Coaching Staff

Head Varsity
Jim McNamara-This will be Coach McNamara's 11th season as the Varsity head coach.  He is looking forward to his 30th season coaching basketball in Pine Island, having coached at the youth, junior high and junior varsity level.  He also was the varsity assistant for seven years.  Career Varsity coaching record of 130-133, including the 2017 HVL Gold division title.  Married to Tonja for 40 years and they have 5 children and 8 grandchildren.

Varsity Assistant
Connor Bailey-Graduated from Pine Island High School in 2020, then attended University of Wisconsin-River Falls.  He spent the 2021-22 season as a Student Assistant for the River Falls Men's Basketball program.  Last season he was the Varsity Assistant for Ellsworth High School where he helped with practice planning, scouting and player development.  This will be his first season coaching in Pine Island.

Junior Varsity
Ben Bauer-Graduated from Pine Island High School in 2014, where he participated in basketball, baseball and cross country.  He is a graduate of UW-Stout and teaches here at Pine Island.  This will be his 4th year coaching the JV at Pine Island
 

C Team
 
Tyler Rogers-Graduated from Stewartville High School in 2010 where he participated in basketball, football, track and baseball. He moved to Pine Island in 2017 and is employed by the Goodhue County Sheriff's Office. Tyler has previously coached Junior High and Varsity basketball in Dover-Eyota and is in his 5th year of coaching Varsity football in Pine Island. 


8th Grade
Aaron Maxson-A graduate of Pine Island, currently employed at Land O Lakes.  He has previously coached in the girls program here at PI, including two years as the head coach.  His basketball loving family includes his wife Karizma and their three children.  His favorite all time player is Michael Jordan the last minute and a half of the 1998 NBA finals which included a defensive stop and a game winning basket is his favorite basketball moment.


8th Grade Assistant
Max Owen-Graduated from Pine Island High School in 2020 where he played football and basketball.  Graduated from Winona State in May of 2023 and now works at IBM.  This will be his first season coaching basketball at Pine Island.
  

7th Grade
Brian Elsbernd-Grew up in Decorah, Iowa and graduated from there in 2007. Brian ran track and played basketball and football there and he then went to Iowa State University where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in Animal Science. Brian moved up to Minnesota in 2014 to work for Midwest Livestock Systems in Zumbrota. He coached junior high girls' basketball  for 3 seasons and is looking forward to his second season coaching 7th grade boys. In August of 2021 he married his wife Kathy who loves to come to the games and cheer on the Panthers.


7th Grade Assistant
Jacob Weber-Graduated from Pine Island High School in 2019 where he played Basketball and ran Track and Field. He continued his academic and athletic career at St. Olaf College, graduating in May of 2023 with a Bachelor's Degree of Economics. This will be his first year of coaching for Pine Island.