Bob McKillop

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Bob McKillop
Bob McKillop.jpg
Biographical details
Born (1950-07-13) July 13, 1950 (age 74)
Queens, New York, U.S.
Playing career
1967–1968 East Carolina
1970–1972 Hofstra
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1973–1978 Holy Trinity HS
1978–1979 Davidson (assistant)
1979–1989 Long Island Lutheran HS
1989–2022Davidson
Head coaching record
Overall634–380 (.625)
Tournaments3–10 (NCAA Division I)
2–8 (NIT)
2–1 (CBI)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
11× SoCon regular season (1996, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2007–2009, 2012–2014)
7× SoCon tournament (1998, 2002, 2006–2008, 2012, 2013)
13× SoCon division (1996–1998, 2001–2005, 2007–2009, 2012, 2013)
2× A-10 regular season (2015, 2022)
A-10 tournament (2018)
Awards
Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award (2008)
NABC Coach of the Year (2008)
8× SoCon Coach of the Year (1994, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2012, 2013)
2× A-10 Coach of the Year (2015, 2022)

Robert McKillop (born July 13, 1950) is an American college basketball coach who is the former head coach of the Davidson Wildcats men's team of the Atlantic 10 Conference. He has a 100 percent graduation rate for his players during a 33-year tenure.

Contents

Early basketball career

Born in Queens, New York, McKillop grew up in Queens and on Long Island and played for Chaminade High School in Mineola. McKillop went on to play college ball for East Carolina University before transferring to Hofstra University. At Hofstra he was named team MVP. After graduating in 1972 with a degree in history, he was briefly signed as a free agent by the Philadelphia 76ers, but was cut.

Coaching career

He then accepted a job teaching history and coaching basketball back on Long Island at Holy Trinity Diocesan High School in Hicksville. There, McKillop achieved an 86–25 record. In 1978 he became an assistant coach at Davidson College in North Carolina for one year before returning to high school ball at Long Island Lutheran Middle and High School in Brookville. There, McKillop compiled a record of 182–51, winning five New York State Championships.

Head coach at Davidson

In 1989, McKillop returned to Davidson as head coach. He is Davidson's all-time leader in wins, years coached, and games coached. His 230 Southern Conference wins are more than any coach in league history. He has been the SoCon Coach of the Year seven times, has won thirteen conference division titles, seven tournament championships, and taken his team to seven NCAA tournaments and four postseason NITs. All this winning hasn't come at any academic sacrifice, as 95 per cent of his Davidson lettermen have graduated. In 2006 the Wildcats won the Southern Conference tournament and went on to face No. 4 seeded Ohio State in the NCAA tournament. 13th seeded Davidson led 29–25 at halftime before falling 70–62. On January 27, 2007, McKillop reached 300 wins with a 79–59 victory over Western Carolina in Belk Arena. On February 26, 2011 he reached 400 wins with a 78–67 victory over UNC Greensboro.

Despite the recent success of the Wildcats, the 2006–07 season promised to be a rebuilding year, as McKillop lost seven seniors, accounting for 76% of scoring. Nevertheless, Davidson finished the year with an overall record of 24–4 and 17–1 in the SoCon. They were ranked 31st in the nation by the ESPN/USA Today poll and #4 among mid-majors. In the months of December, January and February, the Wildcats lost a total of one game. This season saw the arrival of the Wildcats' greatest modern player, future two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry.

On March 3, 2007, the Wildcats won their second straight Southern Conference tournament Championship, and third in 5 years. Davidson defeated College of Charleston 72–65, after waltzing past Furman and UT Chattanooga in the earlier rounds. In 2007, McKillop's Wildcats represented the Southern Conference in the NCAA tournament by battling number 4 seed Maryland losing by 12 at Buffalo.

In 2008, after compiling a perfect regular season conference record, the Wildcats ran their record to three straight Southern Conference tournament Championships, beating Elon in the title game. They entered the NCAA tournament as a 10-seed and took down 7-seed Gonzaga, for their first NCAA Tournament win since 1969. They then won their second-round game against the 2-seed Georgetown to advance to the Sweet 16. Almost a week after beating Georgetown, McKillop and Davidson stunned by upsetting the 3 seed and regular season Big Ten champions Wisconsin. This win put Davidson in the Elite Eight for the first time since Lefty Driesell got them there in 1969.

The 2008 season was a testament to McKillop's recruiting prowess, as they were carried by the shooting of Curry, who did not get a second look from most of the bigger programs.

In February 2014, Davidson named the playing surface at Davidson's on-campus arena, John M. Belk Arena, "McKillop Court"—much to McKillop's surprise. [1]

Family

McKillop and his wife, Cathy, have three children, all of whom graduated from Davidson—Kerrin in 2003, Matt in 2006, and Brendan in 2011. Matt played for his father from 2003 to 2006 and earned four varsity letters. After assisting former Wildcat player and assistant coach Jason Zimmerman at Emory University in Atlanta, Matt was named assistant coach to his father at Davidson in 2008, was elevated to associate head coach in 2016, and succeeded his father as Wildcats head coach in 2022. [2] Brendan also played for his father at Davidson.

All of McKillop's children married Davidson students; Kerrin married Henry Heil, Matt married former Wildcats tennis player Kelsey Linville, [2] and Brenden married Keena Classen. McKillop has five grandchildren: Kerrin's children Maggie, Claire, and Jack Heil; and Matt's daughters Hazel and Rosie McKillop. [2]

Head coaching record

College

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Davidson Wildcats (NCAA Division I independent)(1989–1990)
1989–90 Davidson 4–24
Davidson Wildcats (Big South Conference)(1990–1992)
1990–91 Davidson 10–196–84th
1991–92 Davidson 11–176–86th
Davidson Wildcats (Southern Conference)(1992–2014)
1992–93 Davidson 14–1410–85th
1993–94 Davidson 22–813–5T–2nd NIT First Round
1994–95 Davidson 14–137–73rd (North)
1995–96 Davidson 25–514–01st (North) NIT First Round
1996–97 Davidson 18–1010–4T–1st (North)
1997–98 Davidson 20–1013–2T–1st (North) NCAA Division I Round of 64
1998–99 Davidson 16–1111–52nd (North)
1999–00 Davidson 15–1310–62nd (North)
2000–01 Davidson 15–177–9T–3rd (North)
2001–02 Davidson 21–1011–5T–1st (North) NCAA Division I Round of 64
2002–03 Davidson 17–1011–5T–1st (North)
2003–04 Davidson 17–1211–5T–1st (South)
2004–05 Davidson 23–916–01st (South) NIT Second Round
2005–06 Davidson 20–1110–52nd (South) NCAA Division I Round of 64
2006–07 Davidson 29–517–11st (South) NCAA Division I Round of 64
2007–08 Davidson 29–720–01st (South) NCAA Division I Elite Eight
2008–09 Davidson 27–818–21st (South) NIT Second Round
2009–10 Davidson 16–1511–73rd (South)
2010–11 Davidson 18–1510–84th (South) CBI Quarterfinal
2011–12 Davidson 25–816–21st (South) NCAA Division I Round of 64
2012–13 Davidson 26–817–11st (South) NCAA Division I Round of 64
2013–14 Davidson 20–1315–11st NIT First Round
Davidson Wildcats (Atlantic 10 Conference)(2014–2022)
2014–15 Davidson 24–814–41st NCAA Division I Round of 64
2015–16 Davidson 20–1310–86th NIT First Round
2016–17 Davidson 17–158–109th
2017–18 Davidson 21–1213–53rd NCAA Division I Round of 64
2018–19 Davidson 24–1014–42nd NIT First Round
2019–20 Davidson 16–1410–87th
2020–21 Davidson 13–97–43rd NIT First Round
2021–22 Davidson 27–715–31st NCAA Division I Round of 64
Davidson:634–380 (.625)381–149 (.719)
Total:634–380 (.625)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

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The 2013–14 Davidson Wildcats men's basketball team represented Davidson College during the 2013–14 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Wildcats, led by 25th year head coach Bob McKillop, played their home games at the John M. Belk Arena and were members of the Southern Conference. They finished the season 20–13, 15–1 in SoCon play to win the SoCon regular season championship. They advanced to the semifinals of the SoCon tournament where they lost to Western Carolina. As a regular season conference champion who failed to win their conference tournament, they received an automatic bid to the National Invitation Tournament where they lost in the first round to Missouri.

The 2014–15 Davidson Wildcats men's basketball team represented Davidson College during the 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Wildcats, led by 26th year head coach Bob McKillop, played their home games at the John M. Belk Arena and were first year members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. They finished the season 24–8, 14–4 in A-10 play to win the A-10 regular season championship. They advanced to the semifinals of the A-10 tournament where they lost to VCU. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they lost in the second round to Iowa.

The 2002 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament took place from February 28–March 3, 2002 at the North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston, South Carolina. The Davidson Wildcats, led by head coach Bob McKillop defeated the Furman Paladins in the championship game to win their seventh title in school history and receive the automatic berth to the 2002 NCAA tournament.

The 2015–16 Davidson Wildcats men's basketball team representsed Davidson College during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Wildcats, led by 27th year head coach Bob McKillop, played their home games at the John M. Belk Arena and were second year members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. Davidson finished the season with a record of 20–13, 10–8 record in A-10 play, finishing in sixth place. They lost to eventual tournament champion, Saint Joseph's, in the semifinals of the A-10 tournament. They received an invitation to the National Invitation Tournament where they lost in the first round to Florida State.

The 2016–17 Davidson Wildcats men's basketball team represented Davidson College during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Wildcats, led by 28th-year head coach Bob McKillop, played their home games at the John M. Belk Arena in Davidson, North Carolina as third-year members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. They finished the regular season 17–15, 8–10 in A-10 play to finish in ninth place. They received the No. 9 seed in the A-10 tournament where they defeated La Salle and Dayton to advance to the semifinals where they lost to Rhode Island.

The 2017–18 Davidson Wildcats men's basketball team represented Davidson College during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Wildcats were led by 29th-year head coach Bob McKillop and played their home games at the John M. Belk Arena in Davidson, North Carolina as fourth-year members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. They finished the season 21–12, 13–5 in the A-10 to finish in third place. In the A-10 tournament they defeated Saint Louis, St. Bonaventure, and Rhode Island to be A-10 Tournament champions. They received the A-10's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament where they lost in the first round to Kentucky.

The 2018–19 Davidson Wildcats men's basketball team represented Davidson College during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Wildcats were led by 30th-year head coach Bob McKillop and played their home games at the John M. Belk Arena in Davidson, North Carolina as fifth-year members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Wildcats finished the season 24–10, 14–4 to finish as runners-up in the Atlantic 10 regular season. They defeated Saint Joseph's in the quarterfinals of the A-10 tournament before losing to Saint Louis in the semifinals. They received an at-large bid to the National Invitation Tournament as a No. 4 seed, where they lost to Lipscomb in the first round.

The 2019–20 Davidson Wildcats men's basketball team represented Davidson College during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Wildcats were led by 31st-year head coach Bob McKillop and played their home games at the John M. Belk Arena in Davidson, North Carolina as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. They finished the season 16–14, 10–8 in A-10 play to finish in seventh place. Their season ended when the A-10 tournament and all other postseason tournaments were canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

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The 2021–22 Davidson Wildcats men's basketball team represented Davidson College during the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Wildcats were led by 33rd-year head coach Bob McKillop and played their home games at the John M. Belk Arena in Davidson, North Carolina as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. They finished the season 27–7, 15–3 in A-10 Play to finish as regular season champions. They defeated Fordham and Saint Louis to advance to the championship game of the A–10 Tournament where they lost to Richmond. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 10 seed in the West Region, where they lost in the first round to Michigan State.

The 2022–23 Davidson Wildcats men's basketball team represented Davidson College during the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Wildcats were led by first-year head coach Matt McKillop and played their home games at the John M. Belk Arena in Davidson, North Carolina as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10).

The 2010–11 Davidson Wildcats men's basketball team represented Davidson College in the 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Wildcats, led by head coach Bob McKillop, played their home games at John M. Belk Arena in Davidson, North Carolina, as members of the Southern Conference. The Wildcats finished fourth in the SoCon's South Division during the regular season, and were eliminated in the first round of the SoCon tournament by UNC Greensboro.

The 1997–98 Davidson Wildcats men's basketball team represented Davidson College in NCAA men's Division I competition during the 1997–98 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by head coach Bob McKillop, the team played its home games at Belk Arena. The Wildcats finished atop the Southern Conference regular season standings and won the Southern Conference tournament to receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as No. 14 seed in the Southeast region. Davidson finished win an overall record of 20–10.

The 2001–02 Davidson Wildcats men's basketball team represented Davidson College in NCAA men's Division I competition during the 2001–02 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by head coach Bob McKillop, the team played its home games at Belk Arena. The Wildcats finished atop the Southern Conference North division regular season standings and won the Southern Conference tournament to receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as No. 13 seed in the West region. Davidson finished win an overall record of 21–10.

The 2023–24 Davidson Wildcats men's basketball team represented Davidson College during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Wildcats were led by second-year head coach Matt McKillop and played their home games at the John M. Belk Arena in Davidson, North Carolina as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10).

The 2024–25 Davidson Wildcats men's basketball team represents Davidson College during the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Wildcats are led by third-year head coach Matt McKillop and play their home games at the John M. Belk Arena in Davidson, North Carolina as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10).

References

  1. ↑ DeCourcy, Mike. Davidson surprises Bob McKillop by naming program's court after him. Sporting News, 2014-02-01.
  2. 1 2 3 "Matt McKillop Named Head Men's Basketball Coach" (Press release). Davidson Wildcats. June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
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