Mikhail McLean announces himself as Kentucky's fifth assistant coach

Has Mark Pope found his fifth and final assistant? Mikhail McLean appears to be the man for the job, announcing himself as a new member of Kentucky‘s coaching staff.

Previously an assistant coach at Lamar University under Alvin Brooks — father of UK Associate Head Coach Alvin Brooks III — and the Team Bahamas Associate Head Coach, McLean says he is now in Lexington as an assistant coach under Pope, changing his bio on social media with a Kentucky basketball header.

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.

Before his time as a coach, he was a player for the Cougars, 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.

A native of the Bahamas, McLean has also served as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator with the Bahamas Senior National Team since 2021. There, he has worked alongside head coach Chris DeMarco (Golden State Warriors assistant), assistant coach Yolette McPhee (Mississippi women’s basketball) and Sacramento Kings assistant Charles Allen along with NBA players Buddy Hield, Kai Jones, DeAndre Ayton and Eric Gordon.

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