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The Hope Athletics Orange and Blue PodcastBe Strong. Be True. Author: Alan Babbitt
Interviews and discussions with Hope College coaches and student athletes Language: en-us Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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D3 Week Spotlight: Nick Wever, Men’s Basketball
Sunday, 12 April, 2026
Nick Wever is grateful for all the game of basketball has brought to his life, including studying, playing, and now coaching at Hope College The junior from Marysville, Ohio, outside of Columbus, finished his season as a student assistant for the Flying Dutchmen, helping them win the MIAA Tournament for the third time in four seasons and return to the NCAA Division III Championships. Nick Wever As part of the nationwide D3 Week Celebration, Wever spoke with Sports Information Director Alan Babbitt about his college experience as a student-athlete and a coach. Before joining the coaching staff, Wever played two seasons of junior varsity basketball. “It wasn’t the easiest this past fall to have to hang it up, but it’s been a great year,” Wever said “I’ve been very pleasantly surprised at how much I’ve enjoyed diving into more of the coaching aspects. Being a part of the varsity team has been great. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t easy to watch practice every day from the sidelines and not be able to dive in, but I think during games my presence is felt, and I think I’m much more of an impact than I would have been if I had been towards the end of the bench. I have a bit of a bigger voice, which I’ve appreciated.” Quality Mentors A business major, Wever now sees basketball as part of his future after he graduates in 2027. His experience with head coach Greg Mitchell and assistant coaches Ken George and Ryan Klingler has ignited a passion for coaching the sport. “Being able to be around three such knowledgeable guys in Kling, KG, and Mitch … there’s so much work that goes into our season and winning championships. You have to juggle a lot of personalities. You have to relentlessly watch film, figure out what lineups work best here,” Wever said. “It’s a very quick-moving thing, especially when game time rolls around, and I think those three rely on each other a lot, and they do a great job. It’s fun, but it’s strenuous, and I don’t think people understand that all of the time.” Wever is also thankful for other things he’s experienced at Hope, including classes in the business department and service opportunities such as the SEED (Sports Evangelism to Equip Disciples) trip to the Dominican Republic. “The SEED trip, it changed my life,” Wever said. “ [in the business department] I’ve had a lot of professors that have been there in the business world, which I think is important for somebody my age. It’s not really just a professor spitting back information at you. It’s more of a professor saying, “Hey, this happened to me when I was doing this at X company 20, 30 years ago.” Read the full interview.
