Kegan Heiderscheidt
Assistant Coach
Heiderscheidt is in his first season as an assistant basketball coach at Saint John’s in 2026-27. He served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Bethany Lutheran College, in 2025-26, helping the Vikings to a UMAC Playoff Championship in 2026 and an NCAA tournament appearance. He helped coach a UMAC Rookie of the Year and three All-UMAC players. As a student-athlete, Heiderscheidt began his basketball career at DII Southwest Minnesota State before transferring to BLC in January of 2023. He played in 63 games for the Vikings in three seasons, averaging 3.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists at guard before graduating with his degree in business (finance) in 2025.
Desmond Polk
Assistant Coach
Polk is in his first season as an assistant basketball coach at Saint John’s in 2026-27. A 2025 graduate of DI Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, Polk most recently played with the Windsor Express, a professional team based in Windsor, Ontario and a member of the Basketball Super League (BSL). With the Express, Polk averaged 7.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game while shooting 40 percent in 28 games. As a student-athlete, Polk played in 144 games for the Cougars from 2020-25. His 144 games rank second in the Cougar record books all-time. He totaled 582 points and 87 three-pointers (19th all-time). He started all 34 games of his final season and averaged a career-best 4.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. He helped his team to an Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Tournament Championship and the NCAA Tournament in 2025.
Jerry Fogarty
Assistant Coach
Jerry Fogarty is in his 26th year as an assistant coach for SJU in 2026-27. A 1964 graduate of St. Thomas, Fogarty played basketball for the Tommies and became a basketball assistant at Rochester Lourdes High School after earning his degree. In 1969, he became the school's head coach and guided Lourdes to a state independent crown in 1973. He was inducted into the Lourdes Sports Hall of Fame in December 2009. Fogarty and his wife, Becki, live in Avon. They have three children.
Lucas Walford
Assistant Coach
Lucas Walford '20 is in his third season as an assistant coach on the Johnnie basketball coaching staff in the 2026-27 academic year. In three seasons as a Johnnie, Walford managed to become the program's all-time leader in blocked shots (131) and recorded 26 double-doubles, the program's second-most since 1983-84. The 6-foot-8 post fell 26 points shy of 1,000 for his career, including 104 points in 31 games as a freshman (2016-17) at Division II Augustana University (S.D.). He was a two-time All-MIAC second-team selection and was named to the MIAC All-Defensive team three times. Walford was a global business leadership major and now works as an internal sales consultant for Allianz.
Jubie Alade
Assistant Coach
Jubie Alade '20 is in his second season as an assistant coach on the Johnnie basketball coaching staff in the 2026-27 academic year. The Robbinsdale Armstrong High School graduate - who finished his SJU career with 1,418 points, which ranks sixth-most in program history - was named the MIAC Player of the Year in his senior season (2019-20). That year, he averaged a team-best 18.7 points per game as the Johnnies finished 27-2, captured the MIAC regular and postseason titles and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III tournament before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought their magical run to a premature close. He was also an All-Region first-team selection, the 2018 MIAC Sixth Man of the Year and one of five playrs on the 2017 MIAC All-Freshman team.
