One of the game’s most successful and respected assistant coaches, Steve Forbes joined the Wichita State staff in August of 2013 and made an immediate impact, helping lead the Shockers to a historic 35-1 season that included Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament championships, along with a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
“Steve, for more than two decades, has been part of successful basketball programs,” Gregg Marshall said. “From junior college, his days in The Valley, and in helping making Texas A& M and Tennessee national contenders, he is a winner. He does a great job on the floor coaching, can recruit the entire nation and is a tremendous relationship builder with young people.”
Forbes came to Wichita State from Northwest Florida State, where he coached the Raiders to a 61-6 record during his two-year tenure in Niceville, Fla. Five of his junior college players recently transferred to Division I schools in the offseason.
A chance to work with coach Gregg Marshall and lifelong friendships with current and former Shocker assistants Greg Heiar and Chris Jans, helped woo Forbes to Wichita, as did WSU’s rich tradition.
Forbes’ Division I experience includes five years at Tennessee, two seasons at Texas A&M, one year at Illinois State, three years at Louisiana Tech and one year at Idaho.
In the five seasons at Tennessee, Forbes helped coach the Vols to an average of 26 wins per year, and advanced to four consecutive NCAA Tournaments--making three Sweet Sixteen appearances while advancing to the program’s first-ever Elite Eight in 2010. Forbes’ experience also helped Tennessee’s 2006, 2008 and 2010 recruiting classes to a top 10 national ranking by multiple ratings services.
Forbes came to Tennessee after spending two seasons at Texas A&M, where he helped turn the Aggies from a team that had posted a 7-21 record the previous season and hadn’t received a postseason invitation in 11 years, to a program that averaged more than 21 wins in his two seasons and advanced to postseason play both years. Texas A&M’s recruiting also benefited from Forbes’ experience, as each of the Aggie’s two recruiting classes during his time in College Station were ranked among the top 10 in the nation.
Before joining Billy Gillispie’s coaching staff at Texas A&M, Forbes coached at Illinois State (2003-04) and spent three years at Louisiana Tech (2000-03), where he helped sign two nationally-ranked recruiting classes, including a top-10 class in 2003. In 2002 the Bulldogs posted a 22-10 record and went 2-1 in the National Invitation Tournament, their first postseason appearance in 10 years.
In 1998 Forbes joined the Idaho coaching staff and helped the Vandals post a 16-11 mark and sign a nationally-ranked recruiting class.
Forbes compiled a 68-28 record in three years (1995-98) as the head coach at Barton County Community College in Great Bend, Kan., twice finishing the year with a national ranking. The Cougars produced three All-Americans and posted 15 wins over ranked teams.
After spending two years (1989-91) as an assistant coach at Southwestern Community College in Creston, Iowa, Forbes was promoted to head coach in March 1991.
A native of Lone Tree, Iowa, Forbes graduated from Southern Arkansas with a degree in secondary education in 1988. A former baseball student-athlete for the Muleriders, Forbes spent one year at his alma mater as the sports information director before embarking on a coaching career.
