Mikhail McLean joined the Lamar University coaching staff in April 2021, becoming head coach Alvin Brooks’ first official hire. McLean comes to LU from Houston where he spent the previous six seasons with Coach Brooks.
During his time with the Cougars, McLean served as the assistant director of player development. McLean assisted with a program that won the American Athletic Conference title in back-to-back seasons (2019 and 2020) and advanced to the Sweet 16 each of the past two seasons as well as the 2021 Final Four. He was responsible for the opponent scouting for selected games, and worked directly with the Cougars’ guards and wings, including three NBA Draft selections (Marcus Sasseer, Quentin Grimes and Damyean Dotson) and more than 10 all-conference honorees including Fabian White, Jr., Caleb Mills, Quentin Grimes, Galen Robinson, Devin Davis, Justin Gorham, Tramon Mark and J'Wan Roberts.
McLean also handled numerous responsibilities away from the court as well. He served as an academic liaison with specific players, oversaw the team managers and graduate assistants and served as the U of H camp director.
In addition to his work with the Cougars, McLean, a native of the Bahamas, also serves as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator with the Bahamas Senior National Team since 2021, where he worked alongside head coach Chris DeMarco (Golden State Warriors assistant), assistant coach Yolette McPhee (Mississippi women's basketball) and Sacramento Kings assistant Charles Allen and NBA players Buddy Hield (Indiana Pacers), Kai Jones (Charlotte Hornets), DeAndre Ayton (Portland Trailblazers) and Eric Gordon (Phoenix Suns). Team Bahamas made history during the summer of 2023 when they traveled to Argentina to compete in the Olympic Pre-Qualifying tournament where they defeated Argentina twice, who is ranked fourth in the world. Along they way they also knocked off Cuba and Uraguay. Team Bahamas officially punched its ticket to the final qualifying tournament for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France next summer.
A former standout student-athlete at the U of H, McLean was a four-year letterwinner who played in 101 games for the Cougars during his career. Named team captain as a senior, McLean was the true definition of a student-athlete. A five-time Dean’s List selection, McLean received his undergraduate and Master’s degree in four years. A 2015 academic all-conference selection, McLean was also a member of the Cougars’ Student-Athlete Advisory Council.
McLean began his coaching career following his graduation, serving as graduate assistant with his alma mater. He graduated from Houston with his bachelor’s degree in 2013. He received a Master’s in Education from Houston in 2015. McLean and his wife, Arrion, have three sons, Mikhail, Jr. (5) and Amari Jude (3) and Kai James (1).
