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RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Senior Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque announced on Saturday that head men’s basketball coach Kahil Fennell has accepted the head coaching position at Western Michigan.
 
In two seaons as the head coach of the Vaqueros, Fennell went 35-29, tying for the second most wins for a head coach in their first two seasons in program history.
 
UTRGV went 22-9 at home thanks in-part to a home court advantage exemplified by nearly 20,000 fans attending home games this year as the Vaqueros were top five in the Southland Conference (SLC) in attendance.
 
That home court advantage was also bolstered by the completion of significant enhacnements to the UTRGV Fieldhouse, including the opening of the atrium in the fall of 2025 and the practice gym in the fall of 2024.
 
“I want to extend my personal thanks to Coach Fennell and his family for their efforts in creating a winner over the past two seasons,” Conque said. “After 35 wins in two years, including 19 this season, I am proud of what we accomplished together. The success we have built here at UTRGV is being recognized nationally. While we are disappointed to see him go, we are grateful for his many contributions and confident in the foundation we have established and the direction of our program.
 
“UTRGV and the Rio Grande Valley are special places, and the future is extremely bright for our men’s basketball program. With our success, facilities, and overall investment and support, I am confident there will be tremendous interest in our position. I look forward to working through this process to find the right leader to help us take the next step with our program.”
 
Fennell, who was named a finalist for the Ben Jobe Award, which is presented annually to the top minority head coach in Division I basketball, guided the Vaqueros to a 19-13 record, their winningest season since 2018-19.
 
The Vaqueros set a program record with 14 SLC wins while rattling off a program record eight-straight conference wins en route to earning the No. 3 seed in the SLC Tournament. Under Fennell’s guidance, Koree Cotton earned first team all-conference and all-defensive team honors while Filip Brankovic earned second team all-conference honors as the Vaqueros also finished first in the SLC in field goal percentage (47.4%), free throw percentage (76.2%), and assists per game (16.6).
 
The Vaqueros reached a program record of 115 in the KenPom rankings, a program record Net of 126, and took care of business in the classroom with a 3.19 grade point average in the fall, their highest in over 10 years.
 
“I just want to thank Chasse Conque and Dr. Bailey for their belief in me to bring me on board two years ago,” Fennell said “My experience at UTRGV was an incredible one. I’m incredibly grateful for the people who made it special, not the least of which were the players, the administration, and the fans at UTRGV.”
 
In his first season, Fennell was named a finalist for the Joe B. Hall Award, which is awarded to the top first-time head coach in Division I college basketball, after winning 16 games, tying the program record for most wins in a head coach’s first season. The 16 wins was a 10-win improvement from the 2023-24 season, which was tied for the 10th best improvement in the NCAA.
 
Last season, the Vaqueros finished first in the SLC in scoring (76.7), three-pointers made (10.6), defensive rebounds (25.8), and assists (17.2) per game. Fennell guided the Vaqueros to a program record 328 three-pointers made, including a single-game program record 24 three-pointers against the College of Biblical Studies.
 
The UTRGV Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is engaged in a national search for the next head coach and will have no further comment until that coach is hired.

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