Davidson coach McKillop retires after 33 seasons

Bob McKillop is retiring after 33 seasons as Davidson‘s head coach, he announced on Friday.

McKillop’s son, Matt, who played at Davidson and has been an assistant coach under his father for the past 14 seasons, is being promoted to replace him. Bob McKillop stated at a news conference that Davidson has touched his heart and that he would be stepping down. “And you may wonder, Coach, when did you decide this? Each year I take a step back and analyze what we do. What can we do to improve? I am always striving to improve. Constant.

“It has been an extraordinary privilege to be the head Coach at Davidson College. I’ve met people, I have made friends, I have met staff members, players, and colleagues that have given me the opportunity to grow as an individual. It’s an amazing gift that you all have given me. I have so much to be grateful for. “

McKillop, a Queens, New York, native, first found coaching success as a high school coach at Holy Trinity High School and Long Island Lutheran, both on Long Island. He spent one season as an assistant coach at Davidson in 1978-79 before returning to the Wildcats as the head coach in 1989.

Over the past 33 seasons, McKillop won 15 regular-season championships and made 10 NCAA tournament appearances, winning more than 600 games. He led Davidson to 13 division titles and seven conference tournament titles in the Southern Conference, then won two Atlantic 10 regular-season titles since the Wildcats changed conferences in 2014.

McKillop earned A-10 Coach of the Year honors last season after leading the Wildcats to a 27-7 record and an NCAA tournament appearance.

Davidson went to the Elite Eight in 2008 behind an incredible NCAA tournament performance from Stephen Curry, who led the 10-seed Wildcats to upset wins over Gonzaga, Georgetown and Wisconsin before falling to Kansas, 59-57, in the regional final. Before McKillop’s retirement announcement, Davidson announced it was retiring Curry’s jersey number at an August ceremony.

Love you Coach! Thank you for all you have done for me, my family, Davidson, and everyone else you have touched along the way. #TCC #greatdaytobeawildcat https://t.co/hG266yUyst

— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) June 17, 2022

McKillop, 71, ends his college career with a 634-380 record.

Athletic director Chris Clunie named Matt McKillop his replacement. He played in more than 100 games for the Wildcats from 2002 to 2006 and ranks in the top 10 in school history in 3-pointers made and 3-point percentage. He joined Davidson’s coaching staff in 2008 and was promoted to associate head coach in 2016.

” You quickly realize that there is only one logical option,” Clunie stated. “It’s not because he is Bob’s son. It’s because he has an opportunity — as Bob just stated — to make us all better. To be strong in this foundation and make it stronger.

” If Bob was the captain, then this man was unquestionably his first mate. “