Andy Kettler - Men's Basketball Coach - University of Texas Athletics

Andy Kettler

Title:
Head Strength Coach, Men's Basketball

Second Season at Texas

Andy Kettler begins his second season as Head Strength Coach for Men’s Basketball at The University of Texas. Kettler has 20 seasons of full-time collegiate basketball coaching and 24 total years of strength and conditioning coaching experience, including the last four years working directly with Sean Miller at Xavier and Texas. He has helped 14 men’s basketball teams reach the NCAA Tournament and developed 11 NBA players in his stops at Texas, Xavier, Louisville, West Virginia and Winthrop.

In Kettler’s first season in Austin in 2025-26, the Longhorns posted a 21-15 overall record (9-9 SEC) and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. Texas was ranked No. 22 in the final Associated Press poll and No. 24 in the final USA TODAY Sports Coaches poll. The Longhorns earned a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament but went on a run in the Big Dance earning victories over NC State (68-66) in the First Four, BYU (79-71) in the Round of 64 and No. 12/10 Gonzaga (74-68) in the Round of 32 before falling at the buzzer to No. 8/13 Purdue (79-77) in the Sweet 16. Texas became just the sixth team in NCAA Tournament history to advance from the First Four to the Sweet 16.

Dailyn Swain was tabbed the SEC Newcomer of the Year and earned a spot on the five-person All-SEC Second Team. He also was named one of five finalists for the 2026 Julius Erving Award, the annual honor that recognizes the top small forward in the nation. Following the year, Swain was selected as the No. 15 pick in the NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. Swain enrolled at Xavier in the summer of 2023 at age 17 and weighed 178 pounds. Working for three years with Kettler, Swain steadily increased his strength and weighed 225 pounds when he left Texas.

During Kettler’s three years (2022-25) at Xavier, the Musketeers posted an overall record of 65-40 (.619) and made a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances including a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2023. Xavier registered a 22-12 overall record (13-7 BIG EAST) and advanced to the NCAA Tournament First Round during the 2024-25 season. In 2022-23, the Musketeers went 27-10 overall, tied the school record for most BIG EAST wins in a season (15-5) and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16.

Prior to his time at Xavier, Kettler worked for four seasons (2018-22) as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Basketball at the University of Louisville while working with coach Chris Mack. The Cardinals recorded a 70-47 (.598) overall mark and made one NCAA Tournament appearance. Kettler helped develop five individuals (Malik Williams, David Johnson, Carlik Jones and Jordan Nwora) during this time period who went on to see game action in the NBA. The Cardinals registered a 20-14 record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Round of 64 in the 2018-19 season.

Kettler spent 10 seasons (2008-18) as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Basketball at West Virginia University while working with Hall of Fame coach Bob Huggins. During Kettler’s time in Morgantown, the Mountaineers registered a 229-119 (.658) overall record and made eight NCAA Tournament appearances, including four trips to the Sweet 16 and one to the Final Four in 2010. West Virginia posted a 31-7 mark (13-5 BIG EAST), won the BIG EAST Tournament championship and advanced to the NCAA Semifinals before falling to eventual national champion Duke in the 2009-10 season. The Mountaineers went 25-10 (11-7 Big 12) and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 in the 2014-15 season. West Virginia recorded a 28-9 mark (12-6 Big 12) and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2016-17, and the Mountaineers went 26-11 (11-7 Big 12) and again made a run to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2017-18.

Kettler started his collegiate coaching experience as head strength and conditioning coach at Winthrop University (Rock Hill, S.C.). During his two seasons (2006-08) at Winthrop, the Eagles men’s basketball team registered an overall record of 51-17 (.750) and advanced to a pair of NCAA Tournaments. Winthrop posted a 29-5 mark (14-0 Big South), swept the Big South regular-season and tournament titles, reached the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 after a 74-64 upset of No. 6 seed Notre Dame and was No. 22 in the final Associated Press rankings in the 2006-07 season. The Eagles went 22-12 (10-4 Big South), won the Big South regular-season and tournament championships and reached the NCAA Tournament Round of 64 in 2007-08.

Kettler worked for two years (2004-06) as the head strength and conditioning coach of the Kansas City Royals in Major League Baseball. During his stint with the Royals, he supervised two assistants and six interns and designed and implemented programs for strength, conditioning, flexibility and nutrition.

Kettler began his full-time career as strength coach for one of the Cleveland Indians’ minor league teams, the Lake County Captains, for one year in 2002-03. He then served for one season (2003-04) as minor league strength and conditioning coordinator for the San Diego Padres’ six minor league teams.

A native of Cincinnati, Kettler earned his bachelor’s degree in sports industries/recreation from Ashland University (Ashland, Ohio) in 2001. Following graduation, he served for one year (2001-02) as an intern at the University of Toledo. Kettler later earned his master’s degree in sport administration from the University of Louisville in 2021.

Kettler and his wife, Kimbraly, have one daughter, Brynley, and two sons, Jaxen and Isaiah. Jaxen passed when he was two years old in 2016 from pineoblastoma, a rare, aggressive form of brain cancer. The Kettler’s have their own foundation, Jaxen’s Journey (www.jaxensjourney.com), a 501c3 nonprofit with the purpose of carrying on Jaxen’s memory while raising money to help fund research and raise awareness for pediatric pineoblastoma.

The Andy Kettler File

Hometown	Cincinnati, Ohio
Education	Ashland University, bachelor’s degree, sports industries/recreation, 2001; University of Louisville, master’s degree, sport administration, 2021
Wife	Kimbraly
Children	Brynley (daughter), Jaxen (son), Isaiah (son)

Kettler’s Coaching Experience

Years	School/Organization	Position/Title
2025-	Texas	Head Strength Coach, Men’s Basketball
2022-25	Xavier	Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Basketball
2018-22	Louisville	Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Basketball
2008-18	West Virginia	Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Basketball
2006-08	Winthrop	Head Strength and Conditioning Coach
2004-06	Kansas City Royals	Head Strength and Conditioning Coach
2003-04	San Diego Padres	Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coordinator
2002-03	Cleveland Indians	Strength Coach for the Lake County Captains
2001-02	Toledo	Intern