Mikhail McLean hired as Kentucky basketball assistant coach

New Kentucky head basketball coach Mark Pope has made yet another addition to his first staff in Lexington, bringing aboard Mikhail McLean.

The school announced the addition Friday afternoon, writing in a release: “Mikhail McLean has joined the Kentucky men’s basketball staff as an assistant coach, UK head coach Mark Pope announced Friday.”

McLean was most recently an assistant at Lamar University. He joined the Cardinals back in 2021 under Alvin Brooks III, who also just joined Mark Pope as an assistant coach at Kentucky.

Along with McLean and Brooks, the primary staff consists of assistants Cody Fueger, Jason Hart and Mark Fox. Meanwhile, Nick Robinson is there as Director of Men’s Basketball Operations. Randy Towner is also there now as their new strength and conditioning coach.

Before their with the Cardinals, McLean and Brooks were also teamed up on the staff at Houston, McLean’s alma mater, for six seasons under Kelvin Sampson. McLean was the assistant director of player development for the Cougars over his half-decade there, and he served as an academic liaison and a camp director as well after starting as a graduate assistant.

Of course, McLean was also a player at Houston from 2010 to 2015. He appeared in 102 total games and made 34 starts. He averaged 2.4 points per game in that career along with 1.8 rebounds while shooting 47.5% overall — modest numbers, but he was precise, averaging between 2.2 and 2.6 points all five seasons.

Kentucky confirms Robinson, Towner additions

Last Monday, UK men’s Basketball officially announced the program hired Nick Robinson and Randy Towner. Robinson will serve as the team’s director of operations while Towner will be Kentucky’s head strength coach.

Robinson was an assistant coach at BYU from 2019-24, serving under head coach Mark Pope. Now, the pair will reunite in Lexington, Kentucky, with hopes to reach new heights. Pope is certainly excited about the addition.

“Nick Robinson has worked in college basketball in every capacity from being a special assistant to the head coach to the head coach himself,” Pope said. “He’s had incredible success, worked in every area of the country, has a great track record and an incredible future in front of him.”

Pope also believes Towner will be a great fit for Kentucky.

“Randy Towner is one of the elite strength and conditioning coaches in all of basketball,” Pope said. “He spent time in the college ranks before moving on to one of the best staffs in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks. Our guys are blessed to have him here. He has a ton of juice, a wealth of expertise and will embrace what Kentucky basketball is all about.”