Greg McDermott (born November 25, 1964) is an American

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

coach who has been the head coach of the Creighton Bluejays men's basketball team since 2010. Previously, McDermott served as the head coach at

Wayne State College Wayne State College (WSC) is a public college in Wayne, Nebraska. It is part of the Nebraska State College System and enrolls 4,202 students. The college opened as a public normal school in 1910 after the state purchased the private Nebraska Nor ...

North Dakota State North Dakota State University (NDSU, formally North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences) is a public land-grant research university in Fargo, North Dakota, United States. It was founded as North Dakota Agricultural Colle ...

Northern Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

, and

Iowa State Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State be ...

. He is the father of NBA player

Doug McDermott Douglas Richard McDermott (born January 3, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). While playing college basketball for the Creighton Bluejays, McDermott led the ...

Early life

McDermott grew up in

Cascade, Iowa Cascade is a city in Dubuque and Jones counties, Iowa, United States. The Dubuque County portion is part of Dubuque Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Jones County section is part of Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area. The popula ...

, in a

Irish Catholic Irish Catholics () are an ethnoreligious group native to Ireland, defined by their adherence to Catholic Christianity and their shared Irish ethnic, linguistic, and cultural heritage.The term distinguishes Catholics of Irish descent, particul ...

household and played basketball for Cascade High School. A 6'8"

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

, he then played college basketball for the

Northern Iowa Panthers The Northern Iowa Panthers are the athletic teams of the University of Northern Iowa. The university is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference and competes in NCAA Division I (Division I FCS in football). History The school's mascot is the ...

from 1984 to 1988. In 1988, he earned a B.A. degree from Northern Iowa.

Coaching career

Early coaching career

McDermott began his coaching career as an assistant coach at

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

between 1989 and 1994, and during his tenure helped lead the Fighting Sioux to five consecutive NCAA Division II tournaments. On March 29, 1994, he accepted his first head coaching position at Division II

. McDermott remained as the head coach at Wayne State College for six seasons and compiled an overall record of 116 wins and 53 losses (116–53) during his tenure there from 1994 to 2000.

North Dakota State

In April 2000, McDermott resigned his Wayne State post and accepted the head coaching position at

. In his lone season with NDSU, he led the Bison to an overall record of 15 wins and 11 losses (15–11) en route to an eighth place finish in the

North Central Conference The North Central Conference (NCC), also known as North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, was a college athletic conference which operated in the north central United States. It participated in the NCAA's Division II. History The NCC ...

Northern Iowa

On April 3, 2001, McDermott was introduced as head coach at his alma mater,

. McDermott remained as the Panthers' head coach for five seasons between 2001 and 2006. During his tenure he led Northern Iowa to an overall record of 90 wins and 63 losses (90–63), the 2004

Missouri Valley Conference The Missouri Valley Conference (also called MVC or simply "The Valley") is the fourth-oldest collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. The conference's members are primarily located in the Midwestern Unite ...

tournament championship and the

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

, and 2006 NCAA Tournaments.

Iowa State

McDermott resigned his position with Northern Iowa on March 21, 2006, and accepted the same one at

. McDermott was the Cyclones' head coach for four seasons between 2007 and 2010, and during his tenure led them to an overall record of 59 wins and 68 losses (59–68). His marquee victory at Iowa State came on March 6, 2010, against No. 5

Kansas State Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public inst ...

. This was his only victory over a ranked team while with the Cyclones.

Creighton

On April 26, 2010, he resigned from Iowa State and accepted the same position at Creighton. The contract with Creighton was a reported ten-year deal, worth well over one million dollars per season.

2010–11 season

In his first season with the Bluejays, McDermott led the team to a 23–16 record, 10–8 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Creighton reached the final round of the College Basketball Invitational tournament where they lost to

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

two games to one.

2011–12 season

In just his second year, McDermott led Creighton to the Missouri Valley Conference tournament championship. The Bluejays were ranked as high as No. 12 in the nation, finished sixth nationally in home attendance, and received an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 8 seed in the Midwest Region. Creighton would defeat

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

58–57 in the first round, and lose to

UNC UNC is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to: Education * University of North Carolina, a multi-campus public university system in the U.S. ** University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a public research university ** PBS North Carolin ...

87–73 in the second round.

2012–13 season

Entering the 2012–13 season, McDermott had Creighton in the rankings in both preseason polls; they were No. 15 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 16 in the AP Poll. McDermott would lead Creighton to the MVC regular season championship, and its second straight MVC conference tournament championship. The Bluejays were ranked as high as No. 10 in the nation and finished sixth nationally in home attendance for the second consecutive year. The Bluejays received an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, where they were the No. 7 seed in the Midwest Region. Creighton would defeat

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

67–63 in the first round, and lose to

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...

66–50 in the second round.

2013–14 season

After the end of the 2012–13 season, Creighton left the Missouri Valley to join the

Big East The Big East Conference (stylized as BIG EAST) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA NCAA Division I, Division I in 10 men's sports and 12 women's sports. H ...

. In his fourth year at Creighton and first in the Big East, McDermott would lead Creighton to a runner-up finish in the Big East regular season and tournament. The Bluejays were ranked as high as No. 9 in the nation, and finished sixth nationally in home attendance for the third consecutive year. The Bluejays lost to Providence 65–58 in the finals of the Big East tournament, and received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 3 seed in the West Region, the highest NCAA Tournament seed in Creighton history. Creighton would defeat UL Lafayette 76–66 in the first round, and lose to Baylor 85–55 in the second round.

2014–15 season

Despite being ranked as high as No. 23 during the season, McDermott would have his first losing season at Creighton as they finished in a tie for last place in the Big East with a record of 14–19, 4–14 in conference play.

2015–16 season

In his sixth season with Creighton, McDermott led the Bluejays to a sixth place finish in the

with a record of 18–13, 9–9 in conference play. In the quarterfinals of the NIT, they lost to BYU 88–82 to finish the season 20–15.

2016–17 season

Entering the 2016–17 season, Creighton was ranked in both preseason polls. McDermott led the Bluejays to an 18–1 start and a ranking as high as No. 7 in the nation. The team finished the regular season 23–8, and lost to Villanova in the Big East tournament finals. The Bluejays received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 6 seed in the Midwest Region, and lost to the

Rhode Island Rams The Rhode Island Rams are the intercollegiate athletic programs that represent the University of Rhode Island, based in Kingston, Rhode Island, United States. The Rams compete in the NCAA's Division I as a member of the Atlantic 10 Conferenc ...

84–72 in the first round to finish the season 25–10.

2017–18 season

McDermott led the 2017–2018 Bluejays to a 21–12 record, 10–8 in Big East play to finish in a three-way tie for third place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament to

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in some religions * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

72–68. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 8 seed in the South Region. There, the Bluejays lost in the first round to

69–59.

2018–19 season

The Bluejays finished the season 20–15, 9–9 in Big East play to finish in a four-way tie for third place. As the No. 5 seed in the Big East tournament, they lost to Xavier in the quarterfinals. They received a bid to the National Invitation Tournament as the No. 2 seed in the NIT bracket where they defeated Loyola and

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Mem ...

before losing to

TCU TCU may stand for: Education * Tanzania Commission for Universities, regulatory body for Universities in Tanzania * Texas Christian University, a private university in Fort Worth, Texas ** TCU Horned Frogs, the athletic programs of the school * Tok ...

71–58 in the quarterfinals.

2019–20 season

Entering the 2019–20 season, the Bluejays were picked to finish 7th in the Big East, however McDermott and his team were able to finish tied for the Big East regular season championship with Villanova and

Seton Hall Seton Hall University (SHU) is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizab ...

. The Bluejays received the number 1 seed in the Big East tournament, and finished with a 24–7 record, 13–5 in the Big East. The Jays finished with a ranking of 7th in the nation which was their highest ranking of the season. Due to the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

outbreak, both the Big East tournament and the NCAA Tournament were cancelled. McDermott would record his 500th win as a head coach in this season with a 77–65 win over Xavier.

2020–21 season

Creighton finished the 2020–21 regular season with an 18–7 record, 14–6 in conference play, to finish in second place in the Big East. Creighton received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 5 seed in the West Region. In the first round, the Bluejays defeated the UCSB Gauchos 63–62. In the second round, the Bluejays defeated the

Ohio Bobcats The Ohio Bobcats are the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I Intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio University, located in Athens, Ohio, United States. Ohio University is a charter member (1946 ...

72–58, to reach the program's first regional semifinal since 1974. Creighton was defeated by

Gonzaga Gonzaga may refer to: Places *Gonzaga, Lombardy, commune in the province of Mantua, Italy *Gonzaga, Cagayan, municipality in the Philippines *Gonzaga, Minas Gerais, town in Brazil *Forte Gonzaga, fort in Messina, Sicily Surname *House of Gonza ...

83–65, to finish the season with a record of 22–9.

2021–22 season

During the 2021–22 regular season, largely regarded as a rebuilding year after the departure of star point guard

Marcus Zegarowski Marcus Zegarowski (born August 3, 1998) is an American professional basketball player who is a free agent. He played college basketball for the Creighton Bluejays. High school career Zegarowski attended Hamilton-Wenham, where as a freshman he av ...

and three other starters from the 2020–2021 roster, as well as two assistant coaches, McDermott nevertheless guided the Bluejays to a 20–10 regular season record (12–7 in Big East play), good enough for 4th place. Creighton received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 9 seed in the Midwest Region. In the first round, the Bluejays defeated the

San Diego State Aztecs The San Diego State Aztecs are the college athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent San Diego State University (SDSU). The university fields 17 varsity teams (6 men's, 11 women's) in National Collegiate Athle ...

72–69 in overtime. In the second round, the Bluejays lost to the

Kansas Jayhawks The Kansas Jayhawks, commonly referred to as simply KU or Kansas, are the athletic teams that represent the University of Kansas. KU is one of three schools List of college athletic programs in Kansas, in the state of Kansas that participate in ...

79–72, to finish the season with a record of 23–12. On March 22, 2022, McDermott received a multi-year contract extension. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

2023–24 season

On March 8, 2024, McDermott received another contract extension to keep him at Creighton through the 2027-2028 season; his previous contract was due to expire after the end of the 2025-2026 season. The new contract also makes McDermott one of the highest-paid coaches in the Big East.

2024–25 season

On November 13, 2024, McDermott passed

Dana Altman Dana Dean Altman (born June 16, 1958) is an American college basketball coach of the Oregon Ducks men's team. Previously he was head coach at Creighton, Kansas State and Marshall. He has been awarded a Coach of the Year Award for each team tha ...

for the most coaching wins in program history (328) when the Bluejays defeated the

Houston Christian Huskies The Houston Christian Huskies, HCU or Huskies (formerly known as Houston Baptist, HBU) are the athletic teams that represent Houston Christian University, located in Houston, Texas, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the Division I level ...

78–43. After the 2024–25 season,

Alan Huss Alan Huss (born January 15, 1979) is an American basketball coach who is currently an assistant coach for the Creighton Bluejays men's basketball team. He previously served as head coach at High Point from 2023 to 2025. Playing career Huss play ...

was named the associate head coach back at Creighton where he previously served as an assistant head coach. Huss' position stipulates that he will become the next head coach at Creighton when Greg McDermott retires.https://gocreighton.com/news/2025/4/10/alan-huss-appointed-associate-head-coach-and-head-coach-in-waiting-for-mens-basketball

Head coaching record

References

External links

Creighton profile

Iowa State profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:McDermott, Greg 1964 births Living people American men's basketball coaches American men's basketball players Basketball coaches from Iowa Basketball players from Iowa Centers (basketball) College men's basketball head coaches in the United States Creighton Bluejays men's basketball coaches Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball coaches North Dakota Fighting Hawks men's basketball coaches North Dakota State Bison men's basketball coaches Northern Iowa Panthers men's basketball coaches Northern Iowa Panthers men's basketball players People from Cascade, Iowa United States Sports Academy alumni Wayne State Wildcats men's basketball coaches 20th-century American sportsmen