Following the resignation of Michael Prather, Millsaps has found a new fit to lead the men’s basketball program in Connor Kuykendall.
Kuykendall comes to Jackson after previously being the head coach at fellow Division III schools Southwestern University (2019-25) and Schreiner University (2014-19). During his most recent stop, he coached 15 all-conference players and led the Pirates to the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament (SCAC) three times, while compiling a 39-96 record.
“I am incredibly honored and excited to take over as the next head men’s basketball coach at Millsaps College,” Kuykendall said. “I want to thank Millsaps athletic director Justin LeBlanc, along with the search committee, for believing in me, and I cannot wait to get to work.
“When I visited the campus and city of Jackson, I could tell it was a special place with great people and amazing educational opportunities for the student-athletes. My family and I look forward to joining such an amazing community.”
Off the court, Kuykendall helped fundraise more than $15,000 through alumni relations and fundraising campaigns during multiple seasons as Southwestern, like other DIII schools, worked to adapt to the changing landscape of college athletics. The team GPA at Southwestern was higher than 3.25 every semester during Kuykendall’s time, earning the Pirates consecutive academic honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
While at Schreiner, Kuykendall was named SCAC Coach of the Year in 2017 and 2018 after guiding the Mountaineers to back-to-back regular-season conference titles while breaking multiple school records. His 2018 group won the SCAC tournament, going on to partake in the NCAA Tournament. In five seasons at Schreiner, he compiled a 66-69 overall record.
Other stops for Kuykendall include being an assistant coach at North Dakota State and Angelo State. He is a graduate of Mary Hardin-Baylor, where he played four seasons as a guard on the university’s basketball team.
Millsaps went 5-21 with a 3-9 mark in Southern Athletic Association play in 2024-25. The Majors will tip off the 2025-26 season in November.
