BOCA RATON, Fla. – (April 27, 2019) – Florida Atlantic University head men’s basketball coach Dusty May announced the addition of Todd Abernethy to his staff. Abernethy comes to FAU after spending last year at Trinity International University, where he was the head coach. Prior to that, he was an assistant at Ole Miss for four seasons.
“I’m looking forward to being a part of the FAU basketball family,” said Abernethy. “I have the utmost respect for Dusty and I am humbled to be here. I’m excited to get to work helping continue the process of building FAU into an elite program. Go Owls!”
At TIU, Abernethy led the Trojans to a 15-15 record and produced two All-League players. While at Ole Miss, Abernethy oversaw player development and helped develop three First-Team All-SEC players. Abernethy also proved to be a skilled recruiter, signing players from all over the world including Europe, Florida, Indiana, and Mississippi.
Abernethy began his coaching career in Indianapolis at IUPUI as the director of basketball operations and video coordinator. He returned to his alma mater in 2014 and served as an assistant coach under Andy Kennedy for four seasons. The Rebels advanced to the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament and to the Elite Eight of the 2017 NIT.
A Carmel, Indiana native, Abernethy played at Ole Miss from 2003-2007 and earned All-SEC honors in 2006-07 after leading the Rebels to the SEC Western Division Championship. As a freshman at Ole Miss in 2003-04, Abernethy started all 28 games for coach Rod Barnes. In 2004-05, he came off the bench and was named the SEC Sixth Man of the Year. In 2006-07, under the direction of first-year head coach Andy Kennedy, Abernethy was an All-SEC point guard, averaging 12.3 points and 6.3 assists per game in helping the team win the SEC West. Abernethy finished his playing career at Ole Miss with 1,036 points. He also recorded 431 assists, which ranks fourth in school history. Academically, he made the SEC Academic Honor Roll three times.
From 2007-2013, Abernethy played professional basketball in the Netherlands, Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine, and Poland. In 2010, Abernethy played in Estonia for Tartu Rock and won the Estonian Championship. In 2012, while playing in Ventspils, Latvia, his team advanced to the EuroChallenge Elite 8.
Outstanding basketball runs in Abernethy’s family. His father, Tom, played at Indiana for Bob Knight and was on the 1976 team that went undefeated and won the national championship. He also played in the NBA for five seasons with the Lakers, Golden State Warriors and Pacers.
Abernethy graduated from Ole Miss in 2007 with a degree in banking and finance. He and his wife, Micah Abernethy, have two daughters, Ruthie and Maria, and a son, Jack. Micah lettered in track and field and cross-country and earned a degree in Marketing at Ole Miss.
“I am extremely excited to be able to add Todd Abernethy to our coaching staff,” said May. “Todd has a wealth of experience working as an assistant in the SEC, and most recently, as a head coach. He is a tireless worker, effective communicator and connects with young people at the highest level. Todd and his family will be a great addition to FAU and to the Boca Raton community.”
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Florida Atlantic University Athletics:
FAU Athletics is comprised of 21 intercollegiate teams involving 450 student-athletes that compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track, volleyball, beach volleyball, cheer and dance. The Owls are a NCAA Division I-A (FBS) institution and compete in Conference USA and the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) (beach volleyball, men’s swimming). The Owls have been playing football since 2001 and are a perfect 3-0 in bowl games, the most recent being a 50-3 victory over Akron in the 2017 Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl. The dance team finished its 2014 season No. 8, nationally. FAU cheer won a national championship in 2016.
About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six county service region in southeast Florida. FAU’s world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU’s existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.
