Illinois basketball adds former UNLV coach Kevin Kruger to assistant coaching staff

CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jon Rothstein reported today on X (@JonRothstein) that Illinois basketball will hire Kevin Kruger as Assistant to the Head Coach.

Kruger, a native of McAllen, Texas, is the son of former Illinois head coach Lon Kruger, who led the Illini from 1996 to 2000 before moving on to the NBA. Lon was inducted into the 2022 College Basketball Hall of Fame. While in Champaign, Lon Kruger went 81-48 through four years. Those four years included three trips to the NCAA tournament and one Big Ten regular-season Championship in 1998.

Kevin lived in Champaign for four years and played two seasons at Centennial High School.

NEWS: Per release, Illinois basketball has hired former UNLV head coach Kevin Kruger as an assistant to the head coach.

Coach Kevin Kruger is the son of former Illini coach Lon Kruger, who coached from 1996 to 2000 pic.twitter.com/MxBpObInu4

— Armchair Illinois (@ArmchairIllini) July 9, 2025

What Kevin Kruger is coming from

Kevin Kruger most recently served as the head coach at UNLV from 2021 to 2025. He has been coaching at the collegiate level since 2014. Kruger has held assistant roles at Northern Arizona, Oklahoma, and UNLV (2019–2021) before being promoted to head coach.

A former point guard at Arizona State and UNLV, Kruger also played professionally for six years in the NBA D-League and overseas.

As a head coach, Kruger compiled a 75–54 overall record. His 2023–24 UNLV team went 21–13, finished fourth in the Mountain West, and reached the quarterfinals of the NIT.

Kruger is the second addition to the Illinois staff this offseason. Back in May, Illinois brought on Camryn Crocker as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator.

With this move, Brad Underwood continues to strengthen his coaching staff ahead of the 2025–26 season. Kruger brings valuable head coaching experience and leadership, and he is expected to be another strong voice in the locker room. During his time in Champaign, Underwood has shown a propensity to adapt. With two new faces on his staff, I assume there will be more wrinkles in the Fighting Illini’s game planning and overall scheme.

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