Senderoff Meets the Press as Kent State's New Basketball Coach

Why fix what’s not broken?

Kent State formally announced Thursday afternoon it hired Rob Senderoff, former coach Geno Ford’s top assistant, to be the next men’s basketball team coach.

“It became clear fairly early in our coaching search that the most-qualified candidate and the best choice to lead our program to even greater success in the future was Rob Senderoff,” said Joel Nielsen, Kent State director of athletics. “Rob has been one of the cornerstones behind our long tradition of winning.”

Named the No. 4 best Mid-Major assistant by The Hoop Scoop, Senderoff was the favorite for the job, especially considering the team’s previous track record in coaching hires.

Ford was Jim Christian’s top assistant before rising to the head coaching job. And Christian was Stan Heath’s man before that. That consistency of moving assistant coach to head coach can be seen as one factor in the success the Flashes have had for the past 15 years, despite the coaching carousel they’ve faced in that time.

“One thing I said to them early on in the process of them selecting a basketball coach is no one in the country is more prepared than I to coach these guys and this team,” Senderoff said. “You could bring Roy Williams in here and I’d be more prepared than him. I am glad he didn’t interview for the job, though.”

Senderoff started at Kent State under Christian during the 2002-03 season and left for Indiana four seasons later. His two-year stint with the Hoosiers was marred by a recruiting scandal under former head coach Kelvin Sampson, which the NCAA penalized him 36 months for. His recruiting restrictions end in late May.

Senderoff then returned to the Flashes to be Ford’s right-hand man in 2008. After Ford took off suddenly for Bradley just three days after Kent State finished its NIT run, the Flashes named Senderoff their interim head coach. Thursday at center court in the MAC Center, Kent State removed the interim tag.

Under Senderoff, the Flashes’ coaching staff doesn’t look much different. Bobby Steinburg and Jordan Mincy remain as assistant coaches, and Mike McKee, formerly a graduate assistant, will become director of basketball operations.

With forward Justin Green (MAC Player of the Year) and guards Michael Porrini (MAC Defensive Player of the Year) and Carlton Guyton (MAC Sixth Man of the Year) returning, expectations are already high for the Flashes next season.

“I think the continuity that we have within our staff and our players and our program is going to lead to a very special, special season next year,” Senderoff said. “It’s going to continue to foster special seasons in the future.”