Men's Basketball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- rkirby7usa@netscape.net
Widely considered to be one of the most respected veteran assistants in the major college coaching ranks, Robert Kirby begins the 12th season of his second tour of duty with the Mississippi State basketball family. He has continued to serve as the school's top assistant basketball coach on the staff of Rick Stansbury since MSU's current head coach was hired in 1998. The tandem previously teamed up together for three seasons (1991-93) as assistant coaches on Richard Williams' State staff.
During the past 11 seasons under Stansbury's direction, Kirby has helped guide the Bulldogs to an average of nearly 21 wins per year, including a school-record 27 victories during the 2001-02 campaign along with the record-setting 2003-04 State squad posting a 26-4 overall record and 14-2 SEC mark. While playing an integral role in helping lead MSU to a recent string of four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances as well as last year's second-round appearance, Kirby's tireless efforts on the recruiting trail and daily coaching contributions on the practice floor helped the Bulldogs claim an SEC championship - regular season or tournament - for three straight seasons from 2001-04. Along with MState's outright SEC overall hoops title coming in 2003-04, the Bulldogs have also captured four SEC Western Division crowns over the last six seasons. MSU's previous streak of three straight championship campaigns began with the Bulldogs winning the SEC Tournament title in 2002.
As with his previous stint in Starkville, Kirby is actively involved in recruiting efforts for the Bulldogs, having been instrumental in securing Mississippi State's nationally ranked recruiting classes each of the past nine seasons since his return to MSU. Specializing in the daily instruction of State's frontcourt players, Kirby also assists with scouting preparations and shares on-floor gameday coaching duties.
In recognition of his two decades' worth of coaching achievements and recruiting prowess at six different schools through the years, Kirby has been tabbed one of the nation's top 25 recruiters by Rivals.com during recent years.
A native of Memphis, Tenn., Kirby returned to Mississippi State in 1998 after spending five seasons (1994-98) as an assistant coach at the University of Houston, where he served as the staff's recruiting coordinator in addition to his coaching and scouting duties. He helped the Cougars land one of the nation's top 10 recruiting classes in 1994, while also helping guide the 1995-96 UH club to a second-place finish in the Southwest Conference.
During his previous four-year coaching stint (1990-93) at Mississippi State, Kirby was a staff member on the 1990-91 Bulldog contingent that collectively claimed a share of the school's first Southeastern Conference basketball title since 1963 and first NCAA Tournament appearance in 28 seasons. A former collegiate frontcourt standout himself, he assisted with the day-to-day tutelage of Bulldog all-SEC forwards Cameron Burns and Greg Carter.
Prior to his initial four-year association with the Mississippi State basketball program, Kirby served a one-year stint as an assistant coach at Southeastern Louisiana University. Previously, the 26-year coaching veteran spent three seasons as an assistant at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where he helped lead the Trojans to a composite record of 73-29, including three postseason tournament appearances and three consecutive Trans America Athletic Conference titles. Kirby began his coaching career with a one-year stop as a full-time assistant coach at Arkansas College.
A two-year basketball letterwinner and 1983 graduate of Pan American University (now known as the University of Texas-Pan American) in Edinburg, Texas, Kirby was a starting forward on the 1980-81 Bronc club that earned a berth in the National Invitation Tournament after recording a regular-season upset win over the eventual NCAA Champion Indiana Hoosiers. He went on to average 12.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game as a senior before serving one season as a student assistant coach at his alma mater.
Kirby began his collegiate playing career at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Mo., where he helped lead the Raiders to the 1978-79 national championship as a freshman and a fifth-place national team finish the following season. During his rookie season at Three Rivers, Kirby teamed with former MSU assistant coach Sam Weaver, who was named the 1979 NJCAA Tournament MVP for the National Champion Raiders.
Kirby, 49, is married to the former Valerie Jackson of Memphis, Tenn. They are the parents of two daughters - Katrina, 25, and Robin, 21.
Coaching Career
- 1982-83: Student Assistant Coach, Pan American University
- 1984-85: Assistant Coach, Arkansas College
- 1985-88: Assistant Coach, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
- 1988-89: Assistant Coach, Southeastern Louisiana University
- 1989-93: Assistant Coach, Mississippi State University
- 1993-98: Assistant Coach, University of Houston
- 1998-present: Assistant Coach, Mississippi State University
