McKenna Named Oregon Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach
EUGENE, Ore. — Kevin McKenna has been named an assistant coach with the University of Oregon men’s basketball program, according to head coach Dana Altman. McKenna spent nine years as an assistant coach under Altman at Creighton University prior to becoming the head coach at Indiana State University where he spent the last three seasons.
McKenna has 21 years of coaching experience, including seven years as a head college coach in stints at both ISU and Division II University of Nebraska-Omaha.
“We’re very excited that Kevin has chosen to join our program,” Altman said. “He brings a wide variety of experiences and I think he’s someone who can benefit our program in a number of areas.”
McKenna’s 2009-10 Sycamores recorded the program’s first winning season since 2001. ISU also reached postseason play for the first time in nine years when it accepted a bid to the 2010 College Basketball Invitational. The Sycamores’ success, despite being devastated by injury for the greater portion of the Missouri Valley Conference slate, led McKenna to being tabbed as the MVC Coach of the Year by CollegeInsider.com.
The Sycamores finished the 2009-10 season as the nation’s No. 2 free throw shooting team. ISU’s 76.9 percent mark at the line finished just behind NCAA Tournament qualifier BYU on the Division I list.
At ISU, McKenna mentored Harry Marshall to Second Team All-MVC and MVC’s All-Defensive Team recognition. He also helped Jay Tunnell to All-MVC Honorable Mention and MVC Most Improved Team honors. In addition, Jordan Printy and Aaron Carter were tabbed as MVC All-Scholar Athletes under McKenna’s watch.
McKenna compiled a 43-52 overall record while posting a MVC mark of 24-30 in three seasons at ISU.
In the summer of 2009, McKenna was selected as the head coach of the Athletes In Action college basketball team during a tour of Poland and Germany. He led the team on an 11-day summer tour playing contests in Katowice, Poland as well as Berlin, Germany. The AIA team was comprised of NCAA Division I basketball players.
Before accepting the head coaching position at ISU, McKenna completed nine seasons at Creighton as an assistant coach. During that time the Bluejays went to four NCAA Tournaments as well as two National Invitation Tournaments. McKenna made the first of two stops on the Bluejays’ bench from 1994 through 2001, and then returned in 2005.
Before McKenna returned to Creighton, he spent four years across town as head coach at Nebraska-Omaha. He guided the Mavericks to four consecutive 20-win seasons, two North Central Conference titles and three appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament.
McKenna was named the NCC Coach of the Year in both 2004 and 2005 as well as North Central Regional Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) in 2005. He finished with an 89-33 mark in his tenure at UNO which included a conference mark of 40-20 (.667).
As a player at Creighton from 1977-81, McKenna led the Bluejays to a MVC regular-season championship, two MVC Tournament titles and a pair of NCAA Tournaments. He was an All-MVC pick and team MVP in each of his final two seasons.
McKenna ended his collegiate career with exactly 1,500 points and was drafted in the fourth round of the 1981 draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a member of the Lakers’ 1982 NBA championship team and also played for Indiana, New Jersey and Washington during a six-year NBA career.
He remains the only person in MVC history to win a regular-season title, tournament title, NBA championship and CBA crown.
Following his NBA career, McKenna helped lead the La Crosse Catbirds to the 1989-90 CBA Championship as a player and assistant coach. He then served as the head coach and director of basketball operations for the CBA’s Sioux Falls Skyforce from 1990-93. He spent time as a regional scout for the Washington Bullets in 1993-94 before returning to Creighton as an assistant to Altman in 1994.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in organizational communications from Creighton in 1993 and added a master’s degree in counseling education from his alma mater in 1997. McKenna and his wife, Nancy, have a daughter, Megan, and a son, Bobby.
McKenna joins assistant coach Brian Fish, director of basketball operations Josh Jamieson and assistant director of basketball operations Michael Lee as members of Altman’s staff.
Updated 06-14-2010
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