Biography
The longest tenured coach in Concordia University Irvine history, Ken Ammann enters his 24th year as head coach of the CUI Eagles men’s basketball program in the fall of 2024.
Concordia’s attacking and aggressive style of play has helped Ammann’s teams win two NAIA National Championships in four NAIA National Championship appearances. During his tenure, the Eagles have averaged 26 wins a season over the past two decades and he owns an overall record of 486-172 (.739 winning percentage). Ammann was also the first 400-game winner in Concordia coaching history among all sports.
The former Stanford basketball player has been named the NAIA Coach of the Year twice. He was the recipient of the 2020 Harry Statham Coach of Impact Award, which honors head coaches at the small college level that display high character and integrity while serving as excellent role models who have deeply impacted the lives of others.
Ammann has transformed the Concordia men’s basketball program into one of the top non-Division I programs in the country, turning Concordia into a national power nearly overnight. He and his coaching staff were an integral part of Concordia making a smooth transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II over the past few years.
The 2018-2019 campaign saw the Eagles fly to new heights as they reached the NCAA DII Tournament for the first time in school history after receiving an at-large bid in the west regional bracket. CUI also advanced to the PacWest Conference Championship Game for the first time in program history. Ammann’s squad asserted itself as a major player by going 12-1 at home and a perfect 11-0 against PacWest opponents at CU Arena on its way to a second place finish in the conference. CUI finished just one game behind Point Loma in the conference standings and defeated the eventual DII national runner-ups in an overtime thriller in front of a packed house during the regular season. The Green and Gold ultimately finished the year with a 23-11 overall record and an impressive 18-4 conference mark.
The 2017-2018 campaign marked Concordia’s first season of postseason eligibility since completing the transition to Division II. Ammann helped the Eagles secure their first berth in the PacWest Conference Tournament after the team posted a 19-10 regular season mark with a 12-8 league record. Ammann’s squad earned the fifth seed in the tourney and then collected the school’s first-ever PacWest Conference Tournament victory when the Eagles defeated Point Loma, 69-65. Concordia then closed out the season with a 20-11 overall record after Dixie State knocked out the Eagles in the semifinal round.
In their first season of NCAA Division II competition (2015-16), the Eagles went 22-7 overall and tied for first in the PacWest Conference at 15-5. The following season, Ammann’s squad finished fifth in the league with a 17-11 overall record and a 12-8 conference mark as the school continued its 3-year transition from NAIA.
In only his second season (2002-03), Ammann led the Eagles to their first NAIA National Championship in school history. Concordia outlasted Mountain State in overtime by a count of 88-84 to claim the title. The 36 wins the Eagles compiled that season were the most of any level of college basketball that year and Ammann was also named NAIA National Coach of the Year.
He began his coaching career immediately, serving as an assistant coach at San Jose State (1993-94), Canada College (1995-96), Pepperdine (1997-99) and Azusa Pacific (2000-01). Prior to his time at Concordia, he spent a year at Cal State Bakersfield and Santa Ana College, respectively, before transferring to Stanford.
Honors and Accolades
- NAIA Coach of the Year, 2003
- NAIA Coach of the Year, 2012
- Edison High School Hall of Fame Inductee, 2019
- Harry Statham Coach of Impact Award, 2020
Degrees Earned
- Bachelor’s, Psychology, Stanford University
- Master’s Degree, Psychology, San Jose State, 1994
Courses Taught
- MCAA/MSCE 573: Applied Exercise Sciences and Strategies for Coaching Basketball
Reflects on MCAA
Our MCAA program was the first of it’s kind and is still second to none. It is a privilege to be involved as an instructor and I have enjoyed meeting coaches of all ages and experience levels from around the country.