Virginia Commonwealth University

Brett Nelson enters his first season as an assistant coach at VCU in 2025-26. Nelson brings two decades of experience to the Rams, including a stint as head coach at Holy Cross, as well as an All-American playing career at Florida. Early in his coaching career, Nelson served as VCU’s director of operations during the 2006-07 season.
 
Most recently, Nelson was an assistant coach for N.C. State in 2024-25 under Kevin Keatts. Prior to that, he spent a year as an assistant coach at UMass, where he helped the Minutemen to 20 wins and a top-four seed in the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament for the first time in more than 15 years.
 
Nelson served as head coach at Holy Cross for four seasons from 2019-23. During his tenure, the Crusaders earned five All-Patriot League selections and four All-Rookie Team selections. During the 2019-20 campaign, Nelson helped Holy Cross set a school record with eight Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections.
 
Before leading the Crusaders, Nelson spent five years at Marquette from 2014-19. After three seasons as an assistant, he was promoted to associate head coach in 2017. He helped the Golden Eagles to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances, as well as an NIT Quarterfinal run during his time in Milwaukee under Steve Wojciechowski. Marquette racked up a 97-69 record in Big East play during Nelson’s tenure.
 
In 2013-14, Nelson served as associate head coach at Ball State. He also spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Drake, helping the Bulldogs to a CIT berth in 2011-12 and a win over No. 17 Creighton in 2012-13.
 
With Nelson on staff as an assistant in 2010-11, Arkansas battled to an 18-13 record and earned two Top 25 wins.
 
Nelson’s first coaching position was at Marshall, where he spent three seasons as an assistant starting in 2007-08. In 2009-10, Nelson helped lead the Thundering Herd to a 25-10 season and a CIT berth. Nelson coached former NBA All-Defensive Selection Hassan Whiteside during his time at Marshall.
 
Prior to his coaching career, Nelson was the director of basketball operations for the Rams in 2006-07, when VCU won the CAA and defeated Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. He also spent the 2005-06 season as the director of basketball operations at Colorado State.
 
A three-year starter, Nelson was one of the driving forces on four NCAA Tournament teams at Florida, including the 1999-2000 squad that advanced to the National Championship Game. Nelson was named All-SEC as a sophomore and a junior, and earned an All-America Honorable Mention citation as a sophomore in 2000-01. As a true freshman in 1999-2000, Nelson came off the bench and became the first freshman in school history to lead the team in steals (60) and assists (110) – all without starting a game. He ended his playing days as Florida’s program leader in 3-pointers made, with 274, and is second in all-time steals with 199.
 
Nelson graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Florida in 2004. Nelson and his wife, Jamie, have a son named Eli.