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Kevin McKenna

b. 1959

American basketball player-coach

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About Kevin McKenna

Born 1959. Kevin McKenna is an American basketball player and basketball coach.

Kevin Robert McKenna (born January 8, 1959) is an American former basketball player. He is currently an assistant basketball coach at the University of Oregon. Born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, McKenna played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1981 to 1988. He played college basketball for the Creighton Bluejays.

McKenna was the 19th pick in the fourth round of the 1981 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers.

He spent four highly successful years 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.

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 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) in 2005. He finished with an 89–33 mark in his tenure at UNO.

As a high school player, McKenna starred at Palatine High School in Palatine, Illinois before moving on to Creighton University from 1977 to 1981. McKenna led the Creighton Bluejays to a Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) regular-season championship, two MVC Tournament titles and a pair of NCAA Tournaments. He was an All-MVC pick and team MVP in each of his final two seasons.

He remains the only person in MVC history to win an MVC regular-season title, an MVC Tournament championship, an NBA championship and a CBA title.

In the summer of 2009, McKenna was selected as the head coach of the Athletes in action AIA college basketball team during a tour of Poland and Germany.

Career playing statistics

NBA Source

Regular season

Playoffs

Head coaching record

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Creighton University, Palatine High School
Awards
List of NBA champions; Missouri Valley Conference; North Central Conference
Also known as
Kevin Robert McKenna

People in Kevin McKenna's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Kevin McKenna's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Kevin McKenna?

American basketball player-coach

When was Kevin McKenna born?

Kevin McKenna was born on 8 January 1959 in Saint Paul.

What is Kevin McKenna's occupation?

Kevin McKenna is a basketball player and basketball coach.

What nationality is Kevin McKenna?

Kevin McKenna is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Kevin McKenna

· Wikidata: Q3195758

· DBpedia: Kevin McKenna (basketball)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Kevin McKenna. https://biography.guide/kevin-mckenna-basketball-player/

MLA: "Kevin McKenna." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/kevin-mckenna-basketball-player/.

Chicago: "Kevin McKenna." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/kevin-mckenna-basketball-player/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-25 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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