PROVO, Utah, April 5, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Kahil Fennell, an assistant men’s basketball coach at BYU the past two seasons, has been hired as the new head coach at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
UTRGV Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque announced the hiring Friday. Fennell is expected to be formally introduced at the Edinburg, Texas, university at a press conference Wednesday.
“I am honored to be the next head coach of the UTRGV men’s basketball program,” Fennell said. “Further, my family and I feel extremely fortunate to become part of the Rio Grande Valley community. It’s a region that reflects our family’s values, and we’re excited to represent our neighbors there.
“This is a basketball program that is capable of great things with a desire to excel at the highest level. My staff and I will work tirelessly to make this community and university proud as we strive toward bringing a championship to the valley.”
Working under head coach Mark Pope, Fennell helped the Cougars to a 23-11 overall record in 2023-24 and a 10-8 mark in their first season in the Big 12 Conference. BYU also made the NCAA Tournament as a No. 6 seed but was upset by 11th-seeded Duquesne 71-67 in the first round.
In Fennell’s first season with BYU, the Cougars went 19-15 overall, 7-9 in the West Coast Conference and advanced to the conference tournament’s championship game.
Throughout his tenure at BYU, Fennell was the player development and defensive coordinator, working primarily with the wing position group.
“Coach Fennell quickly emerged as someone who has an unmatched passion for the game, young people and community,” Conque said in a news release. “In a landscape that is ever-changing, coach Fennell has demonstrated his ability to attract top talent and effectively teach while being a part of successful programs at multiple levels.”
Prior to his two seasons at BYU, Fennell spent four years at Louisville (2018-22), where he started as the Cardinals’ director of basketball operations before being promoted to assistant coach in 2021-22.
Fennell was part of a Louisville coaching staff that went 70-47 — including a 24-7 record to finish second in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2019-20, and a 20-14 season that was capped by an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2018-19.
Fennell previously spent one season (2017-18) as an assistant coach at Portland State, where he helped the Vikings to a 20-14 record.
He began his collegiate coaching career at UT Permian Basin as an assistant coach in 2015-16 before being promoted to associate head coach in 2016-17.
