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The Appalachian

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The Appalachian

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BREAKING: Kerns agrees to multiyear deal

Mens+basketball+head+coach+Dustin+Kerns+walks+out+onto+the+court+against+Old+Dominion+Feb.+28.+Kerns+earned+the+2024+Sun+Belt+Coach+of+the+Year+honors.
Ashton Woodruff
Men’s basketball head coach Dustin Kerns walks out onto the court against Old Dominion Feb. 28. Kerns earned the 2024 Sun Belt Coach of the Year honors.

App State men’s basketball coach Dustin Kerns has agreed to a new six-year contract, taking him through the 2029-30 season, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

In five seasons, Kerns has gone 97-65 along with setting a new Holmes Convocation Center attendance record this past year. The Kingsport, Tennessee native won the 2024 Sun Belt Coach of the Year after the Black and Gold set a program record with 27 wins and won its first Sun Belt regular season title. Additionally, Kerns led the Black and Gold to the 2021 NCAA Tournament after winning App State’s lone Sun Belt Conference Tournament title.

The 2023-24 campaign ended March 20 with a loss to Wake Forest in the NIT’s opening round after failing to qualify for the NCAA tournament following a defeat to Arkansas State in the Sun Belt Tournament semi-finals. 

Kerns will need to rebuild his roster after eight players entered the transfer portal, leaving him with potentially two rotational players returning in guard Myles Tate and forward CJ Huntley, if he uses his extra year of eligibility.

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About the Contributors
Ethan Smith
Ethan Smith, Sports Editor
Ethan Smith (he/him) is a senior journalism major, media studies minor. This is his third year writing for The Appalachian.
Ashton Woodruff
Ashton Woodruff, Photo Editor
Ashton Woodruff (she/her) is a junior IDS Criminal Justice/Photojournalism major, and a Social Work minor. This is her second year with The Appalachian.
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Comments (3)

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  • M

    MuChaoApr 3, 2024 at 3:01 pm

    So when can NTT’s expect to receive multi-year contracts beyond the insulting (maximum) three-year contracts that *some* NTT’s receive? After all, NTT’s at least contribute to the actual mission of the university: education.

    I won’t even get into the disparity in salaries between teachers and coaches…

    Reply
    • T

      TwybleApr 3, 2024 at 7:21 pm

      As soon as you get 35,000 paying customers to come watch you teach.

      Reply
      • M

        MuChaoApr 12, 2024 at 8:38 pm

        Hah. You think that Athletics pays for itself? It exists solely because it’s financial losses and ongoing debts are subsidized to the tune of over $20 million every year through forced students fees (over $1000/student/year, the single largest student fee) and taxpayer dollars. But by all means, please do keep advocating for indebting students and taxpayers so you can enjoy your socialized entertainment.

        Athletics exists on the backs of students and taxpayers while providing absolutely no educational value. This is a university, its job is to educate, not entertain the public.

        Reply