6/17/2022

DAVIDSON –Matt McKillop, former Davidson standout and longtime assistant coach, has been named the program’s 19th head men’s basketball coach, as announced Friday afternoon by Director of Athletics Chris Clunie.

He succeeds his father, Bob McKillop, who announced his retirement this afternoon after 33 years leading the Wildcats.

Promoted to associate head coach prior to the 2016-17 season, McKillop joined the staff in 2008 and has been involved in all aspects of the program, including recruiting, scheduling, editing video for scouting and teaching purposes, analytics and community involvement.

The 2021-22 campaign was his 14th season on the Wildcat bench, where he has helped his alma mater to 294 victories and a 178-67 (.726) record in conference play, which includes a 91-46 mark in the A-10 the last eight years.

In 2015 and 2022, the Wildcats earned the school’s only NCAA Tournament at-large selections after capturing A-10 regular-season titles. Four years ago, Davidson accomplished another feat, claiming the program’s first A-10 Tournament Championship.

Individually, seven players have received All-America and conference Player of the Year recognition, while 29 all-conference nods have been awarded during his time.

In addition to Davidson averaging almost 21 wins a year during his tenure, the Wildcats have won six regular-season conference crowns and three tournament titles, while advancing to postseason play 11 times (5 – NCAA, 5 – NIT, 1 – CBI).

McKillop has played a major role on the recruiting trail, most notably with his Ohio connections, which helped the Wildcats land Brian Sullivan ’16, Jack Gibbs ’17 and Peyton Aldridge ’18.

Aldridge, the 2018 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, and Gibbs, currently rank third and fourth, respectively, on Davidson’s all-time scoring list behind Stephen Curry and John Gerdy.

Prior to returning to Davidson, McKillop got his start in coaching at Emory University, where he served as an assistant coach for another former Wildcat guard, Jason Zimmerman.

In 2007-08, the Eagles played the nation’s second-toughest schedule, which included an historic 81-76 overtime triumph over No. 1-ranked Rochester, the team’s first-ever win over a top-ranked team.

The program that McKillop helped rebuild has since posted more than 200 wins under Zimmerman, while advancing to seven straight NCAA Tournaments, including the Elite Eight in 2014.

McKillop, who started 98 of the 117 games he played for the Wildcats from 2002-06, still ranks among the school’s all-time leaders in 3-pointers made (223/7th), 3-pointers attempted (567/9th) and 3-point field-goal percentage (.393/7th).

He and the six other senior players that graduated from Davidson in 2006 won 77 games, recorded a perfect 16-0 Southern Conference mark in 2004-05 and made two straight postseason appearances, highlighted by the 2006 NCAA Tournament. His junior year, the Wildcats captured a pair of postseason NIT victories with roads wins at VCU and Southwest Missouri State.

Following graduation, McKillop accepted an offer to play professional basketball in the Czech Republic before suffering a knee injury.

After returning to the states, he took a job with the Charlotte Bobcats in marketing.

McKillop is married to former Davidson women’s tennis standout Kelsey Linville. The couple resides in the Town of Davidson with their daughters Hazel and Rosie.

COURTESY DAVIDSON ATHLETICS