Kenneth Mangrum - Basketball (M) Coach - Troy University Athletics

Photo by: Link Kabadyundi

Kenneth Mangrum

Title:
Associate Head Coach
Email:
kmangrum@troy.edu
Phone:
3491

Kenneth Mangrum enters his fourth season with Troy and second as the associate head coach after being promoted to his current role last February.

Mangrum helped lead the Trojans to a 20-12 overall record and a 10-6 mark in the Sun Belt Conference during a 2021-22 season in which the Trojans returned to the postseason for the first time since its 2016 NCAA Tournament run with an appearance in the College Basketball Invitational. Troy finished with the third-most Sun Belt wins (10-6) and advanced to the Sun Belt Tournament semifinals despite being picked to finish last in the league during the preseason.

Mangrum, who works primarily with Troy's post players, has been a force on the recruiting trail. He recently aided in recruiting Efe Odigie from the transfer portal, who went on to be named All-Sun Belt First Team, Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year and all-district second team. Additionally, Troy's 2020 signing class receive its first four-star commitment (Antwan Burnett) in program history, two ASWA Super Five selections (Kam Woods and Duke Miles), and a three-time Alabama State Player of the Year (Woods).

The 20-win season was just Troy's fourth since 2000, and the Trojans won eight road games, the most by the program since the 2009-10 season. Additionally, two Trojans hit the professional circuit following their careers under Cross' guidance this past summer as his first class of recruits for Troy in Khalyl Waters and Nick Stampley both signed professional contracts to play in Finland in the Korisliigaleague.

In 2020, Mangrum was named the No. 4 assistant coach in the Sun Belt Conference by Stadium.

Before Troy, Mangrum spent one season (2018-19) at Texas Southern, where he helped lead the Tigers to a 24-14 overall record, a 14-4 conference mark and a semifinals appearance in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. In that season, Mangrum also coached forward Jeremy Combs, who was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Player and Newcomer of the Year.

The connection to Troy head coach Scott Cross started at UT Arlington when Cross hired Mangrum to coach from 2014-18. The Mangrum-Cross duo led UT Arlington to a 27-9 mark, the best record in program history, and a quarterfinal appearance in the NIT in 2015-16. The Mavericks amassed an 88-58 record in his four-year tenure, including two postseason appearances.

At Sam Houston, Mangrum assisted Jason Hooten for the 2013-14 season. That year, the Bearkats went 24-11 and made an appearance in the Southland Conference championship game and a first-round victory in the College Insider's Tournament (SHSU's first NCAA postseason victory).

Mangrum was with Angelo State from 2007-13 for his first collegiate coaching experience. Mangrum coached under Fred Rike in those five years, who had formerly coached Cross at Tyler JC in the 1994-95 season.

The first full-time position for Mangrum came at Athens high school, where he spent two seasons, including one as the Hornets' head boys' basketball coach in 2006-07. Before that, he served as a graduate assistant for his alma mater, North Texas, as he earned his master's degree in kinesiology.

Outside of coaching, Mangrum played at North Texas for four seasons, ranking 10^th all-time in North Texas program history for steals at 106. He and his wife, Leah, have two daughters, Brianna and Makaria, and one son, Kendin.