Hunter Jenkins was announced as an assistant coach for the UTEP men's basketball team in May of 2025. Jenkins spent the 2024-25 season as head coach of Frank Phillips College. He made his lone year at the school a memorable one, guiding the Plainsmen to their first appearance at the NJCAA national tournament since 1958.
Jenkins’s Frank Phillips squad rolled to a final record of 24-9, including 11-5 in conference play, while receiving the at-large bid to the tourney. Four individuals received All-Western Junior College Athletic Conference recognition.
Previously, he spent four seasons as head coach at Clarendon College. He posted back-to-back 20-win seasons. The team was 25-9 in 2023-24, advancing to the Region V Championship contest. The squad featured the top ranked JUCO player in the country (Dior Johnson), in addition to seven other DI signees. The team rolled to a record of 25-5 and a second-place showing in the WJCAC in 2023-23. In his first year, the program featured a top-10 offensive in the nation, putting up 90.0 ppg.
He was one of the youngest assistant DI coaches nationally at MAC member Buffalo. He helped the Bulls land four-star standout (Chance Robinson) and the No. 21 JUCO player (David Nickelberry) in the country.
Prior to his stint with the Bulls, Jenkins was an assistant coach at Odessa College for former Miner assistant Kris Baumann. In the 2018-19 season, the school was 28-7, including 14-2 in the WJCAC to claim the conference title. The Wranglers went on to play in the Elite Eight of the NJCAA Tournament. He coached a third-team NJCAA All-American (James Reese) that year, in addition to seven other DI players.
He signed and coached the No. 1 JUCO player (Wendell Mitchell) in the nation while serving as an assistant coach with Trinity Valley CC in his first full-time appointment. The Cardinals were a stout 28-5 and marched to the Sweet 16 of the NJCAA Tournament. Seven players moved onto the DI level.
Jenkins was a graduate assistant at Texas Tech under Big 12 Coach of the Year Chris Beard. While in Lubbock, Jenkins was a part of a staff that upset two top 10 nationally ranked teams. The Red Raiders reeled in an elite recruiting class that included 2018 NBA Lottery Pick, Zhaire Smith as well as 2019 Lottery Pick, Jarrett Culver
He also had a stop at LA Tech as a GA/student assistant for two years, learning from current Georgia head coach Mike White in his final season. The team was 50-19 in the two years.
In 2017 he was voted as one of the top-15 diamond in the rough college coaches according to Coachstat.net.
Jenkins has enjoyed the opportunity to learn under some of the top coaches in college basketball. Hunter has worked under 10 current Division 1 Head Coaches in his career. Chris Beard (Ole Miss), Mike White (Georgia), Eric Konkol (Tulsa), Dusty May (Michigan), Matt McMahon (LSU), Darris Nichols (LaSalle), Tony Skinn (George Mason) and Jordan Mincy (Jacksonville).
A native of Palestine, Texans, Jenkins won a state championship in 2010 while playing for his father at Cayuga High School. He received his bachelor’s degree from LA Tech and has a master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from Texas Tech University.
Jenkins and his wife, Joanna, have a son, Jett.
