Jon Barsness
Head Coach/Associate Director of Athletics
Phone: 952-446-4146
Email: barsnessj@crown.edu
Coach Barsness enters his second season leading the men's basketball program at Crown College. After starting the rebuilding process in year one with three players being named to the Academic All-Conference team as well as one player being named to the NABC Honor Court for his academic achievement he is looking toward the future and building the program into a competitive NCAA Division III basketball program.
Crown College men's basketball will always be known for it's competitive and blue-collar mentality under the guidance of Coach Barsness as he challenges each of the student athletes to reach for high expectations with hard work, determination and a willing spirit to sacrifice a little of themselves for what is best for the team. The four guiding principles of the program:
- We are a program designed for God's glory, not our own
- We are a program bonded by our love for God and each other as brothers in Christ.
- We are a program dedicated to giving our very best in every area of our lives and trusting God with the results.
- We are a program that uses our competition as a form of worship to our Lord and we never lose sight of that whether we win or lose.
Prior to coming to Crown College Coach Barsness spent 10 years as a high school head coach compiling at 174-44 record winning almost 80% of his games. He also spent 5 years as an assistant coach at the NCAA Division II and NAIA Division I level.
Jon is also the Associate Director of Athletics at Crown College and serves as the Sports Information Director.
Jon is married to Anna and they have a three year old son, Ethan.
Tim Sowden
Assistant Men's Basketball Coach
Tim Sowden enters his second season as the lead assistant for the Crown College Storm men's basketball staff. Sowden is no stranger to the hardwood as he has spent the past 16 years coaching at the high school level in Minnesota and Iowa as a head or assistant varsity coach. Most recently Sowden was the Head JV/Assistant Varsity Coach at Breck High School and prior to that spent 4 years as an assistant at Eden Prairie High School.
Tim will assist in all areas of developing a competitive NCAA Division III basketball program with an emphasis on recruiting. Sowden attended Teikyo Westmar University and graduated with a degree in education in 1992. Sowden resides in Shakopee, Minnesota, with his wife, Peggy, and is a full-time substitute teacher in the Shakopee school district.
