Ernie Kent facts for kids
Kent during an Oregon men's basketball game on March 4, 2010
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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 22, 1955 Rockford, Illinois, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1973–1977 | Oregon |
| Position(s) | Forward |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1980–1987 | Al-Khaleej |
| 1987–1989 | Colorado State (assistant) |
| 1989–1991 | Stanford (assistant) |
| 1991–1997 | Saint Mary's |
| 1997–2010 | Oregon |
| 2014–2019 | Washington State |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 383–351 (college) |
| Tournaments | 6–6 (NCAA Division I) 6–2 (NIT) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| WCC regular season (1997) WCC tournament (1997) Pac-10 regular season (2002) 2 Pac-10 tournament (2003, 2007) |
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| Awards | |
| Pac-10 Coach of the Year (2002) | |
Ernest "Ernie" Kent (born January 22, 1955) is an American college basketball coach famous for his time leading the teams at the University of Oregon and Washington State University. He also coached at Saint Mary's College.
Before becoming a coach, Kent was a star player himself. After his coaching career, he became a college basketball commentator for the Pac-12 Network, where he shares his expert knowledge of the game.
Contents
Playing Career
From 1973 to 1977, Ernie Kent played basketball for the Oregon Ducks. He was so quick and skillful that he earned the nickname "Million Moves." Kent was a key member of a group of players called the "Kamikaze Kids." They were famous for their high energy and aggressive style of play. Sadly, knee injuries forced him to stop playing in college.
In high school, Kent was a standout student and athlete. He was named an All-American player by Parade Magazine and was a member of the National Honor Society, showing he was great at both sports and academics.
Coaching Career
Early Coaching Adventures
Kent's coaching journey began in a very unusual place: Saudi Arabia. From 1980 to 1987, he coached the Al-Khaleej Club. Living in a different culture taught him a lot, especially patience, since he had to use a translator to talk to his players. He later said this experience taught him how to handle extreme pressure.
After returning to the United States, he worked as an assistant coach at Colorado State University and then at Stanford University.
A New Coaching Style
Kent became the head coach at Saint Mary's College of California in 1991. At first, his coaching style was very strict. His players, including future movie star Mahershala Ali, told him they found it hard to connect with him.
Kent listened to his players and completely changed his approach. He became a more caring and understanding coach. He even started a tradition of taking his team on a retreat before each season. This helped the players bond and become a stronger, more unified team. He continued this tradition when he later coached at Oregon.
Leading the Oregon Ducks
In 1997, Kent was hired as the head coach of the Oregon Ducks. He made history as the first African American head coach for any sport at the university.
Under Kent, the Ducks became a very exciting team to watch. They were known for playing a fast-paced game with many talented guards. His teams were very successful, reaching the NCAA tournament five times. In 2002 and 2007, he led the Ducks to the Elite Eight, which is the quarter-final round of the tournament. This was the furthest the team had gone in over 40 years.
Kent was also great at recruiting talented high school players to join his team. He coached several players who later went on to play in the NBA, including Fred Jones, Luke Ridnour, Luke Jackson, and Aaron Brooks.
After a couple of tough seasons, Kent was fired in 2010. At the time, he had won 235 games, the most of any coach in the school's history.
Washington State Cougars
In 2014, Kent became the head coach for the Washington State Cougars. His time there was not as successful as his years at Oregon. The team struggled to win games, and he was fired in 2019.
Personal Life
Ernie Kent was born in Rockford, Illinois. He has three children: Marcus, Jordan, and McKenzie. His son, Jordan Kent, was a talented athlete at the University of Oregon, playing three different sports: track & field, basketball, and football.
Kent is also known for his work in the community. He has been involved with many charities, including the American Cancer Society and the Children's Miracle Network.
Head coaching record
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Mary's Gaels (West Coast Conference) (1991–1997) | |||||||||
| 1991–92 | Saint Mary's | 13–17 | 4–10 | 6th | |||||
| 1992–93 | Saint Mary's | 11–16 | 6–8 | 6th | |||||
| 1993–94 | Saint Mary's | 13–14 | 5–9 | 7th | |||||
| 1994–95 | Saint Mary's | 18–10 | 10–4 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1995–96 | Saint Mary's | 12–15 | 5–9 | 7th | |||||
| 1996–97 | Saint Mary's | 23–8 | 10–4 | T–1st | NCAA Division I First Round | ||||
| Saint Mary's: | 90–80 (.529) | 40–44 (.476) | |||||||
| Oregon Ducks (Pacific-10 Conference) (1998–2010) | |||||||||
| 1997–98 | Oregon | 13–14 | 8–10 | T–5th | |||||
| 1998–99 | Oregon | 19–13 | 8–10 | T–5th | NIT Semifinal | ||||
| 1999–00 | Oregon | 22–8 | 13–5 | 3rd | NCAA Division I First Round | ||||
| 2000–01 | Oregon | 14–14 | 5–13 | T–6th | |||||
| 2001–02 | Oregon | 26–9 | 14–4 | 1st | NCAA Division I Elite Eight | ||||
| 2002–03 | Oregon | 23–10 | 10–8 | 5th | NCAA Division I First Round | ||||
| 2003–04 | Oregon | 18–13 | 9–9 | T–4th | NIT Semifinal | ||||
| 2004–05 | Oregon | 14–13 | 6–12 | T–8th | |||||
| 2005–06 | Oregon | 15–18 | 7–11 | T–7th | |||||
| 2006–07 | Oregon | 29–8 | 11–7 | T–3rd | NCAA Division I Elite Eight | ||||
| 2007–08 | Oregon | 18–14 | 9–9 | T–5th | NCAA Division I First Round | ||||
| 2008–09 | Oregon | 8–23 | 2–16 | 10th | |||||
| 2009–10 | Oregon | 16–16 | 7–11 | T–8th | |||||
| Oregon: | 235–173 (.576) | 109–125 (.466) | |||||||
| Washington State Cougars (Pac-12 Conference) (2014–2019) | |||||||||
| 2014–15 | Washington State | 13–18 | 7–11 | T–8th | |||||
| 2015–16 | Washington State | 9–22 | 1–17 | 12th | |||||
| 2016–17 | Washington State | 13–18 | 6–12 | T–10th | |||||
| 2017–18 | Washington State | 12–19 | 4–14 | 11th | |||||
| 2018–19 | Washington State | 11–21 | 4–14 | 11th | |||||
| Washington State: | 58–98 (.372) | 22–68 (.244) | |||||||
| Total: | 383–351 (.522) | ||||||||
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National champion Conference regular season champion Conference tournament champion |
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