Neill Berry - Men's Basketball Coach - Iowa State University Athletics

Neill Berry

Title:
Special Assistant to the Head Coach
Email:
nberry@iastate.edu
Phone:
4-1489

Neill Berry, who played for Steve Prohm at Southeastern Louisiana, is in his fourth season at Iowa State. Berry was elevated to assistant coach in May of 2016 after spending his first season as the program's special assistant to the head coach.

The 2017-18 Cyclones had three players earn recognition from the Big 12 Conference, including freshman Lindell Wigginton, who was recruited by Berry. Wigginton earned All-Big 12 honorable mention accolades and was named to the leagues all-newcomer team.

ISU picked up wins against three top-15 foes in 2017-18, including an 18-point win against No. 8 Texas Tech, which was the largest margin of victory against a top-10 team in school history.

Berry's second season with the Cyclones was highlighted by a Big 12 Tournament title and another NCAA Tournament appearance. ISU won 24 games, which included a win at No. 3 Kansas to snap its 51-game win streak at Allen Fieldhouse. The Cyclones won 12 conference games to finish in a tie for second place in the Big 12.

Iowa State was one of the nation's best offensive teams in 2016-17, ranking in the top 12 in adjusted offensive efficiency and top 30 in scoring offense (80.8). ISU also improved defensively, finishing 29th nationally in steals per game and ranking inside the top 50 in defensive efficiency for the first time in more than 10 seasons. The Cyclones were ranked No. 16 in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll.

Berry's efforts on the recruiting trail immediately produced results as one of his primary targets, Wigginton, was a top-25 prep by Rivals.com and the Cyclones' first five-star recruit since Craig Brackins in 2007.

In Berry's first season at ISU, the Cyclones won 23 games and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. The Cyclones were ranked in the Associated Press Top-25 all season, vaulting to as high as No. 4. The Cyclones earned a win against a top-ranked foe for the second time in school history when they upended No. 1 Oklahoma at Hilton Coliseum.

In his time in Ames, Cyclone student-athletes have received significant recognition for their efforts on the court. ISU has had a player honored on the All-Big 12 teams 12 times in the last three seasons, which is the second most in the league in that time. Georges Niang and Monté Morris were All-Americans and unanimous selections to the All-Big 12 First Team. Niang also was the recipient of the 2016 Karl Malone Award, given annually to the nation's top power forward.

Berry joined Prohm’s staff after spending the previous three seasons as an assistant coach at High Point University. While at High Point, the Panthers won their division of the Big South twice (2012-13, 2013-14). In 2012-13, HPU advanced to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, the school’s first appearance in Division I postseason play. That trip was followed by earning an automatic bid to the NIT in 2013-14.

In 2014-15, the league went away from divisions and High Point tied with Charleston Southern for the league title.

Prior to his stint at HPU, Berry was on staff at South Carolina from 2009-2012. The Jackson, Mississippi, native started at South Carolina as Director of Player Development before being elevated to assistant coach in 2009-10. At South Carolina, Berry saw the Gamecocks earn wins against top-ranked Kentucky in 2009 and a road win at Florida in 2011, despite having one of the nation’s youngest teams. He worked extensively with Damontre Harris, who was named to the SEC All-Defensive team.

USC’s recruiting efforts flourished during Berry’s tenure, with the 2010 class achieving its highest ranking in recent history at 17th nationally according to Scout.com.

Berry has also coached at Western Kentucky (2005-08), first serving as a full-time assistant in 2007-08 when the Hilltoppers won the Sun Belt Tournament and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

Berry spent five seasons playing as a combo guard at Southeastern Louisiana under Prohm and then-head coach Billy Kennedy. He was a member of the school’s two most successful teams, which culminated in an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2004-05.

Berry, who attended Madison-Ridgeland Academy, and his wife Ashly have a son, Ty, and two daughters, Kendall and Connor.