Kevin Lofton

Following the retirement of longtime UNK coach Tom Kropp, who spent 39 years associated with the program,[4] Lofton was named the 21st men's basketball head coach at UNK on March 24, 2015.[5] Lofton became the fourth head coach for the Lopers since 1970. According to Athletic Director Paul Plinske, "Kevin (Lofton) has outstanding relationships with our student-athletes, is a passionate recruiter, a great teacher of the game and knows how to inspire our team to attain championship-level performances. Both Kevin and I know that there is a tremendous part of Coach Kropp in the foundation of this program. We are excited to build off the example Tom was and help this program reach its fullest potential."[6]

In his first season at the helm of the Lopers, Lofton led UNK to a second-place finish in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The Lopers advanced to the championship game of the MIAA Tournament, falling to Northwest Missouri State, 61–53, after playing their third game in three days. The Lopers earned an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament, their first appearance in nine seasons.[7] In the first round of Central Regional, UNK defeated rival Fort Hays State 79–67. In the second round, the Lopers fell to eventual national champion Augustana. The Lopers had three All-MIAA selections during the 2015–16 campaign, including Connor Beranek, who now plays professionally in Europe.[8] UNK also ranked fourth nationally in attendance, averaging 2,539 fans per competition.[9]

Lofton's second season marked the first time in a decade that the Lopers recorded back-to-back 20-win seasons, after the Lopers went 20–10. The team reached the semifinals of the MIAA Tournament after replacing two of their top-three scorers from the previous year. The Lopers had four All-MIAA selections, bringing the total to seven all-conference players since Lofton became head coach.[10]