Confirming what we reported late yesterday afternoon…it’s now been made official that Presbyterian College and President Bob Staton announced the addition of Dustin Kerns as the new men’s basketball head coach. He will start immediately, becoming the 18th head coach in PC’s men’s basketball history.
Kerns will be formally introduced at a reception to be held Tuesday at 2:30 p.m., at the Harper Center for the Arts. Media and fans are encouraged to attend. Following the introduction he will be available for media interviews with a meet and greet with fans to follow.
“I feel that we made a tremendous hire in selecting Dustin (Kerns) from a deep, talented applicant pool,” said President Staton. “He is passionate about PC and brings strong experience to the program. Dustin has been a big part of the retention and graduation rates earned by Wofford, and his commitment to student success is aligned with the values of PC.”
Dustin Kerns just completed his seventh season on the Terrier coaching staff and fourth as associate head coach. This is his second stint at Wofford, previously serving as an assistant coach from 2004-07. In the six seasons between, he was an assistant coach at Santa Clara.
At Wofford, Kerns helped lead the Terriers to back-to-back Southern Conference Tournament championships in 2014 and 2015, as well as a regular season title in 2014-15. Along with their two conference tournament titles, the Terriers made consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, which included a narrow 56-53 loss in 2015 to No. 5-seeded Arkansas in a game Wofford led for more than 20 minutes. The Terrier men’s basketball team has graduated 100 percent of its student-athletes every year Kerns has been affiliated with the program.
“Dreams do come true. I want to thank President Bob Staton and many others here at Presbyterian for their hard work during this search and the opportunity to serve this prestigious college,” said Coach Kerns. “I look forward to the process of developing our players on and off the court and build a team that plays together, for one another, and for Presbyterian College. We will establish a work ethic and team culture that will represent Presbyterian proudly in Clinton and beyond. This is a small community with a big heart where neighbors support neighbors. Presbyterian is a special place and it deserves to be portrayed as such. My family and I are honored to be here and part of the Presbyterian family.”
Kerns has received national recognition as one of college basketball’s top assistant coaches and recruiters. CoachStat.net ranked Kerns the No. 4 Low-Major Recruiter in the nation, as well as its No. 20 Mid-Major Assistant Coaches. CollegeInsider.com recently featured Kerns in its article “30 Assistants Ready to Run their own Programs.”
Kerns was an assistant coach for six seasons at Santa Clara University. During that time Santa Clara had the third most wins in the West Coast Conference behind Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s (CA). Kerns helped the Broncos post 24+ victories for the second time in three years in 2012-13.
Prior to becoming an assistant coach on Coach Keating’s staff Kerns served as Director of Basketball Operations at Santa Clara for one season. Kerns joined the Broncos in 2007 from Wofford College, where he spent three seasons as an assistant coach.
Kerns also spent a season as a graduate assistant under then-head coach Buzz Peterson at Tennessee. The Vols earned a berth in the NIT that season. Kerns was camp and coaching clinic director during his time in Knoxville, while assisting with team scouting, compliance and academics. He received a Master’s of Science from Tennessee in 2004.
“I want to thank Gregg Nibert and his wife Peggy for their 28 years of dedicated service to Presbyterian College and the Clinton community. Together, they laid an inspiring foundation for the Blue Hose and I am honored I have been selected to continue his legacy here at PC. Gregg and Peggy will always have a seat welcoming them in Templeton gym.”
Kerns’ first job in college basketball was at Tennessee Tech, as he spent the 2002-03 season as the program’s Director of Basketball Operations. He assisted head coach Mike Sutton with all aspects of the program, including opponent scouting, on-campus recruiting, scheduling, film exchange and team academics.
Kerns is a 2002 graduate of Clemson University, where he earned a degree in secondary education. As an undergraduate, he worked as a student assistant for Tigers men’s basketball team under then-head coach Larry Shyatt, helping organize summer camps, while also assisting with the scout films. Kerns was hired to coach at the prestigious Michael Jordan Flight School three summers in a row during 2001-2003.
A Kingsport, Tennessee native, Kerns played at Dobyns-Bennett High School, which ranked first in the nation in all-time wins at the prep level.
Kerns is married to the former Brittany Wright and they welcomed their first child, Emory Sulianne, on October 19, 2011.
Dustin Kerns Collegiate Career
2013-2017 – Associate Head Coach – Wofford
2008-2013 – Assistant Coach – Santa Clara
2007-2008 – Director of Basketball Operations – Santa Clara
2004-2007 – Assistant Coach – Wofford
2003-2004 – Graduate Assistant Coach – Tennessee
2002-2003 – Director of Basketball Operations – Tennessee Tech
