Beloved College Basketball Coach Announces Retirement After 16 Seasons
After 16 years, Creighton Bluejays basketball coach Greg McDermott, 61, is concluding his illustrious coaching career by cutting the net.
McDermott released a statement on March 23, 2026, saying, "It has been an incredible honor to lead the Creighton men's basketball program for the past 16 years,” according to ESPN.
He continued: "I'm very proud of the young men that have proudly worn the Bluejay uniform and represented our program in a first-class manner. Witnessing their growth and development on and off the playing floor was especially gratifying."
McDermott Leaves Behind Winning Record
During his time in Nebraska, McDermott achieved significant success, securing 365 victories and appearing in five NCAA tournaments. His overall career record stands at 514-319, following prior head coaching stints at Northern Iowa (2001–2006) and Iowa State (2006–2010).
Despite the conference tournament being derailed by COVID-19, McDermott was honored as the Big East Coach of the Year for his leadership of the Creighton Bluejays.
Alan Huss, 47, the former Creighton assistant coach, has been named the successor to McDermott as the Division I school's new head coach. Huss stated he was "honored and humbled" by the appointment.
The Creighton Bluejays Men’s Basketball team shared a post about his retirement on X (formerly known as Twitter), garnering over 100,000 views.
16 Legendary Years.
— Creighton Men’s Basketball (@BluejayMBB) March 23, 2026
Thank you for everything, Coach.
???? https://t.co/fOxtJ41DsA#GoJays x @cucoachmac pic.twitter.com/prrZME8x27
Fans React To McDermott's Retirement News
Fans expressed their appreciation for McDermott once the news was announced.
One user wrote, “You are going to be missed most by future Blue Jays. You are an incredible human being, inspiring leader and amazing coach. Thank you for sharing your gifts!”
Another user, whose loyalty lies with another successful collegiate team, said: “Villanova fan here. Sad to see this, as it seems too soon. Seems like more than a few coaches retiring before the normal time due to NIL and the new CBB landscape. Best of luck to Coach McDermott and Creighton basketball. Wish they ended on a stronger run.”
An additional user expressed their gratitude for McDermott by saying he’s “the reason I am a Creighton fan,” and “he makes the program easy to love.”
NCAA March Madness Instagram page also posted the news, which shocked a number of fans and supporters.
One person said, “Congratulations Coach McDermott. A great coach and always a Class Act,” while another added, “Greg McDermott had a heck of a career.”
Before his retirement, McDermott spoke with Hurrdat Sports on March 3, 2026. He stated that he hoped to be remembered as someone who showed great admiration for Creighton Bluejays fans and truly enjoyed coaching his players.
“I don't ever want to coach the joy out of the game for these guys,” he explained. “They started playing this game because they love the game of basketball. And I think some young coaches in particular, because they feel the pressure, they coach that joy right out of the game and, you know, let the pressure they feel on themselves be passed over to the players. And I hope when people look back on my career, they don't feel like I did that.”