Kansas State University Athletics
Men's Basketball
Winchester, Anthony
Anthony Winchester
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- awinchester@kstatesports.com
- Phone:
- (785) 532-6531
Anthony Winchester At A Glance
Features (click on headline for link)
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Winchester has been part of a coaching staff that has helped reenergize a K-State program the past 3 seasons, leading the Wildcats to 61 wins, including 28 in Big 12 play, with consecutive postseason appearances (2023 NCAA Tournament, 2024 NIT) highlighted by the run to the 2023 Elite Eight. Among the 61 wins the past 3 seasons are 16 against teams ranked in the Top 25, including 7 Top 10 opponents.
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During their memorable first season in 2022-23, Winchester helped the Wildcats to their third-highest win total (26) and a thrilling run to the Elite Eight despite being picked last in the Big 12 preseason poll after three consecutive losing seasons.
Winchester assisted in the development of a pair of All-Americans in 2023 Bob Cousy Award winner Markquis Nowell and forward Keyontae Johnson, who became the first duo in school history to each earn the recognition from The Associated Press when they were selected to the Third Team. Both players were named to the All-Big 12 First Team, while Johnson was the league's Newcomer of the Year.
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In addition to his work with Johnson and Nowell, Winchester has helped develop four more All-Big 12 performers in Third Team selection Coleman Hawkins (2024-25) and honorable mention picks Arthur Kaluma (2023-24), David N’Guessan (2024-25) and Tylor Perry (2023-24).
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Winchester, along with the rest of the staff, have capitalized on the program’s excitement by helping attract some of the top transfer classes in the country. Kaluma and Perry were high-level transfer portal additions in 2023-24, which also included a top-35 high school recruiting class. He also helped continue that recruiting momentum this off-season with the additions of five Division I transfers (Abdi Bashir Jr., PJ Haggerty, Marcus Johnson, Nate Johnson, Khamari McGriff), a pair of international standouts (Andrej Kostic and Elias Rapieque), a junior college player (Stephen Osei) and a top-50 high school senior (Exavier Wilson).
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Winchester, who spent time playing professionally in both Spain and Puerto Rico after a Hall of Fame career at Western Kentucky (2002-06), arrived at K-State after the spending the 2021-22 season as assistant coach at Southern Miss for head coach Jay Ladner, who was named the 2022-23 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year.
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The 2021-22 season was Winchester’s first as an assistant coach, as he made a second stint at Southern Miss after serving as the video coordinator for one season in 2019-20. A pair of Golden Eagles earned Conference USA honors this past season, including honorable mention accolades for Tyler Stevenson and all-freshman recognition for Rashad Bolton. Stevenson ranked in the top 15 in points, rebounds and blocks in C-USA.
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In between his two stints at Southern Miss, Winchester served as the Director of Basketball Operations at Pacific for longtime NBA player and current Georgia Tech head coach Damon Stoudamire in 2020-21. During the COVID-abbreviated season, the Tigers posted a 9-9 record, including wins over West Coast Conference rivals San Diego and Loyola Marymount.
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After a stint playing professionally in Spain and Puerto Rico, Winchester returned to the bench as a graduate assistant at Loyola Marymount for head coach Mike Dunlap in 2018-19. The Lions won the Jamaica Classic Championship, including a memorable 65-52 win over Georgetown, and advanced to the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) Final Four en route to posting the third-most wins (22) in school history.
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Winchester got his start in coaching at his alma mater Western Kentucky, first as a graduate intern in 2008-09 followed by a stint as Director of Operations in 2009-10 working for head coach Ken McDonald. The Hilltoppers combined for 46 wins those two seasons, including a 25-win season in 2008-09 which was highlighted by a Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship and trip to the NCAA Tournament. In the tournament, the team upset fifth-seeded Illinois, 76-72, in the first round before losing to fourth-seed Gonzaga, 83-81, in the second round.
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Winchester played professionally for clubs in both Spain and Puerto Rico between 2006-08 and 2010-16. He twice was named Rookie of the Month while playing for Caja Rural Melilla in Spain’s 2nd Division in 2006-07, while he was selected to the LEB Gold First Team in 2012 and LEB Gold Player of the Year in 2013 while playing for Leche Rio Breogan Lugo in Spain’s 2nd Division. He also spent time playing in Puerto Rico, twice earning Player of the Week honors in 2014. He concluded his playing career in 2016 after playing in Spain’s 1st Division, ACB, which is known as the second-best professional league in the world behind the NBA.
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Winchester enjoyed a memorable career at Western Kentucky playing for head coaches Dennis Felton and Darrin Horn from 2002-06, cumulating with his recognition to the school’s 15-member Centennial Team in 2006 and the WKU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019. He helped WKU to 84 wins, three postseason appearances (1 NCAA Tournament, 2 NITs), one Sun Belt Tournament Championship (2003) and two SBC Division titles (2003, 2006).
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Winchester scored 1,732 points in his four-year career (2002-06) for the Hilltoppers, which ranks 10th on the school’s all-time list, while leading the team in scoring as a junior (18.2 ppg.) in 2004-05 and senior (18.6 ppg.) in 2005-06. He also finished his career ranking second in 3-point field goals made (247) and fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (41.6). As a senior, he was selected as an AP honorable mention All-American, a Mid-Major All-American by CollegeInsider.com and FOXSports.com and the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year after finishing second in the league in scoring (18.6 ppg.). He was twice named First Team All-Sun Belt (2005, 2006), while he was the league’s Freshman of the Year in 2002-03.
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Winchester was also a standout player at Austin High School in Austin, Indiana, where he scored 2,256 career points to rank 21st all-time in Indiana prep history. He finished as the runner-up to Indiana Mr. Basketball after averaging 34.7 points and 13.5 rebounds per game as a senior in 2001-02.
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Winchester earned a bachelor's degree in sociology/criminology from Western Kentucky in 2006.
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Winchester and his wife McKenzie were married in May 2025. The couple share two children (Beckham and Ella), while they are expecting a third child in December 2025.
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Professional/Coaching Experience
Graduate Intern, Western Kentucky, 2008-09
Director of Basketball Operations, Western Kentucky, 2009-10
Graduate Assistant, Loyola Marymount, 2018-19
Video Coordinator, Southern Miss, 2019-20
Director of Basketball Operations, Pacific, 2020-21
Assistant Coach, Southern Miss, 2021-22
Director of Video Services, Kansas State, 2022-23
Assistant Coach/Special Assistant to Head Coach, Kansas State, 2023-present
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Playing Experience
Western Kentucky, 2002-06
Caja Rural Melilla [Spain], 2006-07
Melilla Baloncesto [Spain], 2007-08
CB Bregoan Lugo [Spain] 2012-13
Lagun Aro Gipuzkoa [Spain], 2013-14
San German Atlético [Puerto Rico], 2014
Gipuzkoa Basket [Spain], 2014-15
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Playing Honors
Western Kentucky All-Centennial Team (1906-2006)
Western Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame (2019)
2003 Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year
2006 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year
2006 AP Honorable Mention All-American
2006 Mid-Major All-American by CollegeInsider.com and FOXSports.com
2005, 2006 First Team All-Sun Belt Conference
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Education
Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology/Criminology, Western Kentucky University, 2006
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Personal
Wife: McKenzie
Children: Beckham and Ella
- Was promoted to assistant coach in 2023-24 after spending his first season as the Director of Video Operations
- Has nine years of college coaching experience in a variety of roles, including one year as an assistant coach at Southern Miss
- Played professionally in both Spain and Puerto Rico
- Enjoyed a memorable career at Western Kentucky, where was an honorable mention All-American and the 2006 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year
- Was inducted in the Western Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009
Features (click on headline for link)
- 'The Only Thing I Know is Hard Work'Â (K-State Sports Extra, June 16, 2023)
- Winchester Has Hands in Everything Early in K-State Tenure (K-State Sports Extra, May 4, 2022)
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Winchester has been part of a coaching staff that has helped reenergize a K-State program the past 3 seasons, leading the Wildcats to 61 wins, including 28 in Big 12 play, with consecutive postseason appearances (2023 NCAA Tournament, 2024 NIT) highlighted by the run to the 2023 Elite Eight. Among the 61 wins the past 3 seasons are 16 against teams ranked in the Top 25, including 7 Top 10 opponents.
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During their memorable first season in 2022-23, Winchester helped the Wildcats to their third-highest win total (26) and a thrilling run to the Elite Eight despite being picked last in the Big 12 preseason poll after three consecutive losing seasons.
Winchester assisted in the development of a pair of All-Americans in 2023 Bob Cousy Award winner Markquis Nowell and forward Keyontae Johnson, who became the first duo in school history to each earn the recognition from The Associated Press when they were selected to the Third Team. Both players were named to the All-Big 12 First Team, while Johnson was the league's Newcomer of the Year.
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In addition to his work with Johnson and Nowell, Winchester has helped develop four more All-Big 12 performers in Third Team selection Coleman Hawkins (2024-25) and honorable mention picks Arthur Kaluma (2023-24), David N’Guessan (2024-25) and Tylor Perry (2023-24).
Â
Winchester, along with the rest of the staff, have capitalized on the program’s excitement by helping attract some of the top transfer classes in the country. Kaluma and Perry were high-level transfer portal additions in 2023-24, which also included a top-35 high school recruiting class. He also helped continue that recruiting momentum this off-season with the additions of five Division I transfers (Abdi Bashir Jr., PJ Haggerty, Marcus Johnson, Nate Johnson, Khamari McGriff), a pair of international standouts (Andrej Kostic and Elias Rapieque), a junior college player (Stephen Osei) and a top-50 high school senior (Exavier Wilson).
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Winchester, who spent time playing professionally in both Spain and Puerto Rico after a Hall of Fame career at Western Kentucky (2002-06), arrived at K-State after the spending the 2021-22 season as assistant coach at Southern Miss for head coach Jay Ladner, who was named the 2022-23 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year.
Â
The 2021-22 season was Winchester’s first as an assistant coach, as he made a second stint at Southern Miss after serving as the video coordinator for one season in 2019-20. A pair of Golden Eagles earned Conference USA honors this past season, including honorable mention accolades for Tyler Stevenson and all-freshman recognition for Rashad Bolton. Stevenson ranked in the top 15 in points, rebounds and blocks in C-USA.
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In between his two stints at Southern Miss, Winchester served as the Director of Basketball Operations at Pacific for longtime NBA player and current Georgia Tech head coach Damon Stoudamire in 2020-21. During the COVID-abbreviated season, the Tigers posted a 9-9 record, including wins over West Coast Conference rivals San Diego and Loyola Marymount.
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After a stint playing professionally in Spain and Puerto Rico, Winchester returned to the bench as a graduate assistant at Loyola Marymount for head coach Mike Dunlap in 2018-19. The Lions won the Jamaica Classic Championship, including a memorable 65-52 win over Georgetown, and advanced to the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) Final Four en route to posting the third-most wins (22) in school history.
Â
Winchester got his start in coaching at his alma mater Western Kentucky, first as a graduate intern in 2008-09 followed by a stint as Director of Operations in 2009-10 working for head coach Ken McDonald. The Hilltoppers combined for 46 wins those two seasons, including a 25-win season in 2008-09 which was highlighted by a Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship and trip to the NCAA Tournament. In the tournament, the team upset fifth-seeded Illinois, 76-72, in the first round before losing to fourth-seed Gonzaga, 83-81, in the second round.
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Winchester played professionally for clubs in both Spain and Puerto Rico between 2006-08 and 2010-16. He twice was named Rookie of the Month while playing for Caja Rural Melilla in Spain’s 2nd Division in 2006-07, while he was selected to the LEB Gold First Team in 2012 and LEB Gold Player of the Year in 2013 while playing for Leche Rio Breogan Lugo in Spain’s 2nd Division. He also spent time playing in Puerto Rico, twice earning Player of the Week honors in 2014. He concluded his playing career in 2016 after playing in Spain’s 1st Division, ACB, which is known as the second-best professional league in the world behind the NBA.
Â
Winchester enjoyed a memorable career at Western Kentucky playing for head coaches Dennis Felton and Darrin Horn from 2002-06, cumulating with his recognition to the school’s 15-member Centennial Team in 2006 and the WKU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019. He helped WKU to 84 wins, three postseason appearances (1 NCAA Tournament, 2 NITs), one Sun Belt Tournament Championship (2003) and two SBC Division titles (2003, 2006).
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Winchester scored 1,732 points in his four-year career (2002-06) for the Hilltoppers, which ranks 10th on the school’s all-time list, while leading the team in scoring as a junior (18.2 ppg.) in 2004-05 and senior (18.6 ppg.) in 2005-06. He also finished his career ranking second in 3-point field goals made (247) and fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (41.6). As a senior, he was selected as an AP honorable mention All-American, a Mid-Major All-American by CollegeInsider.com and FOXSports.com and the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year after finishing second in the league in scoring (18.6 ppg.). He was twice named First Team All-Sun Belt (2005, 2006), while he was the league’s Freshman of the Year in 2002-03.
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Winchester was also a standout player at Austin High School in Austin, Indiana, where he scored 2,256 career points to rank 21st all-time in Indiana prep history. He finished as the runner-up to Indiana Mr. Basketball after averaging 34.7 points and 13.5 rebounds per game as a senior in 2001-02.
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Winchester earned a bachelor's degree in sociology/criminology from Western Kentucky in 2006.
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Winchester and his wife McKenzie were married in May 2025. The couple share two children (Beckham and Ella), while they are expecting a third child in December 2025.
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Professional/Coaching Experience
Graduate Intern, Western Kentucky, 2008-09
Director of Basketball Operations, Western Kentucky, 2009-10
Graduate Assistant, Loyola Marymount, 2018-19
Video Coordinator, Southern Miss, 2019-20
Director of Basketball Operations, Pacific, 2020-21
Assistant Coach, Southern Miss, 2021-22
Director of Video Services, Kansas State, 2022-23
Assistant Coach/Special Assistant to Head Coach, Kansas State, 2023-present
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Playing Experience
Western Kentucky, 2002-06
Caja Rural Melilla [Spain], 2006-07
Melilla Baloncesto [Spain], 2007-08
CB Bregoan Lugo [Spain] 2012-13
Lagun Aro Gipuzkoa [Spain], 2013-14
San German Atlético [Puerto Rico], 2014
Gipuzkoa Basket [Spain], 2014-15
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Playing Honors
Western Kentucky All-Centennial Team (1906-2006)
Western Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame (2019)
2003 Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year
2006 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year
2006 AP Honorable Mention All-American
2006 Mid-Major All-American by CollegeInsider.com and FOXSports.com
2005, 2006 First Team All-Sun Belt Conference
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Education
Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology/Criminology, Western Kentucky University, 2006
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Personal
Wife: McKenzie
Children: Beckham and Ella
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