Darrin Horn
Darrin Horn (born December 24, 1972)
Current position: Head men’s basketball coach
Current team: Northern Kentucky Norse
Current conference: Horizon League
Western Kentucky record: 111-48 (.698)
South Carolina record: 60-63 (.488)
Northern Kentucky record: 97-60 (.618)
Overall record: 268-171 (.610)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 2 (2008, 2023)
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 1 (2008)
- NCAA Tournament Final Four: 0
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 3 (2005, 2006, 2009)
- Horizon League Regular Season Champion: 0
- SEC Regular Season Champion: 1 (2009)
- Sun Belt Regular Season Champion: 2 (2006, 2008)
- Horizon League Tournament Champion: 2 (2020, 2023)
- Sun Belt Tournament Champion: 1 (2008)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 2019-present | Northern Kentucky |
| 2018-2019 | Texas (assoc. HC) |
| 2015-2018 | Texas (asst) |
| 2008-2012 | South Carolina |
| 2003-2008 | Western Kentucky |
| 1999-2003 | Marquette (asst) |
| 1997-1999 | Morehead State (asst) |
| 1995-1997 | Western Kentucky (asst) |
Darrin Horn Facts
- Darrin McKinley Horn
- Born December 24, 1972
- Hometown: Glasgow, Kentucky
- Alma Mater: Western Kentucky University (BA, 1995)
- Born in Glasgow, KY and raised in Lexington, KY, where he played guard at Tates Creek HS
- Played four years at Western Kentucky under head coaches Ralph Willard and Matt Kilcullen, going to three NCAA Tournaments during his career (including a Sweet Sixteen run in 1993)
- After graduating, he joined Kilcullen’s coaching staff at WKU as an assistant for two seasons; he then spent two years as an assistant to Kyle Macy at Morehead State
- Joined Tom Crean‘s coaching staff at Marquette in 1999, where he would go to be a part of the Golden Eagles’ 2003 Final Four run behind future NBA players Dwyane Wade, Travis Diener and Steve Novak
- Crean was an assistant at Western Kentucky during the first three seasons of Horn’s playing career
- Returned to his alma mater in 2003 as head coach, leading the Toppers to two NITs and a trip to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen during his final season (2007-08)
- Became the South Carolina head coach in 2008, winning 60 games and making one NIT appearance in four seasons
- After a few seasons out of coaching, during which he spent some time as a sports radio host in Lexington, he joined Shaka Smart‘s first staff at Texas
- Promoted in July 2018 to associate head coach on Smart’s staff
- Hired in April 2019 to become the head coach at Northern Kentucky, making a return to his home state
- Won the 2020 Horizon Tournament title in his first season to reach the NCAA Tournament (though it was cancelled)
- Was able to actually coach the Norse in the NCAA Tournament in 2023 after winning another Horizon Tournament crown
- Along with his wife, Carla, has one daughter and one son
Darrin Horn Coaching Tree
- Mike Boynton, Jr. (Oklahoma State)
- Scott Cherry (High Point)
- Archie Miller (Rhode Island, Indiana, Dayton)
- Jordan Mincy (Jacksonville)