Iowa announces hiring of two basketball assistant coaches

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Josh Sash and Bryston Williams have joined the University of Iowa men’s basketball coaching staff as assistant coaches, it was announced Tuesday by head coach Ben McCollum. 

Sash and Williams join McCollum in Iowa City after serving on his staff at Drake a season ago.  The duo helped guide the Bulldogs to a school-record 31 victories, a Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament title and to the second round of the NCAA Tournament by way of the 67-57 upset win over sixth-seeded Missouri.

The pair assisted in Drake’s roster rebuild, as the Bulldogs brought in a combined 10 transfers and first-year players.  One of the signees – Bennett Stirtz – was named the MVC Larry Bird Player and Newcomer of the Year, while being a finalist for the Riley Wallace Award and Lou Henson Awards.

“Josh has been an integral part of our success at Drake,” said McCollum. “He continues to impress me with his basketball acumen and his ability to be a sounding board for me as he is a former head coach. We’re so excited to have him on our staff.

“Bryston was my first recruit ever in coaching.  He brings an unmatched energy and is relentless in recruiting. He is great with player relationships and will be a huge asset to our program.”

Sash, an Oskaloosa, Iowa, native, has 22 years of coaching experience at all levels, including head coaching stints at Indian Hills Community College (2023-24) and Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) (2019-20). 

“I am ecstatic and beyond grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this staff, under the leadership of coach McCollum,” said Sash. “As a native Iowan and a lifelong Hawkeye, I cannot wait to ‘Fight for Iowa’, while proudly wearing the black and gold.

“I look forward to humbly serving this program, as we recruit, develop and mentor young men, that all of us as Hawkeyes, will be proud of.  My family and I are so excited to start our journey together in Iowa City.”

At Indian Hills, Sash led the Warriors to the semifinals of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DI Men’s Basketball Championship as the team finished with a 29-6 record.  It was the program’s 19th trip to the national tournament in its history.

Sash was tabbed as the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) DI Coach of the Year after going 4-0 in league play while capturing the NJCAA Region 11 Championship. Throughout the year, he guided the Warriors to 15 wins over nationally ranked opponents.  Sash also served as an assistant coach for Indian Hills from 2015-17.

Before returning to Ottumwa as head coach, Sash spent three seasons as an assistant at North Dakota State. There Sash was part of a Bison staff that made three consecutive Summit League Tournament Championship game appearances. NDSU won 54 games in the three seasons, including 35 in Summit League play.

Sash also had a stint as an assistant at UMKC from 2017-19 before taking over as head coach at DMACC for the 2019-20 season. Sash led the Bears to a 29-4 record, the ICCAC regular and postseason championships and the No. 2 seed in the national tournament.  He was named the NJCAA Region 11 Coach of the Year and guided five NJCAA All-Region 11 performers and four NJCAA All-Academic selections.

Sash also spent time at State Fair Community College (2010-15), Temple College (2009-10), Providence College (2008-09) and Drake (2007-08), while starting as a student assistant at William Penn (2003-07).

Sash earned his associate’s degree in computer programming/analysis from Indian Hills in 2001, his bachelor’s in physical education/coaching from William Penn in 2006 and his master’s in education in effective teaching from Drake in 2009. 

He and his wife, Analeigh, have three children – Tandon, Tayson and Tru.

Sash is the older brother of former Hawkeye two-time first-team All-Big Ten safety Tyler Sash.  Tyler, who shares program’s single-game interception record (3), played professionally for the NFL’s New York Giants, where he was a Super Bowl Champion in 2012.

Williams, a native of St. Joseph, Missouri, joins the program after serving as an assistant coach at Drake (2024-25), Wyoming (2023-24) and Indiana State (2021-23) at the collegiate level, while also spending time in the NBA and D-League.

“My family and I are grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Hawkeye community,” said Williams. “We look forward to building great relationships in a special place like Iowa City.”

During his stint at Indiana State, Williams coached the Sycamores to 23 wins during the 2022-23 season.  The team made its first postseason appearance since 2014 when it was the top seed in the College Basketball Invitational.

Before making the move to Terre Haute, Williams spent three seasons as an assistant for the NBA’s Detroit Pistons. He developed the team’s mechanical shooting program, assisted with pre- and post-practice workouts, film breakdown and postgame reports.

During the 2017-18 season, Williams worked with the Memphis Hustle of the NBA G-League, where he assisted with game plan preparation and worked in player development. He also coached in the G-League for the Iowa Energy in 2016-17.

Williams was a member of McCollum’s first recruiting class at Northwest Missouri State in 2009.  He scored more than 700 points for the Bearcats, where he helped the team to two MIAA Conference championships and a Sweet 16 appearance as a senior.

Following graduation, Williams served as a graduate assistant under McCollum for two seasons, where he was a part of two more MIAA titles and Sweet 16 appearances.

Williams graduated from Northwest Missouri State with a bachelor’s degree in corporate recreation in 2014 and a master’s degree in applied health science in 2016. He and his wife, Hannah, have three children – daughter Kamryn and sons Kyrie and Kayson.