Less than two weeks into 2026, college basketball has its first coaching change of the calendar year.
Kansas City announced Monday that fourth-year coach Marvin Menzies will not be retained at season’s end. School athletic director Brandon Martin said the search for Menzies’ replacement will “commence immediately,” even while Menzies coaches out the rest of this season. Kansas City is 4-14 and a member of the Summit League.
Kansas City (which previously went by UMKC) turned some heads when it severed ties with Billy Donlon in 2021-22 after a 19-12 season. The Roos haven’t been as good since.
Menzies — who previously had success at New Mexico State, where he took that program to five NCAA Tournaments in the 2010s — is 44-71 with Kansas City. The job is among the tougher ones among all mid-majors in the Midwest. The Roos are 1-3 in the Summit League and are 337th at KenPom.com. It’s pacing to be the worst season in school history.
It is uncommon for a school to announce a firing this early, but these kinds of decisions often are made privately well before they’re announced publicly. Now Kansas City has a head start (at least outwardly) on the dozens of other mid-majors that will inevitably open in February and March.
The coaching carousel isn’t expected to be as volatile in 2026 as it was in 2025, when there were 56 changes, but there won’t be a clearer picture on the landscape until we get to March.
