Alexander Names First Three Staff Members
Mar 30, 2026 | Men's Basketball
Assistant coaches JJ Butler, Kerron Johnson and Luke Smith were all on Alexander's staff at Belmont.
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Head coach Casey Alexander announced the first three members of his coaching staff on Monday afternoon (March 30) with the additions of assistant coaches JJ Butler, Kerron (kuh-RON) Johnson and Luke Smith, all of whom were on his Belmont staff.
"I'm excited about Kerron, JJ and Luke making the transition with me from Belmont to K-State," said Alexander. "They cover all the bases and will be difference makers. These three will bring great enthusiasm and energy to the job on a daily basis. They're passionate about the game, developing players and people."
Johnson, who is one of the most decorated players in Belmont history and a member of the school's Hall of Fame, is the veteran of the group, having spent the past four seasons (2022-26) on Alexander's coaching staff, including the last two seasons (2024-26) as an assistant coach. Smith, who also played three seasons (2019-22) at Belmont for Alexander, was on staff with the Bruins each of the last two seasons (2024-26), including last season as an assistant coach. Butler, who played 3 seasons (2013-16) for Alexander at Lipscomb, was in his first season as an assistant coach at Belmont in 2025-26 after two seasons (2023-25) at Delaware.
This past season, the trio helped Belmont to a 26-6 record, including a 16-4 mark in winning its first outright Missouri Valley Conference regular season title by 3 games. The Bruins had 11 true road wins, which were only surpassed by Miami (Ohio) and SFA.
"The jump here affords us the ability to a have a bigger staff, so we'll have more positions and a little bit more comprehensive approach to what we want to do, but it was very important to me to reward these three guys," said Alexander. "They all did a great job at Belmont and they're really, really good at what they do. They have great energy, and they're younger guys with a fresher approach to the game and in coaching and teaching, and they'll really relate well to the roster."
Bios on each assistant coach plus quotes to follow.
JJ Butler
Assistant Coach
Lipscomb '16
Butler is in his first season as an assistant coach at K-State in 2026-27 after being hired by Alexander on March 30.
"My family and I are excited to be in Manhattan," said Butler. "We are excited to meet the K-State faithful, get the ball rolling and win a lot of games."
Butler joins the staff after one season (2025-26) as an assistant coach at Belmont, where he helped the Bruins win 26 games and capture the regular season Missouri Valley Conference Championship with a 16-4 mark.
Butler joined the Belmont staff after two seasons (2023-25) as an assistant coach at Delaware for head coach Martin Ingelsby. He helped the Blue Hens win 35 games, including a 19-win campaign in 2023-24 with 10 wins in CAA play. In his last season in 2024-25, the squad battled all the way to the CAA Championship Game as a No. 12 seed, winning four games (Stony Brook, Campbell, William & Mary and Towson) in four days before losing to UNC Wilmington.
Butler has also served as an assistant coach at Division III Susquehanna University (2018-20) in Selinsgrove, Pa., and as both an assistant coach (2017-18) and head coach (2020-23) at Division II Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, where he finished his playing career in 2016-17.
Butler's history with Alexander dates back to Lipscomb, where his last three seasons (2013-16) coincided with Alexander's first three seasons as head coach of the Bison. Butler played in 85 games with 9 starts in his Lipscomb career, totaling 128 points, 109 assists and 70 rebounds, before transferring to Chestnut Hill in 2016-17 for his final season of eligibility. He played in 21 games with 12 starts for head coach Jesse Balcer and the Griffins, averaging 5.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals in 25.6 minutes per game.
Butler earned his first coaching job at Chestnut Hill in 2017-18 before departing for Susquehanna, where he was an assistant coach from 2018-20. The River Hawks won 37 games in Butler's two seasons on staff, including a memorable 2019-20 season in which they won their first-ever Landmark Conference Championship and advanced to the Division III Championship Tournament for just the third time in school history. They ranked 32nd nationally in scoring defense (66.4 ppg.) per game en route to winning 21 games and 11 in league play.
Butler followed Balcer as head coach at Chestnut Hill in May 2020 while also serving as the Assistant to the Athletic Director for Athletic Advancement, which played a critical role in the day-to-day operations of the College's Department of Athletics and Recreation.
The school opted to not play in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic before returning to action in 2021-22, where Butler led the Griffins to their highest win total (14) in a decade and equaled their total from the previous 3 seasons (2017-20). The team won 11 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference play and finished second in the South Division.
Butler guided Chestnut Hill to a second consecutive winning season in 2022-23 with a 16-14 overall record, including a trip to the second round of the CACC Championship Tournament. The 30 total wins by the Griffins from 2021-23 were the most by the school in a two-year span since also winning 30 between the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons.
Butler played four seasons (2012-16) at Lipscomb, including the last three seasons for Alexander, before finishing his college career at Chestnut Hill College.
A native of Abingdon, Md., Butler earned his bachelor's degree in corporate management with a minor in finance from Lipscomb in 2016. He earned a master's degree in human services from Chestnut Hill College in 2018.
Butler and his wife, Marina, are the parents of a daughter, Harper. The couple are expecting a second child in June.
Kerron (kuh-RON) Johnson
Assistant Coach
Belmont '13
Johnson is in his first season as an assistant coach at K-State in 2026-27 after being hired by Alexander on March 30.
"I'm super excited about getting here," said Johnson. "As Coach said in his press conference, once you get here you understand it's a special place. I can't wait to get on the court and give people something to cheer for."
Johnson spent four seasons (2022-26) on Alexander's Belmont staff, the first two seasons as the director of player development before being elevated to assistant coach in 2024-25. He was part of 89 wins, including 55 in conference play, as the Bruins transitioned from the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) to Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) while extending their streak of 20-win season to 15, dating back to his playing career (2009-13).
This past season, Johnson helped Belmont win 26 games and capture their first-ever Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship.
Johnson also played a part in the development of a Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year (Tyler Lundblade), one MVC Newcomer of the Year (Cade Tyson), nine all-conference selections (four first team picks), five all-newcomer team honorees, four all-freshman team members and three all-defensive team selections. In addition, he worked closely with two-time all-conference guard Ben Sheppard, who was selected No. 26 by the Indiana Pacers in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Johnson also played an instrumental role in the development of numerous Bruin lead guards, most notably Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Keishawn Davidson, Carter Whitt and Brody Peebles.
Johnson is considered one of the most decorated players in Belmont history while playing for Hall of Fame head coach Rick Byrd from 2009-13. The former point guard led the Bruins to a 102-32 (.761) overall record, including a 63-11 (.851) mark in conference play, with four consecutive conference championships (3 Atlantic Sun Conference and 1 Ohio Valley Conference) to go along with three trips to the NCAA Tournament (2011, 2012, 2013).
Johnson was a two-time first team all-conference selection, first in the Atlantic Sun in 2012 before doing it in the Ohio Valley in 2013, while he is among an exclusive list of players to earn conference tournament MVP honors in two different leagues (2012 Atlantic Sun and 2013 Ohio Valley). His game-tying and game-winning shots in the 2013 OVC Championship win over Murray State rank among the most recognizable moments in program history.
Johnson also ranks among the Belmont career leaders in points (1,388), assists (515), steals (206) and free throws made (511). He was inducted into the Belmont Athletics Hall of Fame in 2021.
Upon graduating from Belmont in 2013, Johnson played professionally for nine years overseas before returning to the school as the director of player development in 2022. Among the many stops include teams in New Zealand, Germany, France, Italy, Israel, Romania, Russia and Poland.
A native of Huntsville, Ala., Johnson starred at Madison Academy in Madison, Ala., where he was named 2009 Alabama Mr. Basketball. He averaged 24 points, 6 assists and 2 steals per game as a senior in helping the Mustangs to a 29-6 record.
Johnson comes from a family of coaches, as his sister, Nyla, is the head women's basketball coach at Vincennes University in Vincennes, Ind., while his brother, Kerryon, is in his second season as the running backs coach at East Tennessee State.
Kerryon played football at Auburn (2015-17), where he became the 2017 SEC Offensive Player of the Year. He was drafted in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft by Detroit. He spent three seasons (2018-20) with the Lions before stints with the Philadelphia Eagles (2021) and San Francisco 49ers (2021).
Johnson, 35, and his wife, Gina, are the parents of a son, Kayden, and a daughter, Kaylee.
Luke Smith
Assistant Coach
Belmont '22
Smith is in his first season as an assistant coach at K-State in 2026-27 after being hired by Alexander on March 30.
"I'm super honored and excited to be coming to K-State and joining Coach Alexander's staff," said Smith. "We are excited about putting a product on the floor that Wildcat fans can be proud of."
Smith spent the last two seasons (2024-26) on Alexander's staff at Belmont, first as the director of player development in 2024-25 before becoming an assistant coach prior to the 2025-26 season. He was part of 48 wins, including 29 in conference play, as the Bruins extended their streak of 20-win seasons to 15, dating back to his player career (2019-22).
This past season, Smith helped Belmont win 26 games and capture their first-ever Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship.
Smith returned to his alma mater after spending the 2023-24 season as an assistant coach at Division II Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tenn., for head coach Kevin Carroll. He helped the Trojans post a 16-13 overall record, including an 11-9 mark in conference play.
Before joining the college ranks, Smith served as the head coach at Knoxville Catholic High School – his alma mater – in 2022-23. He led the Fighting Irish to a 20-8 overall record, including a 5-3 mark in district play, where they finished third in the Division II-AA East District.
The former sharpshooting guard spent three seasons at Belmont (2019-22) after transferring from Division III University of the South (commonly known as Sewanee) in Sewanee, Tenn., where he played two seasons (2017-19). He was part of 77 wins with the Bruins, which included two Ohio Valley Conference regular season championships (2020, 2021), an OVC Tournament Championship (2020), an automatic bid to the 2020 NCAA Tournament and an at-large bid to the 2022 Postseason NIT.
Smith sat out the 2019-20 season before starting all 63 games during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, averaging 10.3 points on 43.6 percent shooting, including 36.8 percent from 3-point range, and 84.8 percent from the free throw line to go with 2.6 assists, 2.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 27.7 minutes per game. He was the member of the OVC All-Newcomer Team in 2020-21 after leading the league in both 3-point field goals made (78) and 3-point field goal percentage (39.4).
Smith went on to start all 53 games in his career at Sewanee from 2017-19, averaging 17.7 points on 46 percent shooting, including 40.6 percent from 3-point range, to go with 4.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.7 steals in 34.3 minutes per game. As a senior, he was a D3hoops.com All-South Region Second Team selection, a member of the All-Southern Athletic Association (SAA) First Team and the SAA Tournament MVP.
A two-time Academic All-Academic selection, Smith scored 1,588 career points in his college career at the University of the South and Belmont with 273 made 3-point field goals.
Smith prepped at Knoxville Catholic, where he was a finalist for Mr. Basketball Tennessee in 2017.
A native of Knoxville, Tenn., Smith earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from Belmont in 2021 before earning an MBA in 2022.
Smith and his fiancé Hannah will be married this summer.
Alexander, who was formally introduced as the 27th head men's basketball coach at K-State on March 16, will have further announcements on his coaching staff in the coming weeks.
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on K-State men's basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X, Instagram and Facebook.
"I'm excited about Kerron, JJ and Luke making the transition with me from Belmont to K-State," said Alexander. "They cover all the bases and will be difference makers. These three will bring great enthusiasm and energy to the job on a daily basis. They're passionate about the game, developing players and people."
Johnson, who is one of the most decorated players in Belmont history and a member of the school's Hall of Fame, is the veteran of the group, having spent the past four seasons (2022-26) on Alexander's coaching staff, including the last two seasons (2024-26) as an assistant coach. Smith, who also played three seasons (2019-22) at Belmont for Alexander, was on staff with the Bruins each of the last two seasons (2024-26), including last season as an assistant coach. Butler, who played 3 seasons (2013-16) for Alexander at Lipscomb, was in his first season as an assistant coach at Belmont in 2025-26 after two seasons (2023-25) at Delaware.
This past season, the trio helped Belmont to a 26-6 record, including a 16-4 mark in winning its first outright Missouri Valley Conference regular season title by 3 games. The Bruins had 11 true road wins, which were only surpassed by Miami (Ohio) and SFA.
"The jump here affords us the ability to a have a bigger staff, so we'll have more positions and a little bit more comprehensive approach to what we want to do, but it was very important to me to reward these three guys," said Alexander. "They all did a great job at Belmont and they're really, really good at what they do. They have great energy, and they're younger guys with a fresher approach to the game and in coaching and teaching, and they'll really relate well to the roster."
Bios on each assistant coach plus quotes to follow.
JJ Butler
Assistant Coach
Lipscomb '16
Butler is in his first season as an assistant coach at K-State in 2026-27 after being hired by Alexander on March 30.
"My family and I are excited to be in Manhattan," said Butler. "We are excited to meet the K-State faithful, get the ball rolling and win a lot of games."
Butler joins the staff after one season (2025-26) as an assistant coach at Belmont, where he helped the Bruins win 26 games and capture the regular season Missouri Valley Conference Championship with a 16-4 mark.
Butler joined the Belmont staff after two seasons (2023-25) as an assistant coach at Delaware for head coach Martin Ingelsby. He helped the Blue Hens win 35 games, including a 19-win campaign in 2023-24 with 10 wins in CAA play. In his last season in 2024-25, the squad battled all the way to the CAA Championship Game as a No. 12 seed, winning four games (Stony Brook, Campbell, William & Mary and Towson) in four days before losing to UNC Wilmington.
Butler has also served as an assistant coach at Division III Susquehanna University (2018-20) in Selinsgrove, Pa., and as both an assistant coach (2017-18) and head coach (2020-23) at Division II Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, where he finished his playing career in 2016-17.
Butler's history with Alexander dates back to Lipscomb, where his last three seasons (2013-16) coincided with Alexander's first three seasons as head coach of the Bison. Butler played in 85 games with 9 starts in his Lipscomb career, totaling 128 points, 109 assists and 70 rebounds, before transferring to Chestnut Hill in 2016-17 for his final season of eligibility. He played in 21 games with 12 starts for head coach Jesse Balcer and the Griffins, averaging 5.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals in 25.6 minutes per game.
Butler earned his first coaching job at Chestnut Hill in 2017-18 before departing for Susquehanna, where he was an assistant coach from 2018-20. The River Hawks won 37 games in Butler's two seasons on staff, including a memorable 2019-20 season in which they won their first-ever Landmark Conference Championship and advanced to the Division III Championship Tournament for just the third time in school history. They ranked 32nd nationally in scoring defense (66.4 ppg.) per game en route to winning 21 games and 11 in league play.
Butler followed Balcer as head coach at Chestnut Hill in May 2020 while also serving as the Assistant to the Athletic Director for Athletic Advancement, which played a critical role in the day-to-day operations of the College's Department of Athletics and Recreation.
The school opted to not play in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic before returning to action in 2021-22, where Butler led the Griffins to their highest win total (14) in a decade and equaled their total from the previous 3 seasons (2017-20). The team won 11 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference play and finished second in the South Division.
Butler guided Chestnut Hill to a second consecutive winning season in 2022-23 with a 16-14 overall record, including a trip to the second round of the CACC Championship Tournament. The 30 total wins by the Griffins from 2021-23 were the most by the school in a two-year span since also winning 30 between the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons.
Butler played four seasons (2012-16) at Lipscomb, including the last three seasons for Alexander, before finishing his college career at Chestnut Hill College.
A native of Abingdon, Md., Butler earned his bachelor's degree in corporate management with a minor in finance from Lipscomb in 2016. He earned a master's degree in human services from Chestnut Hill College in 2018.
Butler and his wife, Marina, are the parents of a daughter, Harper. The couple are expecting a second child in June.
Kerron (kuh-RON) Johnson
Assistant Coach
Belmont '13
Johnson is in his first season as an assistant coach at K-State in 2026-27 after being hired by Alexander on March 30.
"I'm super excited about getting here," said Johnson. "As Coach said in his press conference, once you get here you understand it's a special place. I can't wait to get on the court and give people something to cheer for."
Johnson spent four seasons (2022-26) on Alexander's Belmont staff, the first two seasons as the director of player development before being elevated to assistant coach in 2024-25. He was part of 89 wins, including 55 in conference play, as the Bruins transitioned from the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) to Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) while extending their streak of 20-win season to 15, dating back to his playing career (2009-13).
This past season, Johnson helped Belmont win 26 games and capture their first-ever Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship.
Johnson also played a part in the development of a Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year (Tyler Lundblade), one MVC Newcomer of the Year (Cade Tyson), nine all-conference selections (four first team picks), five all-newcomer team honorees, four all-freshman team members and three all-defensive team selections. In addition, he worked closely with two-time all-conference guard Ben Sheppard, who was selected No. 26 by the Indiana Pacers in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Johnson also played an instrumental role in the development of numerous Bruin lead guards, most notably Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Keishawn Davidson, Carter Whitt and Brody Peebles.
Johnson is considered one of the most decorated players in Belmont history while playing for Hall of Fame head coach Rick Byrd from 2009-13. The former point guard led the Bruins to a 102-32 (.761) overall record, including a 63-11 (.851) mark in conference play, with four consecutive conference championships (3 Atlantic Sun Conference and 1 Ohio Valley Conference) to go along with three trips to the NCAA Tournament (2011, 2012, 2013).
Johnson was a two-time first team all-conference selection, first in the Atlantic Sun in 2012 before doing it in the Ohio Valley in 2013, while he is among an exclusive list of players to earn conference tournament MVP honors in two different leagues (2012 Atlantic Sun and 2013 Ohio Valley). His game-tying and game-winning shots in the 2013 OVC Championship win over Murray State rank among the most recognizable moments in program history.
Johnson also ranks among the Belmont career leaders in points (1,388), assists (515), steals (206) and free throws made (511). He was inducted into the Belmont Athletics Hall of Fame in 2021.
Upon graduating from Belmont in 2013, Johnson played professionally for nine years overseas before returning to the school as the director of player development in 2022. Among the many stops include teams in New Zealand, Germany, France, Italy, Israel, Romania, Russia and Poland.
A native of Huntsville, Ala., Johnson starred at Madison Academy in Madison, Ala., where he was named 2009 Alabama Mr. Basketball. He averaged 24 points, 6 assists and 2 steals per game as a senior in helping the Mustangs to a 29-6 record.
Johnson comes from a family of coaches, as his sister, Nyla, is the head women's basketball coach at Vincennes University in Vincennes, Ind., while his brother, Kerryon, is in his second season as the running backs coach at East Tennessee State.
Kerryon played football at Auburn (2015-17), where he became the 2017 SEC Offensive Player of the Year. He was drafted in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft by Detroit. He spent three seasons (2018-20) with the Lions before stints with the Philadelphia Eagles (2021) and San Francisco 49ers (2021).
Johnson, 35, and his wife, Gina, are the parents of a son, Kayden, and a daughter, Kaylee.
Luke Smith
Assistant Coach
Belmont '22
Smith is in his first season as an assistant coach at K-State in 2026-27 after being hired by Alexander on March 30.
"I'm super honored and excited to be coming to K-State and joining Coach Alexander's staff," said Smith. "We are excited about putting a product on the floor that Wildcat fans can be proud of."
Smith spent the last two seasons (2024-26) on Alexander's staff at Belmont, first as the director of player development in 2024-25 before becoming an assistant coach prior to the 2025-26 season. He was part of 48 wins, including 29 in conference play, as the Bruins extended their streak of 20-win seasons to 15, dating back to his player career (2019-22).
This past season, Smith helped Belmont win 26 games and capture their first-ever Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship.
Smith returned to his alma mater after spending the 2023-24 season as an assistant coach at Division II Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tenn., for head coach Kevin Carroll. He helped the Trojans post a 16-13 overall record, including an 11-9 mark in conference play.
Before joining the college ranks, Smith served as the head coach at Knoxville Catholic High School – his alma mater – in 2022-23. He led the Fighting Irish to a 20-8 overall record, including a 5-3 mark in district play, where they finished third in the Division II-AA East District.
The former sharpshooting guard spent three seasons at Belmont (2019-22) after transferring from Division III University of the South (commonly known as Sewanee) in Sewanee, Tenn., where he played two seasons (2017-19). He was part of 77 wins with the Bruins, which included two Ohio Valley Conference regular season championships (2020, 2021), an OVC Tournament Championship (2020), an automatic bid to the 2020 NCAA Tournament and an at-large bid to the 2022 Postseason NIT.
Smith sat out the 2019-20 season before starting all 63 games during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, averaging 10.3 points on 43.6 percent shooting, including 36.8 percent from 3-point range, and 84.8 percent from the free throw line to go with 2.6 assists, 2.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 27.7 minutes per game. He was the member of the OVC All-Newcomer Team in 2020-21 after leading the league in both 3-point field goals made (78) and 3-point field goal percentage (39.4).
Smith went on to start all 53 games in his career at Sewanee from 2017-19, averaging 17.7 points on 46 percent shooting, including 40.6 percent from 3-point range, to go with 4.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.7 steals in 34.3 minutes per game. As a senior, he was a D3hoops.com All-South Region Second Team selection, a member of the All-Southern Athletic Association (SAA) First Team and the SAA Tournament MVP.
A two-time Academic All-Academic selection, Smith scored 1,588 career points in his college career at the University of the South and Belmont with 273 made 3-point field goals.
Smith prepped at Knoxville Catholic, where he was a finalist for Mr. Basketball Tennessee in 2017.
A native of Knoxville, Tenn., Smith earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from Belmont in 2021 before earning an MBA in 2022.
Smith and his fiancé Hannah will be married this summer.
Alexander, who was formally introduced as the 27th head men's basketball coach at K-State on March 16, will have further announcements on his coaching staff in the coming weeks.
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on K-State men's basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X, Instagram and Facebook.
K-State Men's Basketball | Head Coach Casey Alexander Baseball Game TV Interview
Saturday, March 21
K-State Men's Basketball | Head Coach Casey Alexander Baseball Game Radio Interview
Saturday, March 21
K-State Men's Basketball | Coach Alexander First Look
Tuesday, March 17
K-State Men's Basketball | Coach Alexander 'Why K-State?'
Tuesday, March 17
