Indiana State University Director of Athletics Ron Prettyman announced today (Thursday, March 29) that Kevin McKenna has accepted an offer to become the 24th head men’s basketball coach at ISU. McKenna succeeds Royce Waltman, who guided the Sycamores for the last 10 seasons.

“I am pleased to announce the hiring of Kevin McKenna as the new head men’s basketball coach at Indiana State University,” Prettyman said. “Coach McKenna has been successful at every step of his career as a college player, professional player, businessman, assistant coach and head coach. "I am confident that he will continue his impressive string of successes at Indiana State. He is not only a fine recruiter and coach, but he is an educator. He has great plans for our program and will put together a coaching staff that is second to none.

"He has a delightful family and will be a tremendous role model for the young men in our program for many years to come. We are fortunate to have someone of coach McKenna’s caliber lead our program into the future. Join me in welcoming coach McKenna and his family to Terre Haute and the Wabash Valley.”

McKenna recently completed his ninth season at Creighton as an assistant coach, helping the Bluejays to a 22-11 record and the NCAA tournament this past season. In nine years, 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 highly successful years across town as head coach of NCAA Division II Nebraska-Omaha, where he guided the Mavericks to four consecutive 20-win seasons, two North Central Conference titles and three appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament.

Photos by Tony Campbell and Drew Lurker