Black Hills State men's basketball has announced its coaching staff for the 2022-23 season.

A pair of familiar faces join the Yellow Jacket coaching staff in former student-athletes, Makaleb McInnis and Michael Russell.

Makaleb McInnis – Assistant Coach
"We are thrilled to welcome back Makaleb McInnis to our Yellow Jacket basketball program," said Head Coach Ryan Thompson. "Makaleb was influential in turning around our program as a student-athlete. Since then, he has gained great experience playing professionally and as an assistant coach at Augustana. Makaleb is a phenomenal recruiter and relationship builder. He is a tireless worker and is well respected within the coaching community. I am excited to witness the impact he will have on our program."

McInnis was most recently a graduate assistant coach at Augustana from 2020 to 2022, during which the Vikings went a combined 35-11 and made a NCAA Tournament appearance while winning five games over ranked opponents.

He now returns to BHSU where he spent two years as a student-athlete, starting 28 games his senior year and averaging 10.2 points and 3 rebounds per game.

BHSU finished 13th in the RMAC the year before McInnis joined the Yellow Jackets (2016-17). By his senior year, the team captain helped lead the squad to a fourth-place finish in the RMAC and an appearance in the program's first-ever RMAC Tournament championship game.

Before arriving to BHSU, McInnis played two seasons at Pierce College in Lakewood, Wash. where he was a team captain and First Team All-League his sophomore season.

McInnis earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from BHSU and a master's degree in sports administration and leadership at Augustana.

Michael Russell – Graduate Assistant
"We are elated that Michael Russell will continue with our program in his new role as a graduate assistant coach," said Thompson. "Michael made a tremendous impact on our program as a player through his leadership and selfless approach. He has all the tools necessary to develop into a great collegiate basketball coach, and I look forward to watching him grow as a coach."

Russell most recently played as a student-athlete at BHSU for the past three years, winning a pair of RMAC conference championships and making an appearance in the 2022 NCAA DII Final Four. He appeared in 20 games for the Yellow Jackets after transferring from Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kans.

Russell earned his bachelor's degree in Exercise Science from BHSU in 2022.