Basketball/Support Staff

Justin Tucek Strength Coach First season at NSU

Johnny Cox Special Asst. to the HC First season at NSU

Justin Tucek is beginning his first season as a graduate assistant with the NSU men’s basketball program. Tucek spent the past two years as the head student assistant at Emporia State, involved duties such as film maintenance and exchange of games and practices, assisting in individual workouts, creating recruiting databases and evaluating prospects and recording and evaluating practice stats. He landed his first student assistant gig at Rock Valley College, helping with daily operations of practices, games and other aspects. Tucek worked with Midwest Elite Basketball as a camp clinician for the past two years. He earned his bachelors of science in history at Emporia State this past spring. Tucek is pursuing a masters in sports administration.

Derek Stein Assistant Strength Coach First season at NSU

Derek Stein joined the Northwestern State staff in June as an assistant director of strength and conditioning. Stein spent the 2019-20 academic year at Louisiana Tech as an assistant strength and conditioning coach, working primarily with women’s basketball, volleyball, women’s soccer, tennis and bowling. While at Louisiana Tech, Stein was also responsible for hiring strength and conditioning interns and assisting the director of strength and conditioning with hiring additional assistant strength and conditioning coaches. Prior to arriving at Louisiana Tech, Stein was a graduate assistant at Eastern Illinois where he earned a master of science degree in kinesiology and sports studies with a concentration in sports administration. While at EIU, Stein assisted the head football strength coach and designed and implemented strength and conditioning and athletic performance programs for EIU’s baseball, men’s soccer and track and field teams. He also assisted in the process of hiring strength and conditioning graduate assistants and interns. Stein spent two football seasons at Finlandia University in Hancock, Michigan, first as an assistant strength and conditioning coach and wide receivers coach before being promoted to strength and conditioning coordinator. In that role, Stein was responsible for creating and executing strength and conditioning performance programs for all 10 of Finlandia’s intercollegiate varsity teams.

Johnny Cox joined the NSU men’s basketball staff this past summer and will serve as a special assistant to head coach Mike McConathy. Cox built ties to the local and regional community through his participation in the family restaurant Merci Beaucoup for 15 years, starting in 2005. The accomplished high school basketball coach headed programs at Riverdale Academy, Central School and St. Mary’s School. Winning more than 450 games in 20 seasons as a high school head coach, Cox guided the Riverdale girls to the Louisiana Independent School Association championship game in 1991. He led the Central girls to two North State championships in the Mississippi Private School Association and the Central boys to another North State title in the 1990s. At St. Mary's, Cox coached the Lady Tigers to the first state semifinal berth in program history in 2003. As a player, the Coushatta native led Riverdale Academy to three state titles before graduating from Northwestern State. He’s married to Reatha C. Cox, who is Northwestern State's director of student

affairs.

Marcia Bolton Administrative Assistant Ninth season at NSU

Northwestern State, 1988

Administrative assistant Marcia Bolton is part of the heartbeat of the Demon basketball staff. Her office management keeps operations smooth for coaches, staff and most importantly, for the players, who she considers “her boys.” She is affectionately known as “Little Ducky” as nicknamed by the iconic Demon, “Coach Black,” Harris Wilson Jr. A native of Natchitoches, she graduated from Natchitoches Central High School and is a 1988 alumna of Northwestern State. She worked in the private sector for more than 30 years as an office manager/ administrator. She is the daughter of Dr. Dick T. Stalling, who is retired from NSU as department head of the biology department. Marcia is very active in her church, Trinity Baptist. She also loves to work in the yard and be on the water. She is married to Shelby Bolton, who is an avid NSU basketball fan.