High Point coach Alan Huss will return to Creighton as the head coach-in-waiting for whenever Greg McDermott decides to leave or retire
Alan Huss will leave High Point to become coach-in-waiting at Creighton, says it’s a ‘dream job’By ERIC OLSONAP Sports WriterThe Associated PressOMAHA, Neb.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — High Point coach Alan Huss will return to Creighton as the head coach-in-waiting for whenever Greg McDermott decides to leave or retire, the Bluejays announced Thursday.
The 60-year-old McDermott just completed his 15th season with the Bluejays. He passed Dana Altman as the program’s career wins leader in November and will go into 2025-26 with a 350-171 record.
Huss, who played at Creighton from 1997-2001, was a McDermott assistant for six seasons before he was hired at High Point.
“Returning to Creighton, my alma mater, to work alongside Coach McDermott and contribute to the future of this program is an extraordinary opportunity and, honestly, my dream job,” Huss said.
McDermott said Huss’ dedication and vision align with the program’s commitment to winning.
“When the time is right, he will be the ideal coach to keep Creighton men’s basketball among the nation’s best,” McDermott said.
Huss was 56-15 overall and 27-5 in the Big South Conference in two years. High Point won the conference regular-season title both years, and its league tournament championship this past season earned the Panthers their first berth in the NCAA Tournament. They lost 73-65 to Purdue in the first round to end a 29-6 season.
The Panthers have posted two back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in their Division I era, which dates to 1999.
“The strategic decision to hire Huss now as a head coach in waiting allows Creighton to implement a clear succession plan that prioritizes and maximizes student-athlete success and stability, continues to build leaders on and off the court, and keeps the program focused on competing for championships,” a statement released by Creighton said.
As a Creighton assistant, Huss worked with the big men and helped develop the 7-foot-1 Ryan Kalkbrenner, who became a four-time Big East defensive player of the year and the 2025 national defensive player of the year.
Huss was an assistant at New Mexico from 2014-17 and before that coached at the high school level in Indiana. He grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, and played at Creighton under Altman and alongside now-retired NBA sharpshooter Kyle Korver.
McDermott has led Creighton to five straight NCAA Tournament appearances and 10 overall. The 2021 and 2024 teams reached the Sweet 16 and his 2023 team made the Elite Eight. The 2020 team finished in a three-way tie for first place in the Big East, and the Bluejays have been third or higher in the conference all but one season since 2017. The Bluejays have won at least 20 games in 10 straight seasons and in all but one of McDermott’s 15 years.
“When the time comes for Greg to conclude his distinguished career at Creighton,” athletic director Marcus Blossom said, “I have complete confidence that Coach Huss will build upon our success, upholding the values and culture that Coach McDermott has so carefully cultivated.”
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AP College Basketball Writer Aaron Beard in Raleigh, North Carolina, contributed to this report.
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