The Neosho County Panther Men’s Basketball team has a new face of their program (Pending Board Approval). After a National search, Luke Mackay stood out at the top of the list, of some very quality candidates. The Australian native brings: a wealth of experience, organization, passion, and a love for Junior College basketball. 

Coach Luke Mackay and his family’s (Luke, Sarah, Madeline, Ellie, and Marcus) thoughts on joining the Panther Family, “My family is very excited to join the Neosho County Community College campus and get to know the great people of Chanute. Returning to a community college campus as a coach has been a goal of mine since my playing days in the NJCAA. We are looking forward to being a part of the campus, the community, and the tradition rich Jayhawk conference. Being able to raise a family in a tight-knit community, while impacting the lives of young people through education and athletics, is an absolute blessing. This is an exciting adventure for all of us, and we are grateful for the opportunity given to us by Dr. Inbody and Mrs. Mullis. We look forward to meeting as many people as possible at Panther games and in the community. It’s SHOtime!”

Coach Mackay comes to the Panthers after being the assistant coach at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), for the past five years. His main responsibilities included working with individual student-athletes on skill development, scouting, defensive alertness, preparing recruiting materials, and assisting with recruiting visits. Prior to his time with UTGRV he was on staff with the University of Oklahoma, under Head Coach Lon Kruger, helping the Sooners accomplish two NCAA Tournament appearances, including a berth in the Final Four, while going 53-19 (.736). Coach Mackay has also served as the varsity head coach at McCollum High School in San Antonio, TX. During his final season at McCollum, Mackay simultaneously served as an advance scout for the Orlando Magic.

Originally from Perth, Australia, Mackay is the all-time leading scorer in Western Australian high school basketball history. He played his senior season at North Jackson High School in Alabama, for whom he earned All-State honors. Mackay went on to play at Lon Morris College from 2000-2002, earning NJCAA Region 14 All-Tournament First Team honors. He then finished his playing career at the Division I level playing two seasons at East Carolina University.

Mackay earned his Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education from East Carolina in May 2006 and his Master of Human Relations at Oklahoma in 2016.

Athletic Director Riann Mullis had this to say about the hiring of Coach Mackay, “We are very excited for Coach Mackay to get in and get to work. He is going to bring: organization, leadership, enthusiasm, and effective communication to our Men’s Basketball Program”.

https://goneosho.com/news/2021/5/29/mackay-chosen-to-lead-panther-mens-basketball.aspx