Dustin Kerns was named the 22nd head coach in App State men's basketball history on March 28, 2019.
Kerns guided the Mountaineers to a historic season in his fifth year at the helm, securing the program's first regular season outright conference championship since the 1978-79 season, a program-record 27 wins and an NIT first-round appearance for the first time since 2006-07. The Mountaineers won 16 Sun Belt games in 2023-24 and finished with a 16-2 record, marking the best winning percentage in conference play in program history.
For the third consecutive season, the Mountaineers won at least 10 home games, winning 15 games at the Holmes Center, the most in the building's era. App State was one of 12 teams in the country to be undefeated at home. In Kerns' fifth year in the High Country, the Mountaineers shattered the Holmes Center regular-season attendance record and saw four of the six largest crowds in the building's history, which included two sellouts. The Mountaineers saw greater than 60,000 total fans at the Holmes Center, marking the first time since 1980-81 that at least 60,000 fans attended App State home games.
The Mountaineers finished the season3-0 against teams that made the 2023-24 NCAA Tournament. App State's win over Auburn on December 3 made it back-to-back seasons that the Mountaineers have defeated a Power 5 opponent. Additionally, the Mountaineers were the only team in the country to post three separate winning streaks of at least eight games.
Because of the team's success, Kerns was named App State's first Conference Coach of the Year since Houston Fancher won the award in 2003. Kerns also garnered the All-District 23 Coach of the Year honors by the NABC and was named a finalist for both the Jim Phelan and High Durham Coach of the Year Awards.
App State continued its defensive prowess under Kerns in his fifth year at the helm of the program, leading the Mountaineers to the best scoring defense in the conference for the third straight season. The Mountaineers finished in the top five in the country in blocks (first), blocks per game (first), fouls per game (third), field-goal percentage defense (fourth), rebounding (fifth) and defensive rebounding (second).App State's 230 blocks in 2023-24 shattered the program record for blocks in a season and was 17 clear of the next closest team in the country.
Offensively, the Mountaineers were the best they have ever been under Kerns, finishing fourth in the Sun Belt in scoring and fourth in offensive efficiency. The Mountaineers had the second-best team field-goal percentage in the Sun Belt Conference and scored the 22nd-most bench points a game in the country. Pairing the high-powered offense withstaunch defense, the Mountaineers boasted the 19th-best scoring margin in the country, defeating teams by an average of 11.2 points a game.
Individually, the Mountaineers garnered four postseason Sun Belt awards, the most in a single season under Kerns, and three All-Sun Belt selections in 2023-24, which included two first team selections, marking the first time since 1999-00 that two Mountaineers were named first team All-Conference in the same season.
In his fifth season at App State, Kernssurpassed 125 career coaching wins and currently sits seventh all-time at App State with 97 wins.His all-time record with the Mountaineers is 97-65with a 55-34showing in Sun Belt games.
Kerns' defensive expertise continued to shine in 2022-23 as the Mountaineers posted their best field-goal percentage defense (.403) since the 1959-60 season. That mark led the Sun Belt and was the 19th-best clip in the nation. The Mountaineers also led the conference in scoring defense, allowing only 64.6 points per game while committing only 13.8 fouls per game, the eighth-fewest in the country. Under Kerns, Donovan Gregory stepped into a leadership role during his senior season and earned All-Sun Belt honors for the first time in his career in 2023.
Prior to the 2022-23 season, Kerns and several members of the App State coaching staff led the first basketball coaching seminar located on an active military base. Soldiers to Sidelines was held at Fort Bragg toprovide current military service members and veterans with a first-of-its-kind coaching workshop.
In his first three seasons at the helm of the Mountaineers, Kerns led App State to 54 wins while also guidingthe Black and Gold to 35 Sun Belt victories and17 true road wins, which are the most for a coach in his first three seasons since the 1940-41 and 1941-42 seasons.
In 2021-22, Kerns led App State to a 19-15 record and its second straight national postseason appearance for the first time in program history. Those 19 wins came during a season that App State had the 26th-toughest nonconference schedule in the country. In addition, the Mountaineers also posted 12 conference wins and earneda second place league finish. Six of those conference wins were on the road, which is the second-most App State has had during the Sun Belt era. The Black & Gold also made it to the Sun Belt Tournament semifinals for the second straight year after winning the Tournament in 2021.
The Holmes Centerhad the second-highest total attendance in program history in Kerns' third season, hosting42,620 fans in 2021-22.Adrian Delph became the second Mountaineer to earn First Team All-Sun Belt honors, joining Justin Forrest (2019-20). Delph also received First Team NABC All-District distinction. The Mountaineers swept the season series vs. South Alabama (2-0) for the first time, while also sweeping season series against Georgia Southern (3-0), Coastal Carolina (2-0) and Little Rock (2-0). App State rankedNo. 6 in the NCAA in fewest fouls committed per game (12.9) and No. 21 in fewest turnovers committed per game (10.3). The Mountaineers proved once again that they haveone of the premier defenses in the country, with an overall scoring defense of 63.1 ppg, which ranked No. 1 inthe Sun Belt and27th nationally.
In 2020-21, Kerns led App State to a 17-12 record, culminating with the program's first ever Sun Belt Tournament title and first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2001. The Mountaineers won four games in four days at the Sun Belt Tournament to punch the program's ticket to the NCAA Tournament. Michael Almonacy was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament, becoming the fourth player in program history to earn the honor.During the season, App State was ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 for the first time since 2010. App State started the season 12-5, marking the program's best start through 17 games since the 2006-07 season.
Defensively, App State once again established itself as one of the top defensive teams in the Sun Belt. The Mountaineers finished second in the league in opponent scoring, holding teams to 64.1 points, which was the lowest since the 1980-81 season. In all, the Mountaineers held 12 opponents under 65 points in a game during the season. Additionally, App State shot 74.2 percent from the free throw line, which led the conference and marked the first time the Mountaineers have finished atop the conference in free throw shooting as a Division I member (1972-73 season). Individually, App State saw three players (Michael Almonacy, Adrian Delph and Justin Forrest) land All-Sun Belt honors. It marked just the fourth time in program history that three players have been named all-conference in a season.
In his first season at the helm of the Mountaineers, Kerns led App State to its best season in a decade. The Black and Gold posted its most wins (18) since 2009-10 and 11 Sun Belt wins. App State went 6-5 in non-conference play. App State posted its second-highest finish ever in the Sun Belt that culminated with a come from behind 70-65 win over Coastal Carolina in the Sun Belt Tournament. Kerns' 18 victories in his first season at App State were the most by a first year head coach for the Mountaineers since 1942. In addition, the Black and Gold posted a +7 win turnaround, which ranked as the third highest in the nation.
On the court, App State established itself as one of the top defensive teams in the Sun Belt and nation. The Mountaineers held opponents to just 67.3 points, which ranked second in the conference. In addition, App State held 13 opponents to under 60 points, which marked the most for the program since the 1979-80 season. Individually, Justin Forrest was named First Team All-Sun Belt, marking the first First Team All-Sun Belt honor for the program since joining the league in 2014-15. Forrest was also tabbed as Sun Belt Player of the Week twice.
Off the court, Kerns has seen the Mountaineers excel in the classroom and in the community. The program achieved its highest team GPA in program history of 3.42 during the fall semester in 2020. App State also ranked 10th nationally in community service hours for Division I men's basketball during 2019-20.
A native of Kingsport, Tenn., Kernscame to the High Country from Presbyterian, where he served as head coach for two seasons. He inherited a Presbyterian program that had yet to achieve a winning record in 12 seasons at the Division I level and was coming off a five-win campaign in 2016-17. He immediately led the Blue Hose to a six-win improvement in his first year before breaking through in 2018-19.
Kerns guided the Blue Hose to their first winning record (20-16) and first postseason appearance (CIT) as a Division I program in just his second year on the job. PC's 12-3 record at home and 9-7 mark in Big South Conference play are also its best since joining the Division I ranks. Kerns' team advanced to the quarterfinals of the CIT after garnering road wins at Seattle and Robert Morris. For his efforts, Kerns was named a finalist for both the Hugh Durham Award (top mid-major coach) and the Jim PhelanNational Coach of the Year.
Highly regarded for both his recruiting acumen and player development, Kerns and his staff mentored 2018-19 Big South Freshman of the Year Adam Flagler, who led the Blue Hose with 15.9 points per game and a school-record 108 3-pointers made. In Flagler and forward Cory Hightower, PC boasted two of the league's five all-freshman honorees. Point guard Davon Bell led the league in assists (6.5/game) and made the All-Big South second team.
Presbyterian established itself as one of the premier 3-point shooting teams in the country in 2018-19. The Blue Hose's 394 total trifectas ranked second-most in the nation behind NCAA Sweet 16 contender Auburn. Kerns' team didn't just shoot the ball prolifically, but also efficiently. The team's 3-point field-goal percentage ranked among the top 25 nationally, and PC's assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.58 was fifth-best in the country.
Kerns climbed the coaching ranks on staffs with Buzz Peterson at Tennessee, Mike Young at Wofford and Kerry Keating at Santa Clara.
From 2013-17, he served as associate head coach at Wofford, helping the Terriers claim back-to-back Southern Conference Tournament titles and NCAA appearances in 2014 and 2015. He was instrumental in the development of guard Fletcher Magee, who has made the fourth-most3-pointers in NCAA Division I history. Kerns received national recognition as one of college basketball's top assistant coaches and recruiters, earning the No. 4 Low-Major Recruiter ranking from CoachStat.net and the No. 20 Mid-Major Assistant Coach ranking.
Kerns was an assistant coach at Santa Clara for five seasons from 2008-13, where he helped the Broncos claim the third-most wins in the West Coast Conference behind Gonzaga and Saint Mary's during that span. He helped Santa Clara win 26 games in 2012-13 and capture the College Basketball Insider (CBI) title, as well as a 24-win season and a CIT title in 2010-11. He had previous stints as director of operations at Santa Clara (2007-08), assistant coach at Wofford (2004-07), graduate assistant at Tennessee (2003-04) and director of basketball operations at Tennessee Tech (2002-03).
During his coaching career, Kerns has seen 50 players play professionally.
Kerns graduated from Clemson in 2002 with a degree in secondary education. As an undergraduate, he worked as a student assistant for the men's basketball program and was selected to coach at the prestigious Michael Jordan Flight School for three summers from 2001-03.
Kerns played basketball at Kingsport's Dobyns-Bennett High School, a national powerhouse at the prep level and alma mater of former App State and current NFL offensive lineman Daniel Kilgore.
Kerns is married to the former Brittany Wright, and the couple has a daughter, Emory, and a son, Riggs.
Kerns' Coaching Career
2002-03 – Tennessee Tech – Director of Basketball Operations
2003-04 – Tennessee – Graduate Assistant
2004-07 – Wofford – Assistant Coach
2007-08 – Santa Clara – Director of Basketball Operations
2008-13 – Santa Clara – Assistant Coach
2013-17 – Wofford – Associate Head Coach
2017-19 – Presbyterian – Head Coach
2019-Present – App State – Head Coach
What They're Saying about Kerns:
MATT MCMAHON
LSU head coach, App State alum
"This is a great day for Appalachian State University. Dustin Kerns is an outstanding basketball coach who will build a winning program in Boone. He will instill a culture and style of play that all Mountaineer alumni and fans will be proud of. As a former player, Appalachian State is a place I am very passionate about, and I am thrilled we will have a coach of Dustin's caliber leading our basketball program."
MIKE YOUNG
Virginia Tech head coach
"I am so happy for DK and App State. The Mountaineers are welcoming a great family, a gentleman and a wonderful basketball coach. He is directly responsible for many of the great ones we have had here. His dogged determination on the recruiting trail aligns well with his fiercely competitive approach to coaching basketball."
JAY WILLIAMS
ESPN analyst
"The relentless pursuit of greatness is an anomaly these days. But every once and awhile, I meet a person with that special something. That something that can elevate not only themselves, but more importantly, the people around them. Dustin Kerns has what it takes to elevate people. That within itself is a skill that can't be taught. It's a gift."
LARRY SHYATT
Former Dallas Mavericks assistant coach; Former Clemson and Wyoming head coach
"Dustin is one of the finest young coaches and mentors in college basketball. From the onset of his career, he always has displayed honesty and a strong work ethic both on and off the court. Appalachian State and its community have a gem."
BRAD STEVENS
Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations
"Not surprisingly, Dustin Kerns did a great job at Presbyterian. He is a really good coach who is smart and hard working. He knows what it takes to build and maintain a successful college basketball program. I look forward to following his success at Appalachian State."
