Kevin Kruger

Kevin Michael Kruger (born May 1, 1983) is an American basketball coach and former player. Born in McAllen, Texas, Kruger played high school basketball at George Walton Comprehensive High School in Marietta, Georgia and college basketball at Arizona State and UNLV. Kruger then played professional basketball from 2007 to 2013, including multiple stints with NBA Development League teams Utah Flash and Los Angeles D-Fenders.

After retiring from playing basketball, Kruger became a college basketball coach, beginning as assistant coach at Northern Arizona from 2014 to 2016. Kruger later worked under his father, head coach Lon Kruger, as an assistant coach at Oklahoma from 2016 to 2019. Returning to UNLV, Kevin Kruger was an assistant coach from 2019 to 2021 before becoming head coach in 2021 until 2025. Later that year, Kruger was hired by Illinois.

Early life and college basketball career Kevin Michael Kruger was born in McAllen, Texas in 1983. His father, Lon Kruger, was head men's basketball coach at the University of Texas Pan American at the time. Kevin Kruger then grew up in Kansas, Florida, Illinois, and Georgia, as his father later was head coach at Kansas State University, the University of Florida, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Atlanta Hawks. graduating in 2002.

Pro basketball career Kruger was not drafted after his collegiate career; he was later invited to the Orlando Magic's training camp. Before the season began, he was cut and drafted by the Flash, the Utah Jazz's D-League team. He had a career high 35 points against the Reno Bighorns on March 1, 2009.

Kruger played for Okapi Aalstar in the Ethias League's 2011–2012 season. They won the Belgian Cup against the Antwerp Giants, 96–89 in overtime, a game during which Kruger scored 31 points.

Coaching career Kruger began his coaching career at Northern Arizona as an assistant for two seasons before joining his father's staff at Oklahoma.

In 2019, he returned to UNLV as an assistant coach under T. J. Otzelberger. When Otzelberger departed for the Iowa State head coaching position, Kruger was promoted to head coach of the Runnin' Rebels on March 21, 2021. Kruger was dismissed from the UNLV head coach position on March 15, 2025.

On July 9, 2025, the Illinois Fighting Illini announced Kruger's hiring as Assistant to the Head Coach. Head coaching record College