Northern Kentucky University Athletics

John Brannen was announced as Northern Kentucky University’s fifth men’s basketball head coach in program history by Director of Athletics Ken Bothof on April 6, 2015. And, in four years as head coach turned NKU into one of the nation's premier mid-major programs.

Northern Kentucky saw unprecedented success during the last three years under Brannen's guidance. No other Division I program has won two regular-season league titles (2018, 2019), two league tournament crowns (2017, 2019), played in the NCAA tournament twice (2017, 2019) and either NIT (2018), or NCAA tournament again, in each of their first three years with active Division I membership.

Brannen engineered one of the fastest and best turnarounds in the country, leading the Norse to a 24-11 overall record and 12-6 mark in the Horizon League that resulted in a share of third-place during the 2016-17 regular-season. The Norse were plus-15 in the win column from the previous season, which was the third-best turnaround in the nation, trailing just UCLA and Minnesota.

NKU then won three games in as many days to claim the Horizon League Tournament crown. Lavone Holland II, one of Brannen’s first recruits as head coach of the Norse, was named the Horizon League Tournament Most Valuable Player. Holland was joined on the all-tourney team by Drew McDonald, who Brannen molded into a first-team all-Horizon League player as just a sophomore.

The Horizon League Tournament Championship provided Northern Kentucky with its first berth in the NCAA Division I Tournament, a remarkable feat considering it was the first season the Norse were eligible to compete in NCAA postseason competition following a four-year reclassification period.

Brannen followed Northern Kentucky's historic 2016-17 season with a 2018 Horizon League Regular-Season Championship and automatic berth in the NIT. McDonald reprised his role on the Horizon League first team, while Holland was honored on the second team and Jalen Tate was both an all-defensive and all-freshman team honoree.

The Norse continued their assent with a second-straight regular-season title in 2018-19, tying Wright State atop the regular-season standings before running past the Raiders in the league tournament championship game to collect their second tourney title in a three-season span.

In his first season at the helm of NKU’s program, Brannen saw the team to a 9-21 record, including a 5-13 mark in Northern Kentucky’s inaugural season in the Horizon League, one of the best mid-major basketball conference in the country. The Norse exceeded the preseason prognostications by finishing two spots higher than their preseason ranking.

Northern Kentucky University Head Coach – 2014-15 to 2018-19

• Holds a 81-50 overall record through three seasons as head coach at NKU
• Named 2016-17 Horizon League Coach of the Year
• Led NKU to two Horizon League Regular-Season Championships (2018, 2019)
• Won two Horizon League Tournament Championships as coach of the Norse (2017, 2019)
• Guided NKU to 2017 NCAA Tournament, making the Norse just the seventh team all-time and just the second to reach the NCAA tourney in its first year eligible
• Also, led the Norse to the 2019 NCAA Tournament, falling to National Runner-Up Texas Tech in the first round
• Took NKU to the 2018 NIT, where it fell to Louisville in the opening round
• Brannen’s players amassed 15 Horizon League postseason accolades in four years as Northern Kentucky’s head coach 

• Served as interim head coach for the Crimson Tide during 2015 NIT Tournament, leading the team to the second round and finishing with a 1-1 overall record
• Integral part of lifting the Crimson Tide to three 20-win seasons from 2011-13 and three postseason appearances during his six campaigns in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
• In 2012-13 season, helped Alabama to a 23-13 overall record (12-6 SEC) as the squad reached the quarterfinals of the NIT and finished second in the SEC.
• In 2012, assisted in directing the Crimson Tide to the NCAA Tournament, the program’s first NCAA appearance since the 2006 season. Alabama finished with a 21-12 mark and won the 2012 SEC West Division title.
• In second season at Alabama, helped guide the Tide to a 25-12 record, an appearance in the NIT championship game and an SEC Western Division crown.
• Recruiting efforts also drew national acclaim, as the Tide landed the nation’s No. 5 recruiting class in 2011 and the No. 21-ranked recruiting class in 2014.

• Helped coach the Rams to three-straight conference titles and postseason appearances, including two NCAA Tournaments.
• Developed reputation as one of the nation’s premier recruiters in landing a 2007 recruiting class that was ranked in the top-20 nationally.
• Followed that up with a 2008 class that was ranked third among mid-major programs by Rivals.com and a 2009 class that was ranked fifth.
• 2008 class went on to comprise the starting five of VCU’s memorable Final Four run in 2011.
• Helped coach the program to a 76-25 record in three seasons, with 12 players earning All-Colonial Athletic Association honors including two-time CAA Player of the Year Eric Maynor.

• Member of prestigious Villa 7 Consortium since 2006.
• 2016-17 Northern Kentucky University team was honored with the by the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce with the 2017 Northern Kentucky ImageMaker Award, sponsored by Duke Energy, presented on special occasions to an individual or group whose achievements have brought national or international recognition to the Northern Kentucky region.
• Four former players have played professionally in the NBA: JaMychal Green (Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs); Eric Maynor (Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, Philadelphia 76ers); Tony Mitchell (Milwaukee Bucks); Larry Sanders (Milwaukee Bucks)

• Was a Rhodes Scholar finalist and received postgraduate scholarships from both the NCAA and Southern Conference.
• Led the Southern Conference in scoring senior season (1996-97) by averaging 20.9 points per game and was named the league tournament MVP.
• Began collegiate career at Morehead State before transferring to Marshall, where he scored 1,008 points in only two seasons.
• Following graduation from Marshall, played two seasons professionally in Belgium’s First Division, earning all-star honors and serving as a player-coach. 
• Originally hailing from nearby Alexandria, Kentucky, and graduating from Newport Central Catholic.
• Married to the former Lisa Elswick.
• The couple is parents of twin daughters Jaylee and Katelyn.