LETHBRIDGE – Decorated U SPORTS alumni, retired professional athlete, and former Pronghorns assistant coach Kenny Otieno has been named the new head coach of the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns Men's Basketball program. Otieno, who joined the program in 2020, becomes the 14th head coach in the program's 54-year history.
"Kenny's experience with the team will give him familiarity with both returning and recruited student-athletes. His energy, professionalism and rapport with others has been evident. Kenny joins a very small list of Pronghorns head coaches from southern Alberta and we're excited to see him build the program into a perennial conference contender," says Executive Director of Pronghorn Athletics, Neil Langevin.
"Having known Kenny since he was at Wilson Middle School, I am proud of his character and we are eager to help him grow as a head coach with support from the department and his Pronghorns coaching colleagues."
A Lethbridge product, Otieno joined the Pronghorns men's basketball program as an assistant coach in 2020, returning to southern Alberta after playing with the Edmonton Stingers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). Otieno was a decorated student-athlete, winning a Canada West Championship and national bronze medal in 2014 with the University of Alberta Golden Bears. Otieno's professional playing experience included stops in the CEBL, the National Basketball League of Canada and LEB Plata in the Spanish basketball system.
"It means a lot to have this opportunity, especially since I grew up in the Lethbridge community," says Otieno. "I am constantly around the game through training, playing, and coaching, and to have the opportunity to fully indulge in the game of basketball as the leader of an organization is something I have always dreamed of and have been preparing for."
"It means the world to have the trust of the Pronghorns staff and our players to take this position and I plan on tackling this role with a commitment to hard work and accountability on and off the court."
Otieno has long been committed to growing the game of basketball from the grassroots level, running initiatives to teach basketball skills and concepts to young athletes, teams and club programs.
"My vision for the team is to continue to demand a standard of excellence and winning culture built in a manner that promotes growth and success on and off the court," he says. "Team camaraderie and team chemistry are key factors in all successful programs and through constructive criticism and positive feedback and advice, I want to grow that culture."
"Having been a U SPORTS student athlete, I understand what it takes to succeed on and off the court, and I also understand when players are struggling — as I did at times in my career. Through my experiences and strong relationships with my players, I hope to help them understand how to navigate and push through the hardships on and off the court to be successful young men. Creating and promoting opportunities for our players to be mentors to young aspiring athletes that look up to them will also be a major focus as I believe it is an important factor to improving community engagement."
Otieno will assume the role immediately, as the team sets its sights on program growth throughout the offseason.
University of Lethbridge Men's Basketball Coaches
R.A. Fry (1969-70 – 1973-76)
Logan Tait (1970-71)
Gary Bowie (1971-73
John Affleck (1976-79)
Ken Olynyk (1979-1988)
Cal O'Brien (1988-89)
Dave Crook (1989-2001)
Dave Adams (2001-02) Interim
Mike Connolly (2002-2009)
Dave Adams (2009-2013)
Mike Hansen (2013-2019)
Jermaine Small (2020-2023)
