Murray State finalizing deal to bring back Steve Prohm as HC

Former Iowa State Cyclones head coach Steve Prohm returns to his old stomping grounds as head coach of Murray State. Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Murray State finalizing contract to bring back Steve Prohm as head coach

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 3/25/22

When the LSU men's basketball team hired Murray State's Matt McMahon earlier this week, it created a vacancy for the Racers' head-coaching position. According to multiple reports on Friday morning, the program may have found a replacement, and it's a very familiar face to Murray State fans.

Sources: Steve Prohm is finalizing a contract to be the next head coach at Murray State.

A deal could be completed as early as today.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 25, 2022

Murray State is in talks with Steve Prohm to bring him back as its next head coach, sources told ESPN. Prohm was 104-29 with the Racers from 2012-15, winning an NCAA tournament game in 2012 and going 16-0 in OVC play in 2015.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) March 25, 2022

McMahon was at the helm of the Racers for the last seven seasons, which included a trio of NCAA Tournament appearances. Murray State lost in the first round during the 2018 event as a No. 12 seed, then advanced to (but fell) in the second round as a No. 12 seed again in 2019 behind Ja Morant. This year as a No. 7 seed, were eliminated in the second round by the showcase's biggest Cinderella story, No. 15 Saint Peter's.

Prohm immediately preceded McMahon, joining the group for the 2011-2012 season and staying on through the 2014-2015 campaign. In their first year under Prohm, the Racers went 31-2, earned a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament and made it to the round of 32, where they fell to No. 3 Marquette.

The 47-year-old coach was at the helm for Iowa State for six years from 2015 to 2021, before parting ways with the Cyclones following a 2-22 season. The 2021-2022 version of Iowa State went 20-12 before making the NCAA Tournament as an 11-seed, winning their first two games and setting up a matchup against No. 10 Miami in the Sweet 16 on Friday.

Prohm has a career 201-124 coaching record and has been to the NCAA Tournament four times.

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