Meet the Idaho Stampede Coaches

Dean Cooper enters his second season as head coach for the Idaho Stampede. Before joining the Idaho Stampede Cooper spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Houston Rockets on Kevin McHale’s staff. He began his NBA career with the Rockets in 1999 as a video coordinator, eventually becoming an assistant coach to Rudy Tomjanovich. When Jeff Van Gundy succeeded Tomjanovich, Cooper transitioned to the front office as a personnel scout for one season before eventually becoming the Director of Scouting (2004-07) and Vice President of Player Personnel (2007-08).

He spent the 2008-09 season as an assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves when McHale was the interim head coach. Following a one-year stint as a regional scout for the Timberwolves (2009-10), Cooper became Director of Player Development for the Portland Trail Blazers under Nate McMillan.

Prior to the NBA, Cooper coached four years at the collegiate level. For two seasons he was an assistant coach at his alma mater, Aquinas College, in Grand Rapids, Mich. before taking a similar role at the University of Buffalo for two years. While at Aquinas, he served in an advance scouting role for the Connecticut Pride of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) for one season. Cooper began his coaching career at a pair of Michigan high schools, spending five years at Belding High School and three years at Caledonia High School.

A native of Belding, Mich., Cooper has been a camp director in the NBA’s Basketball without Borders program since 2005. Married to Melanie Cooper, he earned his undergraduate degree in business administration from Aquinas College.

Entering his second season with the Idaho Stampede, Walton brings NBA- League experience, having played from 2011-12 for the Dakota Wizards, Fort Wayne Mad Ants as well as the Canton Charge, under then head coach and current Jazz assistant Alex Jensen. Walton also played professionally for ratiopharm Ulm (Germany-1) from 2010-11 and Lugano Tigers (Switzerland) from 2009-10 following a four-year standout career playing for head coach Tom Izzo at Michigan State (2005-09).

Jordan Brady enters into his first season with the Stampede after serving the 2014-15 season as assistant coach with Los Angeles D-Fenders. Brady brings a unique combination of playing and coaching experience at the professional level, which will be valuable with the Stampede’s player development. Additionally, he has also been an assistant coach with the Iowa Energy and Bakersfield Jam, in which he assisted in developing current Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert while he was on assignment with the Jam in 2013.

Prior to coaching, Brady played professionally for four seasons, including 15 games with the Stampede.

Howe enters his second season as the Head Athletic Trainer/ Strength Coach for the Idaho Stampede. Howe previously served as head athletic trainer, strength coach and equipment manager for the Utah Flash (now the Delaware 87ers) of the NBA D-League from 2009-11, as well as the assistant athletic trainer/strength coach and clubhouse manager for the Ogden Raptors (Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate) of the Pioneer Baseball League from 2011-13. He also worked as the head athletic trainer for basketball, head strength-and-conditioning coach for basketball and softball and an adjunct professor at Weber State University since 2011. Howe earned a bachelor’s degree in sports medicine and clinical athletic training from Weber State, and a master’s degree in sport performance and strength-and-conditioning from Southern Utah University.

This summer Howe was selected to be the trainer/strength coach for the D-League Select team during the Las Vegas Samsung Summer League.

Hans Steinbrenner enters his second season as Director of Basketball Operations and first as Video Coordinator for the Stampede. He assists the team’s President with various day-to-day responsibilities, while continuing to work as a member of the coaching staff. He is an integral part of the team’s basketball operations & logistics while working as one of the team’s basketball operations & logistics liaisons with the Utah Jazz as needed.