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, currently the head coach for the Creighton Bluejays since 2010. He has an extensive coaching background, having previously led programs at Wayne State College, North Dakota State, Northern Iowa, and Iowa State. He is also known as the father of NBA player Doug McDermott.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1974: Program's First Regional Semifinal

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

1989: Began career as assistant coach at North Dakota

In 1989, Greg McDermott began 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 resigned from Wayne State and accepted the head coaching position at North Dakota State.

2000: End of Tenure at Wayne State College

In 2000, Greg McDermott ended his tenure as the head coach at Wayne State College, after six seasons.

April 3, 2001: Introduced as Head Coach at Northern Iowa

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

2001: Began Tenure as Head Coach at Northern Iowa

In 2001, Greg McDermott began his five-season tenure as the head coach at Northern Iowa.

2004: Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championship

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

2005: NCAA Tournament

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

March 21, 2006: Accepted Head Coaching Position 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 at Northern Iowa

In 2006, Greg McDermott concluded his five-season tenure as the head coach at Northern Iowa.

2007: Began Tenure as Head Coach at Iowa State

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

March 6, 2010: Victory Against No. 5 Kansas State

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

April 26, 2010: Accepted Head Coaching Position at Creighton

On April 26, 2010, Greg McDermott resigned from Iowa State and accepted the head coaching position at Creighton.

2010: Named Head Coach of Creighton Bluejays

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

2012: Creighton Left Missouri Valley to Join Big East

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

2012: Rankings in Preseason Polls

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

2016: Creighton Ranked in Preseason Polls

Entering the 2016–17 season, Greg McDermott led Creighton to be ranked in both preseason polls, achieving a ranking as high as No. 7 in the nation.

2017: Creighton's 2017-2018 Season

In 2017, Greg McDermott led the Bluejays to a 21-12 record, finishing in a three-way tie for third place in the Big East.

2018: NCAA Tournament Appearance

In 2018, Greg McDermott's Bluejays received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 8 seed in the South Region, where they lost in the first round to Kansas State.

2019: Bluejays Picked to Finish 7th in Big East

Entering the 2019-20 season, the Bluejays were picked to finish 7th in the Big East.

2020: Departure of Star Point Guard

During the 2021–22 regular season, it was largely regarded as a rebuilding year after the departure of star point guard Marcus Zegarowski and three other starters from the 2020–2021 roster, as well as two assistant coaches.

2020: Creighton's 2020-21 Regular Season

In 2020, Creighton finished the 2020-21 regular season with an 18-7 record and received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.

2021: Bluejays to NCAA tournament

During the 2021–22 regular season, McDermott guided the Bluejays to a 20–10 regular season record. Creighton received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 9 seed in the Midwest Region.

March 22, 2022: Contract Extension

On March 22, 2022, Greg McDermott received a multi-year contract extension with the terms of the deal were not disclosed.

March 8, 2024: Another 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: Most Coaching Wins in Program History

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

2025: Previous Contract Due To Expire

On March 8, 2024, McDermott received another contract extension because his previous contract was due to expire after the end of the 2025-2026 season.

2026: Previous Contract Due To Expire

On March 8, 2024, McDermott received another contract extension because his previous contract was due to expire after the end of the 2025-2026 season.