John Brannen

John Brannen (born January 18, 1974)

Current position: Program analyst and senior special assistant
Current team: Dayton Flyers (Head coach: Anthony Grant)
Current conference: Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10)
Teams coached: Alabama Crimson Tide, Northern Kentucky Norse, Cincinnati Bearcats
Alabama record: 1-1 (.500)
Northern Kentucky record: 81-51 (.614)
Cincinnati record: 32-21 (.604)
Overall record: 114-73 (.610)

Career Accomplishments:

Awards:

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

2022-present Dayton (special asst)
2019-2021 Cincinnati
2015-2019 Northern Kentucky
2015 Alabama (interim HC)
2013-2015 Alabama (assoc. HC)
2009-2013 Alabama (asst)
2006-2009 VCU (asst)
2003-2006 St. Bonaventure (asst)
2000-2003 Eastern Kentucky (asst)
1999-2000 Charleston (WV) (asst)

John Brannen Facts

  • John Brannen
  • Born January 18, 1974
  • Hometown: Alexandria, Kentucky
  • Alma Mater: Marshall University (BA, 1997)
  • Transferred to Marshall in 1995 from Morehead State to finish his degree and playing career; played for the Thundering Herd under head coaches Billy Donovan and Greg White
  • Played professionally in Belgium for two seasons before getting an assistant coaching position at D-II Charleston (WV) in 1999
  • Spent three seasons each as an assistant under Travis Ford at Eastern Kentucky and Anthony Solomon at St. Bonaventure before joining Anthony Grant‘s staff at VCU in 2006; Grant has been one of Brannen’s assistant coaches his junior year at Marshall
  • Was on Grant‘s staff for nine seasons total at both VCU and Alabama, spending 2013-15 as associate head coach
    • When Grant was fired following the 2015 SEC Tournament, Brannen became interim head coach for the 2015 NIT
      • The Tide won their first game before being eliminated in the second round by Miami (FL)
  • In the off-season, Brannen returned to his home state as the new head coach of at Northern Kentucky; NKU was entering its first season of Horizon League play after transitioning to Division I (and the A-Sun) in 2012
  • Hired in April 2019 to be the head coach at Cincinnati
    • Led the Bearcats to a share of the 2020 AAC title in his first season, going 20-10 overall
    • Following the 2020-21 season, a number of Bearcats’ players decided to transfer from the program amid rumors of a major rift between Brannen and the players; on April 3rd, the school announced that Brannen had been placed on paid administrative leave
  • Reunited with Grant in September 2022, becoming a program analyst and senior special assistant for the Dayton Flyers
  • Along with his wife, Lisa, has two twin daughters

John Brannen Coaching Tree