MikhailMcLean

Mikhail McLean joined the Kentucky men’s basketball coaching staff on June 14, 2024.

McLean has spent the last three seasons on staff with Lamar as an assistant coach where the Cardinals have steadily improved year-to-year, culminating in a record-breaking 19-14 season in 2023-24.

The Cardinals’ 19 wins were their most in NCAA Division I since the 2011-12 season and the second most since the 1987-88 campaign. Lamar tallied 12 Southland Conference wins, which were the most for the program in more than five seasons. The Cardinals led the conference in scoring and were led by National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District guard selection Chris Pryor. Pryor averaged 11.5 points per game and ranked among the league’s leaders in assists and steals.

McLean had a hand in Lamar’s rise as the team’s offensive coordinator. He was also responsible for on-court player development with the guards and wings.

In addition to his collegiate coaching career, McLean is a native of The Bahamas and serves as the associate head coach on the Bahamian National Team staff. He has been a part of the program since 2021 and is the squad’s defensive coordinator.

Team Bahamas made history in 2024 by being one game shy of qualifying for the Olympics after a championship loss to Spain on their home court. Before that, Team Bahamas defeated both the No. 15 and No. 20 ranked teams in the world in Poland and Finland, while also tallying a victory over Lebanon in Olympic qualifying. In 2023, the Bahamas defeated Argentina, who ranked fourth in the world, twice during the Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament.

A former standout player for Houston, McLean was a four-year letterwinner for the Cougars and appeared in 101 games. He was a team captain and a five-time Dean’s List selection. McLean completed both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Houston in four years.

Following his playing career, McLean joined the Cougars’ staff as a graduate assistant before transitioning into the role of assistant director of player development. He was part of Houston’s staff for six seasons, helping the Cougars to American Athletic Conference titles in back-to-back seasons in 2019 and 2020. Houston advanced to the Sweet 16 in each of his final two seasons with the program and made a run to the 2021 Final Four.

At Houston, McLean’s duties included opponent scouting and player development. He worked with three NBA Draft selections, including Marcus Sasser, Quentin Grimes and Damyean Dotson.

McLean and his wife, Arrion, have three sons, Mikhail Jr., Amari and Kai.