University of Northern Iowa President Mark Nook and Director of Athletics Megan Franklin on Wednesday, announced that Kyle Green has accepted the position of head men’s basketball coach.
Green becomes the 26th head coach in program history after a coaching career that has spanned over 30 years across multiple NCAA divisions, including 16 seasons as an assistant coach at Northern Iowa.
Franklin confirmed that Green has agreed to a five-year contract. He will be formally introduced to the UNI community as head coach at a press conference at a date to be announced.
“It is a great pleasure to welcome Kyle Green back to the University of Northern Iowa,” said Nook. “Kyle and his family have been a big part of UNI athletics for two decades. Kyle was an integral part of the Panther coaching staff during some of our most successful seasons and helped develop many outstanding players. I look forward to Kyle’s leadership in continuing to grow the legacy of Panther Men’s Basketball.”
Green returns to Cedar Falls after spending the previous five years as an assistant coach at Iowa State under head coach T.J. Otzelberger. The Cyclones reached the NCAA Tournament in all five seasons with Green on staff, which included 124 total wins, a pair of trips to the Sweet Sixteen and a 2024 Big 12 Tournament title. Iowa State also recorded 29 victories over AP top-25 ranked opponents with Green on the bench, including three against No. 1 ranked challengers, as well as three All-American athletes in Tamin Lipsey, Curtis Jones and Joshua Jefferson.
Green’s impact on the ISU defense was felt immediately with his hiring in 2021 with the Cyclones ranking in the top-25 nationally in scoring defense, steals per game and three-point percentage defense in his first season. Iowa State jumped from just two wins a year prior to Green’s arrival to 22. Iowa State has ranked in the top-25 in Division I in scoring defense in four of Green’s five years in Ames, with a top-25 ranking in steals per game each season as well.
Green spent 16 total seasons as an assistant coach at UNI during three separate stints with the Panthers from 2001-03, 2006-11 and 2012-21 under head coaches Greg McDermott and Ben Jacobson. He spent his last four years in Cedar Falls as associate head coach under Jacobson.
“It is a great day to be a Panther as we welcome Kyle back to UNI as our new head men’s basketball coach. Kyle brings over three decades of coaching experience to Cedar Falls with a deep and diverse coaching portfolio. A longtime former Panther assistant and associate head coach, his foundation has been UNI basketball and there is no one better to lead this program into the next era. We look forward to the opportunity for him to steward the next era of UNI men’s basketball student-athletes and build on the rich tradition this program has established. Welcome home, Coach Green!”
A contributor to more than 300 Panther victories, Green helped Northern Iowa to four Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) tournament championships (2009, 2010, 2015, 2016), three MVC regular season titles (2009, 2010, 2020) and four trips to the NCAA Tournament (2009, 2010, 2015, 2016), including UNI’s historic run to the 2010 Sweet Sixteen with upset wins over UNLV and top-ranked Kansas.
In total, UNI players earned 33 All-MVC honors during Green’s time with the Panthers with three Larry Bird MVC Player of the Year winners, including his son, AJ in 2020. With Green primarily working with Panther post players, UNI recognized four MVC Sixth Man of the Year honorees during his time in Cedar Falls, while helping lead one of the top defensive units in the nation, which in turn resulted in a pair of MVC Defensive Player of the Year award winners.
“I am incredibly honored and grateful for the opportunity to become the next head coach at UNI, a university and community that has meant so much to me and my family,” said Green. “We are so thankful to Athletic Director Megan Franklin and President Nook for this opportunity.”
“This is more than just a school or job to me and my family,” Green added. “It is a home. A place that has given so much more to our family than we could ever give back. A school with unparalleled history in men’s basketball. A tradition built by hall of fame coaches in Eldon Miller, Greg McDermott and Ben Jacobson. Coaches who I am fortunate to say are also mentors of mine. I don’t take the honor of carrying the torch forward lightly and cannot wait to get started. Go Panthers!”
Green brings four years of head coaching experience to UNI, having led programs at Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 2011-12, Lewis University in Illinois from 2004-06 and Western Colorado University (previously known at Western State College) from 2000-01. He also spent one season as an assistant coach at Marquette under head coach Tom Crean, helping lead the Golden Eagles to the quarterfinal round of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) in 2003-04.
A four-year letterwinner and two-time academic all-conference player at Hamline University in Minnesota, Green began his coaching journey as a player/coach with Frederica Basketball Club in Denmark in 1992, earning Denmark Serie Coach of the Year honors after leading the team to a 30-3 record. He would go on to hold assistant coaching positions at his alma mater from 1993-95, as well as at Division II Southwest Minnesota State (1995-97) and Augustana College [S.D.] (1997-00).
The Minneapolis, Minnesota native graduated from Hamline in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in social studies and psychology and later a master’s degree in athletic administration from St. Thomas University in 1999.
Green lives with his wife, Michele and are parents to a son, AJ, and a daughter, Emerson. AJ played four years at UNI from 2018 to 2022 as was a two-time MVC Player of the Year before going on to play professionally for the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks. Emerson played five seasons at UNI.
GREEN’S COACHING CAREER
2026 University of Northern Iowa (Head Coach)
2021-26 Iowa State University (Assistant Coach)
2017-21 University of Northern Iowa (Associate Head Coach)
2012-17 University of Northern Iowa (Assistant Coach)
2011-12 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (Head Coach)
2006-11 University of Northern Iowa (Assistant Coach)
2004-06 Lewis University (Head Coach)
2003-04 Marquette University (Assistant Coach)
2001-03 University of Northern Iowa (Assistant Coach)
2000-01 Western Colorado (Head Coach)
1997-00 Augustana College [S.D.] (Assistant Coach)
1995-97 Southwest Minnesota State (Assistant Coach)
1993-95 Hamline University (Assistant Coach)
1992-93 Frederica Basketball Club [Denmark] (Player/Coach)
