Bio

Kevin O’Connor enters his 39^th season as the head coach of the North Platte Community College Knights. O’Connor is the winningest coach in program history amassing 739 career wins during his tenure, while totaling 32 winning seasons. Coach O’Connor came to North Platte in 1985, at which time he was named the sixth head coach in program history. 

During the 2018-19 season, Coach O'Connor became the all-time leader in Region IX history surpassing former NJCAA Hall of Fame coaches Jim Toupal (Trinidad), Swede Erickson (Casper), Bruce Hoffman (Sheridan), Lowell Roumph (Northeastern Colorado), Ken Rochlitz (Northwest Wyoming) and Soupy Campbell (Western Nebraska).

Coach O’Connor has led the Knights to the only two NJCAA National Tournament appearances in program history after winning Region IX in 2010 and 2013. Coach O’Connor has led his teams to the Region IX semifinals eleven times, while advancing to the championship game four times (1994, 2009, 2010 and 2013).

The Knights have won 22 Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference (NCCAC) Championships under the guidance of Coach O’Connor (1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022).

Coach O’Connor has been named Region IX Coach of the Year four times (1990, 2009, 2010 and 2013), while earning Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors over twenty times during his career. In 2013, Coach O’Connor was also named the Omaha World Herald’s Male College Coach of the Year. 

Coach O’Connor led his squad to a school record 30 wins behind an undefeated home record in 2012-2013. Coach O’Connor also holds the best winning percentage for a season with his 1989-90 team that went 28-4 for an 87.5 winning percentage.

Under Coach O’Connor’s guidance, nine players have been named NJCAA All-Americans. The list includes Glover Cody (1989-90), LeMont Daniels (1993-94), Doug Rogers (1996-97), Jason McDonald (1998-99), Donta Watson (2003-04), Eugene Bain (2008-09), Joseph Ragland (2009-10), Ethan Montalvo (2013-14) and German Plotnikov (2021-22).

Coach O’Connor started his college career at North Platte where he played for two years (1974-76), scoring 659 career points. He finished his collegiate career at the University of Nebraska-Kearney (formally Kearney State College) where he earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics in 1979.

After graduation, Coach O’Connor became an assistant coach under Steve Aggers at the College of Great Falls in Montana from 1979-83. He returned to the University of Nebraska-Kearney as an assistant from 1983-85 where he received a master’s degree in education administration before returning to North Platte Community College.

Coach O’Connor, and his wife Cindy, have one son, Sean.