Alan Huss shares vision for Creighton basketball as new head coach

OMAHA, Neb. —

Alan Huss is stepping into his first season as Creighton basketball’s head coach, drawing much inspiration from his predecessor Greg McDermott while navigating a new phase for the program.

“It’s continuing what Mac was building,” Huss said. “And I say building because Mac was such a builder; he was constantly building, moving forward. And that’s our deal. We got to figure out what we were doing well, and we got to continue it. We have to chip away at a few of the things where we had slid, and hopefully that culture sign that’s on our wall in the gym, you know, we live up to that.”

Reflecting on his time under McDermott, Huss highlighted the lasting impact of those years on his career.

“The seven years of Mac was incredibly impactful for me, for my career,” Huss said. “Learning how to treat people, learning how to get others to buy into something bigger than themselves. Mac’s an incredible basketball coach, but he’s an even better psychologist. He got guys to buy in. Mac means everything. Wouldn’t be here without him. Would never have had the opportunity to come to Creighton. And for that, I’m incredibly thankful.”

Huss acknowledged that while the program won’t undergo drastic changes, this season will feel different due to a transitional phase in the roster.

“We’ve had so much continuity, and now we’re to the end of that road a little bit,” Huss said. “Some of our best players aren’t going to be returners this season, and that’s a little bit different. When you look at what’s made Creighton basketball great for a long time, it’s culture and it’s continuity. Out of necessity, we’ve shifted away from that a bit. And it’s our aim to kind of reestablish that.”

As a Creighton alumnus, Huss admitted to feeling the weight of expectations but remains focused on his goals with the Bluejays.

“There’s the pressure of getting it right,” Huss said. “You know, if you don’t get it right, you don’t have a home anymore. People, I’m sure, love my gleaming personality, but I’m here to win basketball games, to graduate players, to be a value add to the university. And if I can’t do those three things, then, you know, we’ll have problems.”

Looking ahead to Creighton’s Oct. 23 exhibition game against Minnesota, Huss shared his anticipation for his first official game as head coach.

“There’ll be a little emotion. I don’t always show it, but there’ll be some emotion,” Huss said. “I mean, like I said, I just feel so fortunate. It’ll be awesome to get out there, to do it against Niko (Medved). You know, and just to be home, to be in front of the fans at Creighton against a Big Ten team, you know, just to be playing a big team. People don’t understand where Creighton was and where it is now. I mean, it’s just the way we’re playing teams like that on the regular now, and we’re on par with those programs. And, for that, I feel fortunate to be at Creighton and have Creighton where it is, and I feel fortunate to be a small part of it.”

Huss also reflected on how far the program has come since his days as a student-athlete at Creighton.

“Back then, no,” Huss said when asked if he thought the program could reach its current level. “I love Creighton because it was small, because it was personal. I think maybe what I’m most proud of is, despite all the change, that human part of it is really the same place. It’s still a small Catholic Jesuit school in Omaha, Nebraska, where the people are everything.”

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