By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net    

MIKHAIL McLean, who is a part of the Bahamas coaching staff that is preparing the men’s national team for the final Olympic Games qualifier, will be joining the Wildcats men’s basketball team at the University of Kentucky

Wildcats’ head coach Mark Pope made the official announcement on Friday. McLean, who left his assistant coaching job at the University of Houston with the Cougars men’s coach, coached by Kelvin Sampson, said he’s looking forward to the change in locations.

“I am honoured to be joining coach Pope and the Kentucky men’s basketball staff,” said McLean in a statement as he accepted the new deal with the Wildcats, one of the top men’s collegiate basketball teams in the United States. 

“There is not a better fan base to work for and chase championships than this one. I would like to thank coach Pope and Mitch Barnhart for affording me this opportunity.”

McLean, however, noted that his past working experiences certainly helped prepare for him what’s ahead of his basketball journey as a former player turned coach.

“I would be remiss if I did not also thank Alvin Brooks for his selfless leadership and mentorship the last 14 years at both Lamar University and the University of Houston, along with Kelvin Sampson for their unbelievable support and guidance,” he stated.

“My family and I are thrilled to be joining the Lexington community and I can’t wait to get to work.”

McLean and his wife Arrion, along with their three sons, Mikhail Jr., Amari and Kai, were welcomed to Lexington by Pope. 

“Mikhail played and coached under Kelvin Sampson who is one of the best, toughest and smartest coaches in the game,” Pope said.

“Mikhail’s work with The Bahamian National Team along with his college coaching experience has allowed him to become one of the hardest-working, detail-oriented and top skill development coaches in the country.

“I’m so excited to have him and his family join our staff, and for him to get to work with our team because he is going to make a massive impact on this program.”

McLean brings a wealth of experience to the Wildcats, having played with the Houston Cougars as a four-year letterwinner with 102 games under his belt and also a team captain as a senior. He registered 245 career points, 187 rebounds, 25 assists, 21 blocks and 21 steals. He went on to earn a Master’s in Education from Houston in 2015.

McLean earned a Master’s in Education from Houston in 2015. Now, he’s bringing his coaching talents to Lexington with the Kentucky Wildcats.

A former standout player for Houston, McLean was a four-year letterwinner for the Cougars and appeared in 101 games. He was a team captain and a five-time Dean’s List selection. McLean completed both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Houston in four years.

Following his playing career, McLean joined the Cougars’ staff as a graduate assistant before transitioning into the role of assistant director of player development. 

McLean was also a part of Houston’s staff for six seasons, helping the Cougars to American Athletic Conference titles in back-to-back seasons in 2019 and 2020. Houston advanced to the Sweet 16 in each of his final two seasons with the program and made a run to the 2021 Final Four.

At Houston, McLean’s duties included opponent scouting and player development. He worked with three NBA Draft selections, including Marcus Sasser, Quentin Grimes and Damyean Dotson.

McLean joined Lamar’s coaching staff under Brooks back in 2021 after previously coming from Houston as the assistant director of player development. There, he helped lead the Cougars to AAC titles in 2019 and 2020 with a Final Four run in 2021.

McLean is currently traveling with the men’s national team in a training camp in Houston where they are preparing for the final Olympic qualifier in Valencia, Spain from July 2-7.

It’s the first time that the Bahamas has had a team reach this far in qualifying for the Olympics. The team is hoping to book its ticket to the games in Parks, France from July 27 to August 11th.

As an assistant coach and defensive coordinator on the team since 2021, McLean continues to serve under the direction of head coach Chris DeMarco of the National Basketball Association’s Golden State Warriors.

The team is being led by NBA players Buddy Hield of the Philadelphia 76ers, Kai Jones of the Los Angeles Clippers, DeAndre Ayton of the Portland Trailblzers and Eric Gordon of the Phoenix Suns.

The Bahamas advanced to the Olympic Qualifier by winning the 2024 FIBA Men’s Pre-Qualifying Tournament that was held from August 14-20 August, 2023 in Santiago del Estero, Argentina. beating the fruth-ranked Argentina team twice.

With victories over Cuba and Uruguay during the 2023 run, The Bahamas has now been pegged at number 57 on the FINA World ranking  In preparation for Spain, The Bahamas will play two exhibition games during their training camp.