Cristy McKinney spent seven seasons as a member of the Elon University women's basketball coaching staff before retiring after the 2017-18 campaign. Hired July 25, 2011, McKinney joined Elon's staff with a wealth of coaching experience having spent five seasons (2005-10) as the head coach at Clemson University following 12 years as head coach at Rice University. McKinney is Rice’s all-time winningest coach with 216 career victories and led the Owls to two Western Athletic Conference titles and a total of six postseason tournament appearances.
In 2016-17, McKinney helped the Phoenix to a record-breaking season that saw Elon win the CAA regular season and tournament titles while reaching the first NCAA Tournament in program history. On the year, Elon set a new program Division I record for victories with a 27-7 mark to go with a 16-2 record in CAA action. The Phoenix earned the regular-season title with a commanding 82-48 triumph over UNCW on March 1 inside Alumni Gym before defeating all three of its CAA Tournament opponents by nearly 25 points. The run was capped with a 78-60 defeat of James Madison in Harrisonburg, Va. As a result, the Phoenix earned its first-ever bid to the NCAA Tournament, where it battled sixth-seeded West Virginia and ultimately fell in a back-and-forth game to the Mountaineers in College Park, Md. Throughout the year, Elon earned nine consecutive victories from Dec. 17, 2016, to Jan. 15, 2017, marking the most in a row as a Division I program and the most consecutive wins since 1983-84. It also set new program Division I records for highest attended games, seeing three crowds of more than 1,000 spectators pack Alumni Gym during conference play. At season’s end, Lauren Brown was named the CAA’s Dean Ehlers Leadership Award winner.
Following up the strong 2016-17 season, Elon touted the sixth-youngest roster in the nation with three seniors, three sophomores and six freshmen. After going 8-3 in non-conference play, Elon struggled to a 4-4 start in CAA action before rattling off the program's Division I record with 13-straight victories from Jan. 28 to March 10 on the way to capturing its second CAA Tournament title in as many years to secure its spot in the NCAA Tournament. In winning the CAA Tournament, the Phoenix made conference history by becoming just the second time in tournament history not seeded No. 1 or No. 2 to win the title. The only other occasion a No. 3 seed on the CAA Tournament was in 1992. Shay Burnett was named a First Team All-CAA honoree for the third-straight season and the CAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player after leading the program with 13.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. Malaya Johnson was named a Second Team All-CAA performer with 11.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while Jada Graves was tabbed CAA Defensive Player of the Year with a spot on the All-Defensive Team. A key cog was the development of Ra'Shika White, a Second Team All-CAA performer and the league's Sixth Player of the Year. After averaging just 5.1 points per game with 3.5 rebounds per outing as a rookie in 2016-17, White took major steps with 12.6 points per game and 6.0 rebounds per contest as a sophomore in 2017-18 and played a big role for the program coming off the bench in 32 of its 33 games. During the year, Elon posted a perfect 13-0 record at home inside Alumni Gym to complete just the second perfect home slate in program history.
In all, Elon posted a stellar 52-15 record across the 2016-17 and 2017-18 campaigns with a 30-6 record in CAA action. Along the way, the Phoenix posted a gaudy 24-2 record in Alumni Gym, closing the building having won each of its final 18 games going back to January 2017.
Elon's stellar run to date was setup by a solid 2015-16 season in which the Phoenix went 18-13 and made a second-straight appearance in the WNIT. Overall, it was the team’s fourth postseason appearance at the time and the third in four seasons for Elon. The 2015-16 campaign was highlighted by the program’s first-ever win over Atlantic Coast Conference opponent North Carolina State, a 69-66 final in Raleigh, N.C. At season’s end, Burnett became the first Phoenix player to earn a spot on the All-CAA First Team. Burnett went on to repeat as a First Team All-CAA honoree in 2016-17.
In its inaugural season in the CAA in 2014-15, McKinney helped lead the Phoenix to a 19-13 overall record and an 11-7 conference record. The team tied for third during the regular season and earned the No. 4 seed in the CAA Tournament, where the Phoenix fell just four points shy of advancing to the title game. It marked the third straight trip to the conference tournament semifinals and while it fell short of the final, the Phoenix earned its first-ever bid to the WNIT.
The final season of Southern Conference play for Elon saw the Phoenix finish with a 10-8 record in SoCon action with the team reaching the tournament semifinals for the second-straight season. Jenifer Rhodes was tabbed SoCon Freshman of the Year, the third SoCon Freshman of the Year honor for Phoenix players in six seasons.
In 2012-13, Elon posted a 19-14 record, including its best-ever Southern Conference mark of 14-6. The maroon and gold earned a program-best No. 3 seed in the conference tournament and reached the semifinals. That year, McKinney and the staff took the Phoenix to its second postseason appearance of the Division I era, taking part in the 2013 Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) and reaching the quarterfinals before falling to McNeese State. During the season, Elon held a 13-game home winning streak dating from Dec. 15, 2012, to March 23, 2013. The team also went on a six-game winning streak during January, finishing the month with a 6-1 record. During the season, the Phoenix earned wins over all 10 teams in the league, including conference champion Chattanooga. The loss marked the only SoCon defeat of the year for the Mocs. At season’s end, all five starters – Kelsey Evans, Ali Ford, Sam Coffer, Kelsey Harris and Zora Stephenson – were named to the 2012-13 Winter All-SoCon Academic team. Elon was the only program in the conference to have all five starters earn all-academic honors.
While at Clemson, McKinney led the Lady Tigers to a 58-93 record, including upset victories in the first round of the ACC Tournament in 2008 and 2009. The wins in the ACC Tournament marked the first time in 10 years Clemson won games in back-to-back ACC Tournaments. McKinney also led the Tigers to a pair of victories over South Carolina in her final two seasons. The 94-92 win in overtime over the Gamecocks in 2009 stands as the last time the Tigers defeated in-state rival South Carolina.
In 12 seasons at Rice, McKinney posted a 216-139 record and is the school’s all-time winningest women’s basketball coach. In 2004-05, her final season at Rice, McKinney led the Owls to the Western Athletic Conference title and a 24-9 record, earning WAC Coach of the Year accolades. In all, McKinney led the Owls to six 20-win seasons, two NCAA Tournament appearances, four WNIT berths and two WAC titles. In 2001, Rice posted a win over sixth-ranked Louisiana Tech, which remains the highest-ranked opponent Rice has ever defeated. In 1999, McKinney led Rice to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after upsetting fourth-seeded UC-Santa Barbara in the first round. McKinney also served on the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Legislative Committee for two years, as well as the WBCA Kodak All-American Committee. In October 2013, McKinney was inducted to the Rice Athletic Hall of Fame.
Prior to leading the Rice program, McKinney was an assistant coach at Western Kentucky University for nine seasons (1982-84, 1986-93). McKinney helped the Lady Toppers make seven NCAA Tournament appearances, including three berths in the Sweet 16 and a runner-up finish in the 1992 national championship.
Between stints at WKU, McKinney was the head coach at the University of Montevallo from 1984-86, where she was named District Coach of the Year following the 1985-86 season.
McKinney is a 1979 graduate of North Carolina State, where she played four seasons under former Elon head coach and Naismith Memorial Hall of Famer Kay Yow. McKinney scored 1,359 points and grabbed 600 rebounds. She still holds the freshman scoring record for the Wolfpack. McKinney shot 78.3 percent from the free throw line during her playing career and was a member of NC State’s first ACC regular-season championship team. She earned a bachelor’s degree in math education from NC State in 1979 before earning a master’s degree in physical education from Western Carolina University in 1982. Formerly Cristy Earnhardt, McKinney was married to the late Robert McKinney for 25 years. Robert passed away in September 2011.
What They’re Saying…
On McKinney's addition to the staff in July 2011
Elon head coach Charlotte Smith: “I am very excited to have Coach McKinney on board. She is a consummate professional and is well respected in the basketball community. Not only does she bring experience having coached on different levels, but she is also experienced in all aspects of coaching. She has a great basketball mind but more importantly she is passionate and invested in the well-being of the student-athlete. Coach McKinney is a great addition to the Phoenix family.”
Cristy McKinney: “I am very excited to come to Elon and work with Coach Smith. She’s a bright young coach who is going to be a great leader at Elon and I am looking forward to working with her and becoming part of the Phoenix family. Coming out of high school I was going to come to Elon to play for Coach [Kay] Yow, but when she left for NC State when I was a senior in high school I ended up following her there. In a way, I feel like I’m coming back somewhere that I was coming to a long time ago and I’m very excited about the opportunity.”
On McKinney's retirement following the 2017-18 season
Elon head coach Charlotte Smith: “Coach McKinney has been by my side on our bench since the very beginning and I cannot express enough gratitude for what she has done for our program. She has put in countless hours making sure our students are as good as they can possibly be on the court, but also making sure they develop into intellectual young members of our community. While she may be moving on to the next chapter in her life, we know Coach McKinney will always have a special spot with the Elon women's basketball program."
Cristy McKinney: "I've been extremely blessed to be able to work in a profession that I truly loved for over 35 years. It's been a rewarding career on the court, but even more so off the court. My last seven years here at Elon have been great because of the wonderful people I've been able to work with, the players I've had the opportunity to help coach and the friends I have made in this special community. I am retiring from coaching, but have developed lasting relationships that will never end. Thanks to Charlotte Smith and the Elon administration for giving me this opportunity. I'm sure I will miss some aspects of coaching, but am excited for new adventures."
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Coaching Timeline
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| 1982-84 |
Assistant Coach, Western Kentucky University |
| 1984-86 |
Head Coach, University of Montevallo |
| 1986-93 |
Assistant Coach, Western Kentucky University |
| 1993-2005 |
Head Coach, Rice University |
| 2005-10 |
Head Coach, Clemson University |
| 2011-Present |
Assistant Coach, Elon University |
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Cristy McKinney Head Coaching Records
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| All-Time Record |
302-260 (.537) |
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Montevallo Records
|
| 1984-85 |
10-16 (.385) |
| 1985-86 |
17-12 (.586) |
| Montevallo Totals |
27-28 (.491) |
|
Rice Records
|
| 1993-94 |
13-14 (.481) |
| 1994-95 |
11-16 (.407) |
| 1995-96 |
13-14 (.481) |
| 1996-97 |
16-11 (.593) |
| 1997-98 |
21-9 (.700) |
| 1998-99 |
20-12 (.625) |
| 1999-2000 |
22-10 (.688) |
| 2000-01 |
18-12 (.600) |
| 2001-02 |
21-9 (.700) |
| 2002-03 |
15-13 (.536) |
| 2003-04 |
22-10 (.688) |
| 2004-05 |
24-9 (.727) |
| Rice Totals |
216-139 (.608) |
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Clemson Records
|
| 2005-06 |
8-21 (.276) |
| 2006-07 |
12-18 (.400) |
| 2007-08 |
12-19 (.387) |
| 2008-09 |
14-17 (.452) |
| 2009-10 |
13-18 (.419) |
| Clemson Totals |
59-93 (.388) |
