BROOKINGS, S.D. (SDSU) – South Dakota State Director of Athletics Justin Sell announced Saturday that Bryan Petersen, who has worked on the Jackrabbit men's basketball staff as an assistant the previous six seasons, has been promoted to head coach of the SDSU program.   "Bryan has stood out to me since he joined our athletic department," Sell said. "The relationships he has built with the student-athletes he works with is evident. He's done a remarkable job not only recruiting current and future Jackrabbits to South Dakota State, but also developing them to the point of creating a long-standing championship culture.   "We believe Bryan is ready to take this step and serve as the leader of our men's basketball program."  Petersen will be the program's 23rd head coach since the Jackrabbits' inception in 1903. He takes over for Eric Henderson who accepted the head coaching position at Drake.  "I couldn't be more excited and grateful to have the opportunity to lead the Jackrabbit men's basketball program," Petersen said. "I want to thank President Barry Dunn, Justin Sell and the rest of their team for believing in me to become the next head coach at South Dakota State. The vision and core values of SDSU align perfectly for both myself and my family. I also want to thank coach (Eric) Henderson for giving me the opportunity to work and learn from him over the last six years.  "I am ready to get to work with our team and continue to build off the success of our program. Jackrabbit Nation is special and I look forward to another packed First Bank & Trust Arena next season." Petersen has been an integral part of SDSU's recent success on staff. During the past six seasons, the Jackrabbits have accumulated a 129-60 record which features four Summit League regular season titles, two conference tournament championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances. He's been at the forefront of SDSU's defensive game plans during his tenure in Yellow and Blue, which as recently as this past season, saw the Jackrabbits lead The Summit League in opponent field goal percentage and finish second in scoring defense.  The Jackrabbit guards have been Petersen's positional focus during his time in Brookings. The group has seen multiple award winners over a six-year stretch. Zeke Mayo (2024) and Baylor Scheierman (2022) garnered The Summit League Player of the Year award in their respective junior seasons, while Charlie Easley (2024) and Matt Mims (2023) were chosen as Summit League All-Defensive Team selections.  Prior to his arrival at South Dakota State, Petersen spent six seasons as head coach of the Kirkwood Community College men's basketball program. He led the program to the 2016 and 2019 NJCAA Division II Championships while compiling a 157-38 overall record. He earned regional and national coach of the year honors in both national championship seasons. He coached four NJCAA All-Americans and saw future Jackrabbit Douglas Wilson, who eventually went on to become the 2020 Summit League Player of the Year and earn three All-Summit League nods, named NJCAA Division II National Player of the Year in 2018-19. Petersen spent a season as an assistant at Kirkwood following three years as a graduate assistant at Iowa State. He worked as a Cyclone for one season for Greg McDermott (2009-10) and two seasons for Fred Hoiberg (2010-12).  His time on the Iowa State staff came after completing his collegiate playing career for the Cyclones. Over the course of his junior and senior seasons, Petersen sank 97 career 3-pointers and started 64 consecutive games for Iowa State. His first two years of college eligibility he utilized at Kirkwood. He was named a First Team All-American in his final season at Kirkwood, taking home Region XI Player of the Year honors. Petersen was also the first coach in the history of the NJCAA DII National Tournament to participate in a National Championship game as a player and win the National Championship as a coach. Petersen graduated from Iowa State with a degree in Kinesiology in 2009 and earned his master's degree in higher education-educational leadership from Iowa State in 2012. He currently resides in Brookings with his wife, Renae, and their sons Cade and Miles. A press conference with media will take place on Friday, April 4, at 10 a.m. at First Bank & Trust Arena in Brookings.  ...read more read less