The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Men's Basketball
- Title:
- Director of Player Development
Second Season at Texas
K.J. Conklin begins his first year as Director of Player Development and his second season with the men’s basketball program at The University of Texas. He served as a graduate assistant during his first year at Texas before being elevated to Director of Player Development in August 2023.
During Conklin’s first season in Austin, the Longhorns posted an overall record of 29-9 (12-6 Big 12, second) and ranked No. 5 in the final Associated Press poll. The No. 5 spot marked a tie for the highest ranking in the final AP poll by the Longhorns. UT also was No. 5 in the final AP poll during the 2002-03 Final Four season. The Longhorns advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time since 2008 and eighth time in program history. Texas captured its second Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship title in program history, defeating No. 3 Kansas, 76-56, in the championship game in Kansas City, Mo.
The 29 wins were the third-most in a single season in program history, as UT went 31-7 in 2007-08 and 30-7 in 2005-06. The Longhorns compiled a 10-7 record against AP Top 25 opponents in 2022-23. This set a school single-season record for most wins in a year against AP-ranked teams, as UT previously went 8-5 in 2003-04. Texas posted a 6-3 mark against AP Top 11 foes during the 2022-23 season and tied a program single-season record for most games played (38). The Longhorns were one of three teams to rank in the top 15 in KenPom in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency. Texas (15 offense, 13 defense) was joined by UConn (3 offense, 7 defense) and Houston (11 offense, 5 defense).
Prior to coming to Austin, Conklin worked for one season (2021-22) as an assistant coach at Independence Community College (Independence, Kan.). He served as the team’s offensive coordinator, and helped the team finish 29th in the country at the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) level in Massey Ratings Offensively.
Conklin worked for one year (2020-21) as an assistant coach at Olney Central College (Olney, Ill.). He helped the Blue Knights record three victories against top-eight opponents in the NJCAA Division I rankings.
Conklin spent two seasons (2018-20) as a graduate assistant at Louisiana Tech, guiding the Bulldogs to a total of 42 wins over the two-year span. Louisiana Tech registered a 20-13 mark in his first season in 2018-19. The Bulldogs then posted a 22-8 overall record (13-5 C-USA) and led all Conference USA teams with the 22 victories in 2019-20. Louisiana Tech was the top-ranked team overall and defensively in C-USA in the KenPom ratings during Conklin’s second year with the Bulldogs. He earned his master of science degree in Business Administration from Louisiana Tech in 2020.
Conklin worked for two summers (2018 and 2019) as an intern for Pure Sweat Basketball in Los Angeles. He assisted NBA Skills trainer Drew Hanlen in player development workouts with several NBA players, including Jayson Tatum, Zach LaVine, Joel Embiid, Bradley Beal, RJ Barrett and former Texas star Mohamed Bamba.
Outside of coaching, Conklin founded KC Training, a basketball skill development company dedicated to serving athletes on and off the court through science and live read based training.
A native of Rock Falls, Ill., Conklin received his bachelor of science degree in Social Education from Illinois State University in 2017. During his undergraduate career, he served as a student manager for the men’s basketball team.
