Northern Kentucky University Vice President and Director of Athletics Christina Roybal announced head men’s basketball coach Darrin Horn and Northern Kentucky University have agreed to a contract extension.
The new agreement will extend his current contract by two years to keep him at the helm of the NKU basketball program for four full seasons. This extension makes Horn the highest paid coach in the Horizon League through June 30, 2027 with an additional year extension following the 2023-24 school year.
The extension is not only a commitment to Coach Horn, but a necessary investment to remain atop the Horizon League.
“I’d like to thank Interim President Bonita Brown and VP of Athletics Christina Roybal for their belief and continued support of NKU Men’s basketball,” Horn said. “There is great tradition here and I am excited about the shared vision with administration to continue to grow our program together as we serve our student-athletes and the NKU and Northern Kentucky communities.”
Horn just concluded his fourth season in Highland Heights where he has led the Norse to a 79-45 record overall (.637), brought home two Horizon League Tournament Titles and taken the team to the NCAA Tournament twice. This year alone included a Horizon League Championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament where the Norse put an absolute scare into the No. 1 seed Houston Cougars. Horn has also gone 52-24 (.684) in Horizon League play and the Norse have reached the Horizon League’s Championship game in three of his four campaigns at the helm.
“Coach Horn has done a tremendous job leading our men’s basketball program and we want him to continue to do so for many years to come,” Roybal said. “He and his staff have lifted the program back to national prominence and the exposure the men’s basketball program brings is not only important for our department, but also for the University and the entire region.”
Prior to NKU, Horn had stops as the head coach at both Western Kentucky and South Carolina. Horn led his alma mater in the Hilltoppers to the Sweet 16 in 2007-08 and posted a record of 111-48 (.698) overall. He also went 60-63 in the SEC with the Gamecocks to sit at 250-156 (.616) for his career.
Horn was an assistant at both Marquette and Texas. He was also a four-year standout with the WKU men’s basketball program, where he helped lead the program to three NCAA Tournaments, which included a run to the Sweet 16 in 1993.
