DEKALB, Ill. – Northern Illinois University men's basketball head coach Rashon Burno has completed his staff for the upcoming season with the additions of Assistant Coach Antwon Jackson and Assistant Coach/Director of Basketball Operations Eddie Fernandez. Earlier this summer, the Huskies announced the addition of Eric Rwahwire to the staff as Assistant Coach/Director of Player Development as well as the promotion of Jacob Kurtz. 

Jackson comes to NIU following three seasons as an assistant coach at Murray State, where he helped the Racers win 17 games in their inaugural season in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2022-23. 

Prior to his time at Murray State, Jackson also served as an assistant coach at East Carolina (2020-22), Virginia Tech (2019-20), Cincinnati (2012-19), UMass (2009-12) and William & Mary (2005-08). During his time at Cincinnati, the Bearcats won a pair of American Athletic Conference Tournament titles (2018, '19) and had two players earn AAC Player of the Year honors in Gary Clark (2017-18) and Jarron Cumberland (2018-19).

After initially coming to NIU as Director of Basketball Operations in four seasons ago, Kurtz was promoted to his current role prior to this season. He joined the Huskies after five years on staff at UMass, where he spent two years as Assistant Director of Operations/Assistant to the Head Coach before being elevated to Director of Scouting/Video for two seasons before one year as an Assistant Coach. 

Kurtz spent two seasons at Chattanooga prior to his time at UMass, helped the Mocs to a school-record 29 victories in 2025-26, winning both the Southern Conference regular season and tournament titles while earning a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Rwahwire has been at Texas Tech for the past two seasons as a graduate assistant. During his time in Lubbock, the Red Raiders recorded a pair of 20-win seasons, including a 28-win campaign last year as they reached the Elite Eight. Rwahwire played collegiately at UC Riverside and the University of Toronto before also playing for the Uganda National Team.

Fernandez comes to NIU after spending last season in the NBA with the Washington Wizards in basketball operations. Prior to his time with the Wizards, Fernandez spent two years as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, UTEP, where he had also served as a student manager for four seasons. 

Season tickets for the 2025-26 Huskie men's basketball campaign are on sale now at NIUHuskies.com. Reserved seats are available for $120 with general admission tickets available for just $80, courtside seats and Nelson Club access are also available. For more information, contact the NIU Ticket Office at 815-753-PACK (7225) weekdays between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. or via email at huskiestickets@niu.edu.