Khalil Fennell was hired as the 16th head coach in the history of the Western Michigan men’s basketball program in March of 2026. The 2026-27 campaign will be his first at the helm of the Broncos.
Fennell arrived in Kalamazoo following a successful tenure at UTRGV. He quickly established himself as one of the rising leaders in college basketball, guiding a team with six wins prior to his arrival to one of Division I’s largest turnarounds with 16 and 19 wins over his two seasons. In his last season, he was named a finalist for the prestigious Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year award, presented annually to the top minority head coach in Division I men’s basketball.
At UTRGV, he never had a losing record and inspired a transformation that elevated the program’s competitiveness and instilled a culture centered on toughness and accountability. His teams were recognized for their style of play, defensive intensity and ability to compete at a high level within their conference. Beyond the court, Fennell emphasized academic achievement and holistic development, ensuring his student-athletes succeeded in the classroom and made meaningful impacts in their communities.
Fennell brought a diverse and accomplished coaching résumé with him to Kalamazoo, having worked at multiple levels of Division I basketball and alongside some of the game’s most respected coaches. Prior to becoming head coach at UTRGV in April 2024, Fennell served on the BYU men's basketball staff under Mark Pope. During the 2023-24 season, he played an instrumental role in helping BYU transition to the Big 12 Conference, where the Cougars exceeded expectations, finishing fifth after being picked 13th in the preseason poll. BYU posted a 23-11 overall record, went 10-8 in league play, and earned a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Under his guidance, Jaxson Robinson was named Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year.
He also spent four seasons at Louisville, working under Chris Mack. After serving three seasons as the program's director of operations, Fennell was elevated to assistant coach in April of 2021. During his time in Louisville, the Cardinals compiled a 70-47 overall record and consistently competed in the ACC. The program recorded 20 or more wins in two consecutive seasons, advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2018-19, and continued a streak of 15 consecutive seasons with at least eight conference wins.
Earlier in his career, Fennell spent one season at Portland State, helping guide the program to a 20-14 record — its highest win total in over a decade — along with a program-record 10 road victories and a postseason appearance.
Fennell began his coaching career at UT Permian Basin from 2015-17 under head coach Andy Newman, where the Falcons captured the Lone Star Conference regular season and tournament championships in 2016-17. That season, UTPB won a program-record 26 games and led the nation in rebounding.
Fennell brought a unique professional background to his coaching career. Prior to entering collegiate athletics, he spent 10 years as a rising star in the medical device sales industry, developing a strong foundation in leadership, relationship building, and organizational management — skills that have translated seamlessly into his success as a coach, recruiter and program leader.
A native of California, Fennell played one season at Penn State New Kensington, before transferring to the University of Redlands, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in History. He played three seasons and served as team captain his season year.
Fennell and his wife, Sarah, a former collegiate basketball student-athlete at the University of Dayton, have two sons, Ezra (12) and Koa (11).
