Career Timeline of Greg McDermott: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Greg McDermott, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Greg McDermott is an American basketball coach, notable for his tenure as head coach of the Creighton Bluejays from 2010 to 2026. He has previously held head coaching positions at Wayne State College, North Dakota State, Northern Iowa, and Iowa State. McDermott is also recognized as the father of NBA player Doug McDermott, marking a significant family connection within the sport.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1974: First regional semifinal since 1974

In 2020-21 season, Creighton reached the program's first regional semifinal since 1974.

1989: Assistant coach at North Dakota

In 1989, Greg McDermott started his coaching career as an assistant coach at North Dakota.

March 29, 1994: Accepted Head Coaching position at Wayne State College

On March 29, 1994, Greg McDermott accepted his first head coaching position at Division II Wayne State College.

April 2000: Accepted head coaching position at North Dakota State

In April 2000, Greg McDermott accepted the head coaching position at North Dakota State.

2000: End of Tenure at Wayne State College

In 2000, Greg McDermott's tenure as the head coach at Wayne State College concluded.

April 3, 2001: Introduced as head coach at Northern Iowa

On April 3, 2001, Greg McDermott was introduced as the head coach at his alma mater, Northern Iowa.

2001: Began Tenure as Head Coach at Northern Iowa

In 2001, Greg McDermott began his tenure as head coach at Northern Iowa.

2004: Northern Iowa won Missouri Valley Conference tournament championship

In 2004, Greg McDermott led Northern Iowa to the Missouri Valley Conference tournament championship.

2005: Northern Iowa Participated in NCAA Tournament

In 2005, Greg McDermott led Northern Iowa to the NCAA Tournament.

March 21, 2006: Resigned from Northern Iowa, Accepted Job at Iowa State

On March 21, 2006, Greg McDermott resigned from Northern Iowa and accepted the head coaching position at Iowa State.

2006: End of Tenure as Head Coach at Northern Iowa

In 2006, Greg McDermott's tenure as head coach at Northern Iowa concluded.

2007: Began Tenure as Head Coach at Iowa State

In 2007, Greg McDermott began his tenure as the head coach at Iowa State.

March 6, 2010: Victory over Kansas State

On March 6, 2010, Greg McDermott achieved a significant victory at Iowa State against No. 5 Kansas State.

April 26, 2010: Resigned from Iowa State, accepted position at Creighton

On April 26, 2010, Greg McDermott resigned from Iowa State and accepted the head coaching position at Creighton with a ten-year deal.

2010: Became Head Coach at Creighton

In 2010, Greg McDermott became the head coach of the Creighton Bluejays men's basketball team.

2012: Creighton left Missouri Valley to join the Big East

After the end of the 2012-13 season, Creighton left the Missouri Valley to join the Big East.

2012: Creighton ranked in Preseason Polls

In 2012, Greg McDermott had Creighton ranked in both the USA Today Coaches Poll (No. 15) and the AP Poll (No. 16) in the preseason.

2016: Creighton ranked in preseason polls

In 2016, Creighton was ranked in both preseason polls under Greg McDermott's leadership.

2017: Bluejays record

In 2017, Greg McDermott led the Bluejays to a 21–12 record, 10–8 in Big East play.

2018: Bluejays received at-large bid to NCAA tournament

In 2018, The Bluejays received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 8 seed in the South Region.

2019: Bluejays picked to finish 7th in the Big East

In 2019, the Bluejays were picked to finish 7th in the Big East, however, they finished tied for the Big East regular season championship with Villanova and Seton Hall.

2020: Finished regular season with an 18-7 record

In 2020, Creighton finished the regular season with an 18-7 record, 14-6 in conference play, to finish in second place in the Big East.

2020: Roster changes

In the 2021-22 regular season, Marcus Zegarowski and three other starters from the 2020-2021 roster departed, as well as two assistant coaches.

2021: Rebuilding year for the Bluejays

During the 2021-22 regular season, the Bluejays had a rebuilding year. However, McDermott guided them to a 20-10 regular season record (12-7 in Big East play).

March 22, 2022: McDermott received a multi-year contract extension

On March 22, 2022, Greg McDermott received a multi-year contract extension with Creighton.

March 8, 2024: Received contract extension

On March 8, 2024, Greg McDermott received another contract extension to keep him at Creighton through the 2027-2028 season.

November 13, 2024: Passed Dana Altman for most coaching wins

On November 13, 2024, Greg McDermott passed Dana Altman for the most coaching wins in program history with 328 wins, when the Bluejays defeated the Houston Christian Huskies 78–43.

2024: Alan Huss named associate head coach

After the 2024–25 season, Alan Huss was named the associate head coach back at Creighton where he previously served as an assistant head coach and Huss' position stipulates that he will become the next head coach at Creighton when Greg McDermott retires.

2025: Previous contract due to expire

On March 8, 2024, Greg McDermott received another contract extension to keep him at Creighton through the 2027-2028 season; his previous contract was due to expire after the end of the 2025-2026 season.