Staff Directory
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
Kevin McKenna enters his ninth season as a Creighton assistant coach, and second since returning to the Hilltop in the summer of 2005.
A 1998 inductee into the Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame, McKenna also served on Dana Altman’s staff from 1994 to 2001.
McKenna works closely with all facets of the program, including scouting, recruiting and on-court coaching. Known for his sweet shot as a player, McKenna is regarded as one of the top shooting technicians in the game.
Before McKenna returned to Creighton, he spent four highly successful years across town as a head coach at Division II Nebraska-Omaha.
He guided the Mavericks to four consecutive 20-win seasons, two North Central Conference titles and three appearances in the NCAA II Tournament. The 47-year old 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 NABC in 2005. He finished with an 89-33 mark in his tenure.
In 2001-02, McKenna’s first Maverick team set a school record with 24 wins as UNO made its first visit to the NCAA Tournament in 17 years. The 24-9 record was a 15-win improvement from the 9-17 team he inherited and ranked as one of the nation’s top turnarounds. Prior to his arrival at UNO, the Mavs had not won a league title since 1984 and had not won more than 20 games in a season since 1990.
As a player from 1977 to 1981, McKenna led Creighton to a Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championship, two MVC Tournament titles and a pair of NCAA Tournaments. He was also an all-MVC pick and team MVP his final two seasons.
He remains the only person in MVC history to win an MVC regular-season title, Valley Tournament title, NBA championship and CBA crown.
McKenna ended his collegiate career with exactly 1,500 points (then fifth-best in Creighton history) 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.
Following his NBA career, McKenna helped lead the La Crosse Catbirds to the 1989-90 league 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 also worked 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 (22) and son, Bobby (15).
The Kevin McKenna File
Personal
? Wife - Nancy
? Children ? Megan (22) and Bobby (15)
? Date of Birth - January 8, 1959
? Inducted Into CU Athletic Hall of Fame - March 23, 1998
Career Coaching Experience
? Creighton - Assistant Coach, 2005-Present
? Nebraska-Omaha - Head Coach, 2001-05
? Creighton - Assistant Coach, 1994-2001
? Sioux Falls Skyforce (CBA) - Head Coach/Director of Basketball Operations, 1990-93
? La Crosse Catbirds (CBA) - Assistant Coach, 1989-90
Professional Playing Experience
? La Crosse Catbirds (CBA) - 1989-90
? New Jersey Nets (NBA) - 1986-90
? Washington Bullets (NBA) - 1985-86
? New Jersey Nets (NBA) - 1984-85
? Indiana Pacers (NBA) - 1983-84
? Las Vegas/Albuquerque Silvers (CBA) - 1982-83
? Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) - 1981-82
Collegiate Playing Experience
? Creighton - Guard, 1977-81
College Education
? Creighton - Master’s in counseling education, 1997
? Creighton - B.A. in organizational communication, 1993
