Women's Basketball Coaching Staff

Brent Brase, Head Coach (5th year)

Brase (pronounced BRA-zee) enters his fifth season at the helm of the women’s basketball program. The team made huge strides during his initial season, improving the win total by seven games, setting six school records and instilling enthusiasm, passion and dedication into the program. Brase welcomes 11 newcomers to his 2009-10 squad, following a 7-17 finish last season.

Brase, a 1990 Cornell graduate, spent 11 seasons coaching at Coe College (Iowa), where he left as the winningest coach in school history. Coe was 90-50 in Iowa Conference games his final seven seasons.

Before leading the Coe men’s basketball program, Brase served as an assistant men’s coach at both Cornell and Coe and as the head boys’ basketball coach at Anamosa (Iowa) High School. Brase helped guide the 1990-91 Kohawks to a south division tournament berth and the 1993-94 Rams to the Midwest Conference Championship and the NCAA Division III tournament. In two years at Anamosa, Brase compiled a record of 27-13 and was named Big Bend Coach of the Year in 1991-92.

Brase is a 1986 graduate of Wapsie Valley (Iowa) High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education and secondary education from Cornell in 1990. He received a master’s degree in physical education from the University of Iowa in 1992.

Brase’s teams play stifling man-to-man defense and run on every make or miss. He has implemented defensive and offensive schemes to compliment one another by putting maximum pressure on the opponents for an entire game. In order to achieve this, his teams execute simple fundamentals at an extreme pace in practice — a pace their opponents haven’t trained for and cannot handle mentally and physically during the duration of a game.

Brase and his wife, Ann, a 1990 Cornell graduate, live in Mount Vernon with their three children: Ella, 8, Owen, 6, and Evan, 2. Brent and Ann are expecting their fourth child in January 2010.

"A Message From Coach Brase"

Basketball is a unique tool in the educational process. My goal as a coach is to make basketball one of the most educational experiences in my players’ collegiate years. We want players who are committed to higher education, who have respect for what we believe in, who are positive representatives of the college and our basketball program and who have the ability and desire to compete for Iowa Conference and national championships.

It is our goal not only to have students graduate on time, but also provide them with experiences that go beyond basketball and the classroom. Experiences that will allow them to learn, mature and lead. We foster an environment that allows freedom for students to make decisions and the guidance for them to be able to make the right choices and to correct mistakes.

We believe that the ability to compete at an extraordinary level must be targeted in our recruiting efforts. We want players who have high expectations and a willingness to go after their dreams. The effort and attitude of an individual are just as important to us as their skills.

Our program is challenging and rewarding. We have high expectations for our team as people, students and players. The expectations of our staff will not only challenge students, but also serve to guide and support them.

After graduation, a basketball player is left with one thing from her involvement in a program – the “experience”. The “experience” refers to the lessons and values learned, the personal relationships that develop and being a part of something larger than herself. This is an awesome opportunity and one that is often hard to duplicate in other areas of life.

Thank you for taking a serious look at Cornell College and our women’s basketball program!

Coach Brase

Erika Mundt, Assistant Coach (1st year)

Mundt, a standout basketball player at Cleveland State University from 1999-2003, begins her first season as an assistant on Cornell's women's basketball staff.

Mundt, a native of Noblesville, Ind., comes to the Hilltop from West Prairie (Ill.) High School, where she was head girls basketball coach in 2008-09. She served as a graduate assistant swim coach at Western Illinois University from 2006-2008. Prior to that, Mundt was an assistant women's basketball coach at Valparaiso University for two years, highlighted with a berth in the NCAA Division I Tournament in 2003-04.

Mundt graduated from Cleveland State as one of its most decorated players in school history. A four-year letterwinner and two-time team captain, Mundt finished as the Vikings' all-time leader in 3-point goals made with 190. She ranks second on Cleveland State's career list for 3-point percentage (34.9), fourth in points (1,458), sixth in assists (301) and ninth in steals (184).

Mundt was a two-time All-Horizon League selection at Cleveland State, earning second team honors as a senior after being named to the first team her junior season. As a senior, Mundt was selected to the Horizon League All-Tournament Team. She closed her collegiate career with eight consecutive 20-point games.

Mundt starred in high school at Hamilton Southeastern, where she led the state of Indiana (Class 4A) in scoring her senior year. A three-time all-state selection, she holds career, season and single-game scoring marks.

Mundt earned her bachelor's degree in sport management from Cleveland State in 2003. She received a master's degree in sports administration from Valparaiso in 2005. Mundt also picked up a master's in arts and teaching from Western Illinois in 2008.

Mundt and her husband Nathan, a swim coach at the University of Iowa, reside in Coralville. Mundt's younger sister, Kahla Roudebush, is a senior on the University of Cincinnati women's basketball team.  

Jesse Searls, Student Assistant (2nd year)

Searls begins his second season as a student assistant coach on Cornell's women's basketball staff.

Searls is a native of Coralville and a 2007 graduate of Iowa City West High School. He is a junior at Cornell majoring in elementary education. Searls is a member of Cornell's baseball team. He was the Rams' starting second baseman in spring 2009.

Nathan Jepsen, Student Assistant (2nd year)

Jepsen begins his second season as a student assistant coach on Cornell's women's basketball staff.

Jepsen is a native of Center Point and a 2007 graduate of Center Point-Urbana High School. He is a junior at Cornell and pursuing a double major in mathematics and physics. Jepsen is a member of Cornell's baseball team. He is a pitcher and third baseman.