Kevin McKenna (born January 8, 1959)
Current position: Director of player development
Current team: Oregon Ducks (Head coach: Dana Altman)
Current conference: Big Ten Conference
Teams coached: Sioux Falls Skyforce, Omaha Mavericks, Indiana State Sycamores
Omaha record^: 89-33 (.730)
Indiana State record: 43-52 (.453)
Overall record^: 132-85 (.608)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 0
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 0
- CBI Appearances: 1 (2010)
- NCC (Div II) Regular Season Champion: 2 (2004, 2005)
- NCC (Div II) Tournament Champion: 1 (2004)
- NCAA Division II Tournament Appearances: 3 (2002, 2004, 2005)
Awards:
- NCC (Div II) Coach of the Year: 2 (2004, 2005)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
2022-present | Oregon (DPD) |
2010-2022 | Oregon (asst) |
2007-2010 | Indiana State |
2005-2007 | Creighton (asst) |
2001-2005 | Nebraska-Omaha |
1994-2001 | Creighton (asst) |
1993-1994 | Washington Bullets (scout) |
1990-1993 | Sioux Falls Skyforce |
1989-1990 | La Crosse Catbirds (asst) |
Kevin McKenna Facts
- Kevin Robert McKenna
- Born January 8, 1959
- Hometown: Saint Paul, Minnesota
- Alma Mater: Creighton University (BA, 1993 & MA, 1997
- Born in Minnesota, McKenna graduated from Palatine Township HS (IL) then played for coach Tom Apke at Creighton
- Was named First-Team All-MVC in both 1980 and 1981; was taken in the 4th round (88th overall) of the 1981 NBA Draft by the Lakers
- Played professionally in the NBA and CBA for nine years, spending time with the Lakers (winning the NBA title in 1982), Pacers, Nets and Bullets
- NBA coaches he played for include Pat Riley (LAL), Jack McKinney (IND), Stan Albeck (NJN), Gene Shue (WAS) and Dave Wohl (NJN)
- Also played for Norm Ellenberger during the 1982-83 CBA season with the Las Vegas Silvers and in 1989-90, was both a player and assistant coach under Flip Saunders with the La Cross Catbirds (that team won the 1990 CBA title)
- Spent three years as the head coach of the Sioux Falls Skyforce, then a CBA franchise; went 76-92 overall during his tenure there
- After one season as a scout with the Washington Bullets (coached by Wes Unseld), McKenna began his collegiate coaching career
- Returned to alma mater Creighton in 1994, spending the next seven seasons as an assistant there under Dana Altman
- Was part of three-straight NCAA Tournament berths with the Bluejays (1999-2001) before becoming a head coach in 2001
- Led the then-Division II Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks for four seasons, going 89-33 overall at the helm
- Reached the NCAA D-II Tournament three times, won two NCC titles and was named NCC COY twice
- Left Omaha and returned to Creighton in 2005 and spent two more years on Altman‘s staff there
- Became the head coach a D-I Indiana State in 2007, leading the Sycamores for the next three seasons
- Did not have as much success, going just 43-52 overall and reaching the postseason just once (2010 CBI)
- Resigned after the 2009-10 season and reunited with Altman, now the head coach at Oregon
- Has been on the Ducks’ staff ever since, where he has been part of numerous postseasons that include a run to the NCAA Final Four in 2017
- Transitioned from assistant coach to director of player development prior to the 2022-23 season
Kevin McKenna Coaching Tree
- Stan Gouard (Southern Indiana, Indianapolis)
- Derrin Hansen (Omaha)
^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA Division I and Division II levels only; Nebraska-Omaha was a D-II during McKenna’s tenure there