McMurry Men's Basketball Head Coach Zach Pickelman announced a familiar face to his staff on August 19, 2020, naming Chris Cerny as a student assistant coach.
Cerny is no stranger to campus, as he played center for the War Hawks over two stints. Cerny played his first two years at McMurry from 2010-2012 – winning two American Southwest Conference championships – then later finished his career from 2014-2016. He graduated from the university in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in general business.
“I am excited to add Chris to our staff this year,” said Pickelman. “His experience in both college and high school will add value to our team. It is always nice to be able to add someone who played and graduated from McMurry. He will be involved in all aspects of our program, and will specifically help in the area of skill development.”
Cerny returns to school in 2020 in hopes of adding another diploma to his resume, as he will enter McMurry’s FasTrack Program to become a certified Texas educator.
"It is a huge honor to be able to come back to my alma mater and coach,” Cerny said. “McMurry has always been a special place to me, and I want to thank Zach Pickelman and Rob Yeatts for granting me this opportunity of a lifetime."
Originally from New Mexico, Cerny has spent the last three years as an assistant head coach at Manzano High School in Albuquerque. He was a key factor in the program’s turnaround from a 2-21 record to an appearance at state. Additionally, Cerny has spent the last three summers as the head coach of one of the premiere AAU programs in New Mexico, PB Nation.
Cerny also has coaching experience on the collegiate level, spending one season as a graduate assistant at Sul Ross State University. He went on to complete his Master’s degree in Health and Human Performance at SRSU, graduating in May 2017.
As a player for the War Hawks, Cerny was the third-leading scorer his senior year with 8.8 points per game. He – along with Nate Estrada – served as a two-headed monster behind the arc, as Cerny ranked second on the team with 42 triples in 2015-16.
