Year at Saint Mary's: 6th (in 2018-19)
Jamison Rusthoven was named the head men's basketball coach at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota in April 2013 and took over a program in which he inherited only two players with extensive collegiate game experience. In the past four seasons, Coach Rusthoven has been working to lay a foundation of excellence, but as they say — a building is only as strong as it’s foundation – and for the Cardinal program that is 100% the truth.
In the past four years, the Cardinals have recorded the team's largest conference margin of victory in a single game since the 1956-57 season; set a program-record 25 team assists in a single game; tied the best overall and conference record since the 1999- 2000 season; erupted for 106 points, which were just four shy of the school-record 110 points, set against UM-Duluth during the 1952-53 season; poured in a season-high 13 3-pointers, which was the most 3-pointers in a game since raining in 13 against Bethel on Jan. 19, 2008; put an end to a 12-game slide against the Gusties that dated back to Jan. 27, 2010, and had four players named all-conference honorable mention.
Under Rusthoven, the Cardinals have had two of the only eight program wins to date against Carleton, but had the highest semester team GPA in recent memory (3.31); the highest yearly team GPA in recent memory (3.29); saw his team named to the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award for the first time in program history, and has had nine players named to the NABC Honors court.
As if that is not enough in four short years, Coach Rusthoven had four academic all-conference selections for the 2016-17 school year, which was the second-most among men's basketball programs in the MIAC and gave the Cardinals six Academic All-MIAC picks since the 2014-2015 season—after managing just one representative from 2005 to 2013; as well as having one player named the schools Outstanding Senior Male in 2016.
Prior to accepting the Saint Mary's position, Rusthoven spent the previous three seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, winning 50 games and helping lead the squad to the WIAC (Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Conference) Basketball Tournament each of those years. The 2012-13 team finished the season in the WIAC Tournament final and ranked seventh in the nation in scoring defense.
Rusthoven has been an assistant at Hamline University (MN) for five years where he helped guide them from a 10
th place finish his first year to a 3
rd place finish in the MIAC (Minnesota Interscholastic Athletic Conference) his last year. Rusthoven was an assistant at Minneapolis Community and Technical College for the 2004-2006 seasons where the program posted a two-year record of 56-8 with two conference championships, one regional title, and a national tournament appearance, all while working for Head Coach Jay Pivec, a 2010 NJCAA Hall of Fame Inductee. The 2001-2003 seasons were spent at Concordia University – St. Paul (MN) where he was a part of the programs transition from NAIA to NCAA Division 2.
Throughout his college career, Rusthoven has coached 12 All-First Year Team members, 27 First Team All-Conference players, 3 All-Americans, 2 players named Conference Players of the Year and 1 player named National Player of the year.
Prior to his jump back to the collegiate level, Coach Rusthoven was the boy’s head basketball coach at the largest high school in Minneapolis, Minneapolis Southwest, for five seasons (1996-01). During his time at Southwest High, the school saw some of their best teams; doubling win totals and watching many of his players and players he coached against in the challenging Minneapolis city conference, move on to become very good collegiate players, playing at places such as the Minnesota, Oklahoma, UConn, Fresno State, UW-Milwaukee, and Howard as well as in the MIAC and WIAC respectfully. During his time in the Minneapolis City Conference, the seven team conference was considered one of the best basketball conferences in the state, producing a team in state tournament championship game in all but one of his five years. Rusthoven left the school fourth on the school's all-time winning percentage list.
Rusthoven's very early coaching experiences includes a conference championship and two second place finishes as an assistant at Osseo High School (MN) as well as time on the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities campus, where he was a student assistant coach for Clem Haskins and the 1992-93 NIT champion Golden Gophers.
Rusthoven prepped at St. Agnes High School in St. Paul, Minn., where he was an all-conference three-sport athlete who played football, basketball and ran track. His three-year collegiate career was spent as a wide receiver on the University of St. Thomas football team (1989-1991), earning two varsity letters, a 1990 MIAC championship and a 1990 NCAA Division III final eight appearance.
Rusthoven and his wife, Heidi, have two children, son Trey and daughter Ashley.
With his hire at Saint Mary’s University, Coach Rusthoven also became the first African-American head basketball coach in the 100+ year history of the MIAC.
