Bob McKillop

This summer marks the third USA Basketball coaching assignment for Davidson College’s Bob McKillop, who was named head coach of the 2013 USA Men’s World University Games Team on March 12, 2013. He previously served as the head coach for the 2008 USA 18 National Team that compiled a 4-1 record and earned the silver medal at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship in Argentina. His first USA Basketball stint was as an assistant coach for the 2003 Junior World Championship Qualifying Tournament in Venezuela, helping the USA Men’s U18 National Team to a 4-1 mark and a bronze medal.

In his 24th season (1989-90 to present) as Davidson’s head coach, McKillop and is 452-278 overall (.619 winning percentage, all records as of games played through 3/11/13) and 276-103 (.728 winning percentage) in conference games with the Wildcats. McKillop this season has led Davidson, which is currently enjoying a 12-game winning streak, to a 26-7 record overall, including 17-1 in Southern Conference play to win his seventh SoCon regular season title, and the 2013 SoCon Tournament championship.

The winningest coach in Davidson and SoCon history, McKillop has led Davidson to six NCAA Tournament appearances (1998, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2012), four postseason NITs (1994, 1996, 2005 and 2009), the 2001 College Basketball Invitational, and 11 20-win seasons. Further, under McKillop the Wildcats have captured 12 SoCon regular season titles (1996-1998, 2002-2005, 2007-2009 and 2012-13), three times with undefeated league records, and seven SoCon Tournament crowns (1998, 2002, 2006-2008 and 2012-13).

Most recently, McKillop directed his 2011-12 squad to a 25-8 record, a first-place finish in the SoCon South Division with a 16-2 conference record, the SoCon Tournament title and advanced to the 2012 NCAA Tournament.

In his most successful season to date, McKillop led Davidson in 2007-08 to a sensational 29-7 record and the 2008 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. Davidson’s NCAA run marked the first time the Wildcats had won an NCAA Tournament game and is the furthest advancement in the NCAA Tournament since 1969. Precluding the string of upsets in March, Davidson was undefeated in SoCon action for the third time during the McKillop era, claimed its third consecutive league title, and led the nation with a 25-game winning streak in 2007-08. The Cinderella season marked Davidson’s third consecutive league tournament title, and the Wildcat’s tied a school record with 29 victories on the year.

Among his many awards, McKillop in 2008 was the recipient of Coach Clair Bee Award and was selected the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Coach of the Year. He is a two-time finalist for the Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year honor and has also been recognized as the SoCon Coach of the Year eight times (1994, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2012).

Arguably more impressive than Davidson’s performances on the court under McKillop is that all 78 seniors on his teams have graduated, and his program has had a perfect Academic Progress Rate (APR) score of 1,000 each year since the NCAA began tracking APRs in 2003.

Before his arrival at Davidson, McKillop coached at Long Island Lutheran High School (N.Y.). During his 10-year tenure (1979-80 to 1988-89) at Long Island Lutheran, McKillop amassed a 182-51 record (.781 winning percentage).

In 1978, McKillop joined Davidson for the first time as assistant coach, a position that lasted for one season. Prior to his leap into the collegiate ranks, he began his coaching career at Holy Trinity High School in Long Island, where he posted an 86-25 record. Overall, as a high school coach, McKillop garnered five New York State championships and coached five high school All-Americans, including Matt Doherty, former head coach at the University North Carolina and Southern Methodist University.

A native New Yorker, McKillop played one season at East Carolina University before transferring to Hofstra University to be closer to home. While in New York, he became the Pride’s MVP before graduating in 1972 and later was inducted into the Hofstra Basketball Hall of Fame.