Ernest Scott named head coach of Iowa Wolves, Minnesota’s G League affiliate team

The Iowa Wolves have a new head coach in town, as the Minnesota Timberwolves just appointed Ernest Scott and his staff to lead their G League affiliate squad. His coaching team includes the promotion of Nathan Bubes as assistant and Michael DiBenedetto as the Director of Operations for the club.

They were announced this Thursday with great excitement, as the new coaching staff has already been part of the franchise for some time and have developed strong relationships within the team.

“I couldn’t be happier for Ernest, Nathan, and Michael to take on these new roles with our team in Iowa and continue to develop our young players,” said Jonathan Wallace, who works both as the Timberwolves Director of Player Personnel and the Iowa Wolves General Manager.

He made sure to mention how much work Scott has put in to earn his spot as head coach. “Ernest has worked hard to earn this role and has developed great relationships with players, staff and the community in Iowa. We look forward to Nathan and Michael joining him in Des Moines as we prepare for the upcoming season,” Wallace assured.

the G connections run deep 👊

Ernest Scott and Jonathan Wallace become the first head coach and general manager pair in @nbagleague history to have both played in the league pic.twitter.com/milt6lxOy5

— Iowa Wolves (@iawolves) August 3, 2023

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch has also witnessed Ernest’s progress in the G League squad and is convinced that he will lead the Iowa roster to a brighter future.

“I am proud of the professional development of Ernest, Nathan and Michael to lead them to their new positions with the Iowa Wolves,” said the Minnesota trainer. “We are excited for the future of our G League team and know that these three will do a phenomenal job leading our program in Iowa.”

As for Scott, he couldn’t hold his excitement after his promotion to head coach was confirmed this week, and can’t wait to carry out his vision to his Iowa squad.

“I am grateful to be named the Head Coach of the Iowa Wolves and represent the Timberwolves organization in the best light possible” he expressed. “I’m excited to continue being a part of the community in Des Moines and execute the vision and goals of Coach Finch and the Timberwolves in everything we do on and off the court.”

The new head coach is entering his third campaign with the Iowa team after two years serving as an assistant

After spending his first two seasons as assistant coach, Scott is ready for his newest challenge as head of the squad. Before joining the Timberwolves organization, he worked two campaigns for the South Bay Lakers, also in the NBA G League.

Back in the day, Ernest was a professional basketball player who played a total of 13 seasons, including Europe, New Zealand and even the NBA D League.

As for Bubes, his new assistant, he’d been working as the team’s Quality Control Coach and oversaw their game planning, coordinating training sessions, and assisting Coach Finch in his duties. Before this, since 2019 he served as the assistant video coordinator for the New Orleans Pelicans.

DiBenedetto completes Scott’s coaching staff with the least experience of the three, after he spent last campaign as the Basketball Operations Associate of the Iowa Wolves, mostly playing a role in the squad’s player development. Before this job he was a video coordinator for the Indiana Pacers.