McDermott’s departure will mark the end of a highly successful 16-year tenure with the Bluejays, during which he won 365 games, News.Az reports, citing ESPN.
Over a 25-season Division I coaching career, he compiled a 514–319 record and led teams to 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, including an Elite Eight run in 2023.
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Before his time at Creighton, McDermott also served as head coach at University of Northern Iowa and Iowa State University.
“It has been an incredible honor to lead the Creighton men’s basketball program for the past 16 years,” McDermott said in a statement, adding that he was especially proud of the players who represented the program and their development both on and off the court.
McDermott will be passing the job to coach-in-waiting Alan Huss, who had returned to the Creighton staff and was formally positioned for a year to take over this role.
The transition to Huss was hatched in April 2025, as Huss stepped down as the head coach of High Point after leading them to the NCAA tournament. He was named coach-in-waiting with no finite timeline, and that timing is now he’ll take over for the 2026-27 season.
“I am incredibly honored and humbled to be named the head men’s basketball coach at Creighton University,” said Huss in a statement. “This University has meant so much to me as a former player, as an alumnus and through the seven years I’ve spent serving this program. Creighton helped shape who I am, and the opportunity to now lead this program is something I do not take lightly.”
At Creighton, McDermott memorably coached his son, Doug McDermott, from 2010-11 to 2013-14. That time included helping bridge Creighton from the Missouri Valley to the Big East.
The seamless transition from the MVC to the Big East will be a huge part of Greg McDermott’s legacy, as Creighton won the Big East regular season in the 2019-20 season and had records of .500 or above in Big East play in 11 of 13 seasons in the league.
Creighton struggled this year by the standard McDermott set, finishing 15-17 and ending a string of 10 consecutive 20-win seasons.
Greg McDermott still has games remaining, as he will coach through Creighton’s appearance in The Crown, a college basketball postseason event.
Until this season, Creighton had been on one of the best runs in school history. It had reached five consecutive NCAA tournaments, a number that would have been six as it would have comfortably made the 2020 tournament after winning the regular-season Big East title that year.
McDermott came a controversial whistle from making the Final Four back in 2023, as a free throw with 1.2 seconds left after an Andrew Nembhard foul sent San Diego State to the Final Four. Creighton was a No. 6 seed in that NCAA tournament and reached the Elite Eight.
