karrie.
 
The George Brooks File
Hometown • Lafayette, Alabama
 
Family
Wife • Kalia
Children • Garrison • Justin • Katelyn • Karrie
 
Educational Background
High School • Lafayette HS • 1991
College • Mississippi State • 1997
 
BROOKS’ COACHING EXPERIENCE
Seasons • School • Position
2011-22 • Mississippi State • Assistant Coach
2000-10 • Meridian CC • Head Coach
1998-99 • Meridian CC • Assistant Coach
1996 • Mississippi State • Student Assistant Coach

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