A BYU basketball assistant takes a head coaching job

BYU’s top assistant is leaving the men’s basketball program for a head coaching job.

Kahil Fennell will be the head coach of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, the school announced Friday. He was Mark Pope’s defensive guru and one of his main recruiters for two seasons.

“I’m so excited for Kahil and the opportunity he has as the head coach at UTRGV,” Pope said in a statement. “His fingerprints are all over the success that we have had as a program over the past two seasons. Kahil, Sarah, Ezra and Koa were instrumental in our wildly successful journey into Big 12 where we finished fifth in the toughest men’s basketball conference in the country and returned to the NCAA Tournament. This is a great opportunity for him and I look forward to his future success.”

Fennell joined the team in 2022. He had coached at Louisville for four seasons prior to that.

“I am thrilled to be joining a university and athletic department the caliber of UTRGV’s and I am grateful for the opportunity,” Fennell said in a statement. “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.”

UTRGV announced on March 19 that it mutually agreed to part ways with its previous coach, Matt Figger, who had a 29-65 record over three seasons.