Antoine Pettway becomes third Alabama basketball assistant to leave for head-coaching job

Alabama men’s basketball assistant coach Antoine Pettway will become Kennesaw State’s next head coach, KSU announced Friday afternoon.

Pettway becomes the third of Oats’ three assistant coaches to be hired this offseason as a head coach elsewhere. Bryan Hodgson was named Arkansas State’s head coach and Georgia Southern hired Charlie Henry before Pettway’s departure to Kennesaw State. All three assistants had been on Oats’ staff since his arrival in 2019.

Pettway had coordinated Alabama’s offense under Oats, while Henry focused on the defense. Hodgson was heavily involved in recruiting and tutored the team’s forwards.

Pettway was originally a walk-on basketball player at Alabama in 2000 who earned an athletic scholarship and started every game on the Tide’s 2003-04 team that made the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament.

“This has been extremely emotional and exciting for my family, but I am so grateful to have the opportunity to lead this program and work with an amazing group of people at Kennesaw State University!,” said Pettway in a statement. “The last 15 years in Tuscaloosa have molded me into the man I am today. Thank you to Coach Oats, Greg Byrne, President Bell and all the players I have coached and played with throughout my time with the Tide.

“Tuscaloosa will always hold a special place in my heart for helping me live out my dream of playing Division I basketball and coaching at the highest level.”

The Alberta, Alabama native briefly played professional basketball and coached at Jacksonville State before joining Alabama’s staff in 2008 under Mark Gottfried. He then served on Anthony Grant and Avery Johnson’s staffs before being retained by Nate Oats in 2019.

Former Kennesaw State coach Amir Abdur-Rahim left to become South Florida’s coach in late March, launching a coaching search that led to Pettway interviewing Thursday.

Kennesaw State made the Division I NCAA tournament for the first time this year, losing as a No. 14 seed to No. 3 seed Xavier. They won the Atlantic Sun regular season and conference tournament, and will play one more season in the league before moving to Conference USA in 2024.

Mike Rodak is an Alabama beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mikerodak.