Head men’s basketball coach Chris Crutchfield named Kenya Crandell an assistant coach Monday morning. Crandell was most recently an assistant at UTRGV and was an associate head coach of the Mavericks in the Division II era of the program.
“We want to welcome Kenya back to Omaha and UNO,” said Crutchfield. “I have known Kenya since his playing days at Nebraska-Kearney. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our staff. Keyna has established recruiting contacts and relationships throughout the country. We are excited to have him mentoring our players and working directly with our guards. Maverick nation, let’s welcome Kenya back to Omaha.”
Crandell comes back to Omaha after his most recent stint with UTRGV. He served as an assistant from 2016-21 and worked with the guards. He helped UTRGV rank sixth in the NCAA in turnover margin (4.9), eighth in turnovers forced (17.50), 20th in steals per game (8.4), 31st in assists per game (15.0), 37th in total steals (251), 48th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.20) and 80th in total assists (451), leading the WAC in each category.
Prior to his start with UTRGV, Crandell served as an assistant at Montana State. He helped the Bobcats turn a seven-win improvement from 2014-15 to 2015-16, which included five more wins in Big Sky play.
He spent one season at Northern Colorado before beginning a six-year stint at Omaha as an associate head coach. While at Omaha, Crandell helped the Mavericks to a 116-65 record and three NCAA Division II national tournament appearances. He also helped nine players earn all-conference nods, including a Most Valuable Player, Newcomer of the Year, and Freshman of the Year award.
Crandell began his coaching career at his alma mater, Nebraska-Kearney. He served as a graduate assistant in 1997-99 before assuming the role of an assistant in the 1999-2000 season.
“I am excited to join coach Crutchfield and his staff,” said Crandell. “My goal is to help the student-athletes be successful on and off the court, while building a winning program. I can’t wait to get started.”
Crandell was a four-year starter at Kearney. He set the school record for assists (525) and finished his career second on the all-time steals list (173). Crandell was a 1,000-point scorer ranking 19th all-time in the program with 1,119 points. He graduated with a degree in communication in 1996.
https://omavs.com/news/2022/4/11/crandell-named-mens-basketball-assistant-coach.aspx
