North Park University head women’s basketball coach Kira Mowen welcomes three new faces to her coaching staff for the 2026-27 season, as Diego Concepción, Kyle Bernhoft, and Krystyna Ellew join Mowen for her first year at the helm.
Kyle Bernhoft, Assistant Coach
Most recently, Bernhoft served as an assistant coach at Buena Vista University, where he played a key role in turning the program around from three wins to 17 wins in two seasons while also having 16 Academic All-Conference selections during that time.
Prior to Buena Vista, he spent seven seasons at Northland College, helping guide the program to two of its highest win totals in the last 15 years.
A longtime leader in grassroots basketball, Bernhoft is the founder and program director of Northland Elite Basketball Club, overseeing all aspects of operations, including budgeting, scheduling, staffing, tournaments, camps, and clinics. His coaching background also includes head coaching stops at Mellen High School, Sheboygan Falls High School, and Glidden High School, along with service as a student assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, where he helped the Blue Devils capture three WIAC regular-season and tournament championships.
Bernhoft earned a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Business Education from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. He and his wife Jenna have two daughters, Ava and Allison.
Diego Concepción, Assistant Coach
Concepción previously served as an assistant coach at the University of Puerto Rico-Utuado, where he assisted with player evaluations, recruiting analysis, practice planning, and daily team operations. He also coaches with PR Jireh and the American School basketball program, contributing to player development, scouting, and game preparation across multiple competitive levels.
Concepción has earned recognition for his commitment to inclusive coaching and athlete development through his work with Special Olympics Puerto Rico. Since 2019, he has served as head coach of the Bayamón Stars unified basketball team, leading athletes with and without disabilities while promoting teamwork, confidence, and personal growth. His teams have captured national championships, and several athletes have advanced to represent Puerto Rico at the national level. He has also served in leadership roles with Special Olympics summer programming and unified sports initiatives.
Currently pursuing an MBA in Sports Management through Universidad Europea de Madrid’s Real Madrid Graduate School, Concepción holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from the University of Puerto Rico-Bayamón.
Krystyna Ellew, Graduate Assistant Coach
A scholarship student-athlete and member of the UIC Women’s Basketball Leadership Committee, Ellew’s senior year featured 33 appearances and five starts for the Flames. She buried 61 three-pointers that 2024-25 season, eighth-most in a single season in program history. Her 41.5 shooting percentage from deep was fourth-best in the Missouri Valley Conference and she enjoyed a career-high 18 points against her former team, Wisconsin, on November 21.
Ellew gained coaching experience as a camp counselor and coach at basketball camps hosted by UIC and Wisconsin, working directly with young athletes on skill development, fundamentals, and confidence-building.
A 2025 UIC graduate with a degree in Economics, Ellew brings a student-athlete perspective, a passion for player development, and experience in athletics administration and marketing to the Vikings coaching staff.
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