University of Denver Athletics

University of Denver head men’s basketball coach Tim Bergstraser hired Nihilo Ibarra as an assistant coach for skill instruction and recruiting on September 5, 2025, and Ibarra completed his first season with the Crimson and Gold in 2025-26.

2025-26 (15-17, 8-8 Summit League – NET: 241):
In his first season with the program, the Pioneers won five of their final seven games to finish 15-17 and 8-8 in the Summit League to tie for fourth place in the league standings. The finish was the program’s best in the league in eight seasons. Denver’s finish to the regular season was ignited by a sweep in Denver’s final Summit League trip to the state of North Dakota, the Pioneers first away sweep of the Fighting Hawks and Bison in program history.

Denver opened the season with the 32^nd most difficult non-conference schedule in the country, and went 7-8, including road wins at Montana State, Colorado State and Northern Colorado, a trio of teams that went 34-7 against other opponents at home in 2025-26. Denver’s 2-0 record against in-state foes made Denver the only unbeaten team in the state against in-state competition this season.

IBARRA’S PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
Ibarra joins the Pioneers staff after two seasons as the graduate assistant with the Nebraska men’s basketball program. During his time with the Huskers, Nebraska reached the NCAA Tournament in 2024 and won both the Diamond Head Classic and the College Basketball Crown Championship in 2025. At Nebraska, Ibarra assisted with positional, offensive and defensive practice stations, and played mock defense of scouting coverages to assist in student-athletes preparation. In his role off the court, Ibarra assisted in opponent video scout.
 
Prior to his time at Nebraska, Ibarra was a student-manager and eventually the head manager for San Diego State’s men’s basketball program during his undergrad. While with the Aztecs, SDSU made the national championship game in 2023, its third of three NCAA Tournament appearances in his time in California.
 
Ibarra earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology with a focus on fitness. The San Diego native then earned his master’s degree in integrated media communications from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.

Ibarra’s Collegiate Coaching Career:
2025-26 – Assistant Coach for Skill Instruction and Recruiting – University of Denver
2023-25 – Graduate Assistant – Nebraska
2019-23 – Student Manager – San Diego State