Mikhail McLean named Bahamas National Team head coach

Kentucky assistant coach Mikhail McLean has been named head coach of the Bahamas senior men’s national team, giving the native Bahamian the top job just before a critical World Cup qualifying window in Nassau.

McLean’s appointment begins with July’s first-round finale in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Americas Qualifiers. The Bahamas is scheduled to play Jamaica on July 3 and Puerto Rico on July 6, and the report says the team needs two wins to advance to the second round.

McLean said the role is a lifelong dream and thanked former Bahamas coach Chris DeMarco for helping lay the foundation for the program. Kentucky coach Mark Pope also praised McLean, calling him a young coaching star and saying he is the right person to lead the national team.

Kentucky role continues

McLean will keep his job on Pope’s Kentucky staff while taking on the national-team assignment. He said he will miss only a few weeks of summer practice.

McLean joined Kentucky in June 2024 and has been part of the Bahamian national-team coaching staff since 2021. The new title adds responsibility without changing his day-to-day role in Lexington beyond the short summer absence.

Why it matters

The Bahamas enters the July window with clear stakes. The team will host Jamaica and Puerto Rico in Nassau as it tries to stay alive in World Cup qualifying.

The move also continues a coaching line that had already connected McLean to Bahamian basketball. DeMarco’s work helped the program come close to Olympic qualification in 2024, according to the report, and McLean now takes over as the next head coach.

A separate federation announcement has not yet been confirmed, so the appointment remains tied to the initial report while the July games approach.