Kennesaw State hires new men's basketball coach

After a historic season that ended in the NCAA men's basketball tournament, Kennesaw State has named former Alabama assistant Antoine Pettway its new men's basketball head coach.

Pettway follows Amir Abdur-Rahim as the eighth head coach in Kennesaw State history. The Owls are coming off their most successful season ever, setting numerous school records on the way to their first-ever ASUN regular season and tournament championships and NCAA Division 1 tournament appearance. 

Pettway will be formally introduced at a press conference at the KSU Convocation Center next week, pending university background check and USG approval, according to a school release.

Pettway joins the Owls after 15 years on the Alabama coaching staff, which culminated in the Crimson Tide spending several weeks as the nation’s No. 1 ranked team this past season.

"This has been extremely emotional and exciting for my family and I, but I am so grateful to have the opportunity to lead this program and work with an amazing group of people at Kennesaw State University," Pettway said in a team release. "I am ready to get started and soar to new heights with the Owls. I cannot go without thanking the University of Alabama. The last 15 years in Tuscaloosa have molded me into the man I am today."

He brought in the third-ranked class in the nation in 2022 that included two five-star and two four-star recruits, highlighted by potential NBA Draft Top 3 pick and 2022-23 National Freshman of the Year Brandon Miller.

"Coach Pettway is a well-rounded basketball coach, elite recruiter and family man with great integrity," KSU Athletic Director Milton Overton said in a statement. "His core values, exceptional work ethic, dedication to his players and love for the game is clear through the success Alabama basketball has experienced over the years. Coach Pettway has consistently ranked as a top-five recruiter in the nation over the past several years with a well-defined relationship in the state of Georgia coaching community. Coach Pettway was the offensive coordinator for one of the best offenses in the nation this past season for Alabama, who earned the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament."

BIRMINGHAM, AL - MARCH 16: Assistant Coach Antoine Pettway of Alabama Crimson Tide in team huddle against the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders during the first round of the 2023 NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament held at Legacy Arena at the BJ

Alabama ranked in the top 20 in the nation in scoring for the past four years under Pettway as the team’s offensive coordinator. That included this past season in which the team averaged 81.8 points per game, seventh-best in the nation. Over the past three years, the Crimson Tide posted four SEC championship titles and a pair of Sweet 16 appearances and set the school record for single season wins with a 31-6 record this past year. Alabama made five NCAA tournaments and six NIT appearances during his time in Tuscaloosa.

Pettway has recruited and developed over 40 professional athletes. That included eight NBA players over the last four years, highlighted by Collin Sexton, Kira Lewis, Herb Jones, Mark Sears, JD Davison, and projected 2023 NBA first round pick Noah Clowney.