James "Travis" Brewster was announced as Chaminade University's women's basketball head coach on June 17, 2025, the sixth head coach in program history.
The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native has an extensive coaching resume in NCAA Divisions I and II and NAIA, totaling 26 years before arriving at Chaminade. He has compiled a 186-176 record in 12 years as a head coach.
Before arriving to Kalaepohaku, Brewster was the head coach at Division II Chadron State in Nebraska, for two seasons (2023-24, '24-25) where they had one of the toughest non-conference schedules in Division II in his second year, finishing 6-20 with their 12th place finish in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference being its highest in nine years. The Eagles were particularly dangerous from long range, dropping 165 3-pointers, the program’s most since 2010, an average of 6.3 per game, ranking seventh in the conference.
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Prior to his time at Chadron State, Brewster was head coach at Saint Xavier University in Chicago, compiling a 45-16 mark during the 2021-22 and ’22-23 seasons. In his first year, the Cougars were 25-7, captured the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference regular season title with a 21-1 mark and earned a berth in the NAIA National Tournament.
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Brewster spent eight years running the helm at Division I University of North Dakota from 2012 through 2020, going 128-120 with the Fighting Hawks. A two-time Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year, his teams captured two regular season co-championships, a Big Sky tournament title and the program’s first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. He also led North Dakota to three more postseason appearances in the WNIT and Women’s Basketball Invitational.
Brewster had two different stints as an assistant at UND, the first in 2001-02 with the men’s program then moved to the women from 2002-06. He returned in 2008 then promoted to Associate Head Coach a year later before being elevated to the head coaching spot in 2012.
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He also had assistant coaching roles at Division I schools Idaho State (2020-21), South Dakota State (2007-08) and Milwaukee (2006-07).
Brewster played at Iowa Lakes Community College for two years (1989-91) before transferring to Charleston Southern University in South Carolina for two seasons (1991-93) where he was a tri-captain and defensive MVP.
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Following graduation, Brewster played professionally in Switzerland and Ireland before coming back to the United States to pursue a coaching career, where his first venture in the profession was returning to Iowa Lakes CC as a men’s assistant for two years. It included the 1999-2000 squad which was inducted into the school's athletics Hall of Fame in 2025.
Brewster and his wife, Rebecca, have three children; daughter Reganne; and sons Drake and Kaid.
HONORS:
2017 (North Dakota): Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year
2014 (North Dakota): Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year
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Brewster's Coaching Record
Season |
School |
Overall |
Pct. |
Conf. |
Pct. |
Conf. Finish |
Postseason |
2012-13 |
North Dakota |
11-18 |
.379 |
6-14 |
.300 |
T-9th |
|
2013-14 |
North Dakota |
22-10 |
.688 |
15-5 |
.750 |
T-1st |
Big Sky Reg./Tourn. Champs; NCAA Tournament, 1st Round |
2014-15 |
North Dakota |
17-15 |
.531 |
9-9 |
.500 |
T-5th |
WBI 1st Round |
2015-16 |
North Dakota |
19-14 |
.576 |
13-5 |
.722 |
T-2nd |
WBI Quarterfinals |
2016-17 |
North Dakota |
20-11 |
.645 |
15-3 |
.833 |
T-1st |
Big Sky Champions, WNIT 1st Round |
2017-18 |
North Dakota |
12-18 |
.400 |
5-13 |
.278 |
T-9th |
|
2018-19 |
North Dakota |
12-19 |
.387 |
6-10 |
.375 |
6th |
|
2019-20 |
North Dakota |
15-15 |
.500 |
6-10 |
.375 |
7th |
|
|
UND TOTAL (8 yrs.) |
128-120 |
.516 |
75-69 |
.521 |
|
|
2021-22 |
Saint Xavier |
25-7 |
.781 |
21-1 |
.955 |
1st |
CCAC Champions, NAIA Opening Round |
2022-23 |
Saint Xavier |
20-9 |
.690 |
16-4 |
.800 |
T-4th |
|
|
SXU TOTAL (2 yrs.) |
45-16 |
.738 |
37-5 |
.881 |
|
|
2023-24 |
Chadron State |
6-20 |
.231 |
4-18 |
.182 |
14th |
|
2024-25 |
Chadron State |
6-20 |
.231 |
5-15 |
.250 |
T-12th |
|
|
CSC TOTAL (2 yrs.) |
12-40 |
.231 |
9-33 |
.273 |
|
|
|
CAREER (12 yrs.) |
185-176 |
.512 |
121-107 |
.531 |
|
|
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