CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (KCRG) – The University of Northern Iowa on Wednesday announced that Kyle Green has accepted the position of head men’s basketball coach.
Green becomes the 26th head coach in program history after a coaching career spanning more than 30 years across multiple NCAA divisions, including 16 seasons as an assistant coach at Northern Iowa.
He takes over for former head coach Ben Jacobson who left UNI after 20 seasons to take the same job at Utah State.
Director of Athletics Megan Franklin confirmed Green has agreed to a five-year contract. He will be formally introduced to the UNI community as head coach at a press conference at a date to be announced.
“It is a great pleasure to welcome Kyle Green back to the University of Northern Iowa,” UNI President Mark Nook said. “Kyle and his family have been a big part of UNI athletics for two decades. Kyle was an integral part of the Panther coaching staff during some of our most successful seasons and helped develop many outstanding players. I look forward to Kyle’s leadership in continuing to grow the legacy of Panther Men’s Basketball.”
Green returns to Cedar Falls after spending the previous five years as an assistant coach at Iowa State under head coach T.J. Otzelberger.
Green spent 16 total seasons as an assistant coach at UNI during three separate stints with the Panthers from 2001-03, 2006-11 and 2012-21 under head coaches Greg McDermott and Ben Jacobson. He spent his last four years in Cedar Falls as associate head coach under Jacobson.
“It is a great day to be a Panther as we welcome Kyle back to UNI as our new head men’s basketball coach,” Franklin said. “Kyle brings over three decades of coaching experience to Cedar Falls with a deep and diverse coaching portfolio. A longtime former Panther assistant and associate head coach, his foundation has been UNI basketball and there is no one better to lead this program into the next era.”
A contributor to more than 300 Panther victories, Green helped Northern Iowa to four Missouri Valley Conference tournament championships (2009, 2010, 2015, 2016), three MVC regular-season titles (2009, 2010, 2020) and four trips to the NCAA Tournament (2009, 2010, 2015, 2016), including UNI’s 2010 run to the Sweet Sixteen with wins over UNLV and top-ranked Kansas.
In total, UNI players earned 33 All-MVC honors during Green’s time with the Panthers with three Larry Bird MVC Player of the Year winners, including his son, AJ, in 2020. Green primarily worked with UNI post players, and the Panthers had four MVC Sixth Man of the Year honorees during his time in Cedar Falls, along with a pair of MVC Defensive Player of the Year award winners.
“I am incredibly honored and grateful for the opportunity to become the next head coach at UNI, a university and community that has meant so much to me and my family,” Green said. “We are so thankful to Athletic Director Megan Franklin and President Nook for this opportunity.”
“This is more than just a school or job to me and my family,” Green added. “It is a home. A place that has given so much more to our family than we could ever give back. A school with unparalleled history in men’s basketball. A tradition built by hall of fame coaches in Eldon Miller, Greg McDermott and Ben Jacobson. Coaches who I am fortunate to say are also mentors of mine. I don’t take the honor of carrying the torch forward lightly and cannot wait to get started. Go Panthers!”
Green has prior head coaching experience to UNI, having led programs at Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 2011-12, Lewis University in Illinois from 2004-06 and Western Colorado University (previously known at Western State College) from 2000-01. He also spent one season as an assistant coach at Marquette under head coach Tom Crean, helping lead the Golden Eagles to the quarterfinal round of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) in 2003-04.
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