July 7, 2009

DEKALB, Ill. - Kent Dernbach, the Director of Basketball Operations at George Mason the past two seasons, has been named to the same post at Northern Illinois, head men's basketball coach Ricardo Patton announced Tuesday.

"We're excited to have a full complement of coaches on staff, and to bring someone in with the amount of experience that Kent (Dernbach) has," said Patton. "Kent comes to us from a program just a few years removed from making an appearance in the Final Four. Now, with he and coach (Todd) Townsend, we have two guys on staff that can really relate to our players about that process. I'm very pleased with the make-up of my staff heading into next season."

As George Mason head coach Jim Larranaga's operations director, Dernbach was responsible for monitoring the academic progress of student-athletes, managing all travel needs and overseeing the team managers, coordinating video operations for scouting and aiding in the recruiting process. He was also in charge of submitting NCAA and Colonial Athletic Association compliance documents, and directed seven sessions of summer and winter camps with more than 1,500 participants.

The Colonials posted back-to-back 20-win seasons, captured the CAA Championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament during Dernbach's tenure. GMU's 2009 recruiting class was tabbed the No. 1 ranked Non-BCS class in the nation, and its existing players helped build an APR score that was rated among the top-10 percent in the NCAA Division I ranks.

"I'm very excited about this opportunity at Northern Illinois, and to be a part of what coach Patton and his staff are building here," Dernbach said. "I look forward to working with someone that is as respected as coach Patton is across college basketball."

Prior to his tenure at George Mason, the 27-year-old (3-12-82) Dernbach served a two-year stint as an assistant coach at Marymount University in Arlington, Va. He was the primary recruiter, and helped mentor two all-conference players, and two league rookies of the year. Other administrative duties included scouting opponents and implementing practice plans, managing fundraising, directing team travel and operating the annual budget.

Dernbach was a two-year letterwinner (2001-03) at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis. The Red Men compiled a 46-8 record with two CCIW (College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) championships and a berth in the 2002 Final Four in Dernbach's playing career.

Dernbach began his coaching career in 2003, serving as the assistant coach at North Central High School in Paddock Lake, Wis. He occupied the same role at Whetstone High School in Columbus, Ohio, from September 2004-July 2005.

The Almond, Wis., native graduated with a bachelor's degree in sport management and psychology from Carthage in May 2004, and completed his master's of arts in physical activity and educational services from Ohio State in June 2006. While at OSU, Dernbach served as a graduate assistant in the Student-Athlete Support Service Office.