Alma Mater: Nebraska-Kearney
Graduating Year: 1975
Experience: 25th Year (35th Overall)
Coaching Career2005-Present: Nebraska-Kearney (co-head coach)
1996-05: Nebraska-Kearney (head coach)
1990-96: Nebraska-Kearney (co-head coach)
1983-90: Nebraska-Kearney (assistant coach)
1981-83: Nebraska-Kearney (graduate assistant coach)
Throughout Tom Kropp’s time at Kearney State College/University of Nebraska-Kearney, he has been one of the most successful Lopers playing on the court and coaching on the sideline.
Kropp is among the greatest athletes to hail from Nebraska and was named by Sports Illustrated in 2004 as one of the state’s 10 greatest sports celebrities, joining the likes of Andy Roddick and Ahman Green. Along with having the second best record (464-235) in school history for men's basketball coach, Kropp was drafted in the NBA, ABA, and NFL.
During Kropp’s 24-year run with the Lopers, he has spent stretches of six and eight years as co-head coach; sandwiched between those two stints were nine seasons he spent as the program’s head coach. Throughout his time as the head men’s coach, Kropp has coached four All-Americans and reached the NCAA Tournament 11 times.
From 1990-96 Kropp was co-head coach with Jerry Hueser, who was Kropp’s coach during his playing days at UNK. Over the six-year span the Lopers made it to two NCAA Tournaments while going 111-60.
After taking over sole coaching responsibilities at the start of the 1996-97 season, Kropp led the Lopers to the second round of the NCAA's, while also being named the RMAC (Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) Coach of the Year.
The following year the Lopers won the 1998 RMAC Tournament for the first time in school history. In 1999, the Lopers advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time as a Division II member with the help of two-time All-American Eric Strand.
As a senior, Strand was named the RMAC Player of the Year and became UNK’s all-time leading scorer, finishing with 2,173 points.
The Lopers made it back into the NCAA's in 2002 after winning the RMAC regular season title. Leading the way for the Lopers was RMAC Co-Player of the Year and All-American Nick Svehla.
The 2002-03 season was one of the most successful seasons in UNK history. The Lopers won a school-record 30 games while going 18-1 during the RMAC regular season. Kropp was named the RMAC Coach of the Year for a second year in a row, while Svehla was once again named the RMAC P.O.Y. and repeated as an All-American.
In the NCAA'S, the Lopers defeated Metro State in double overtime at the Health & Sports Center in Kearney to reach the program’s first-ever Elite Eight. The dream season ended with a loss to eventual national champion Northeastern State in Florida.
The following season, the Lopers reached the Sweet Sixteen. Senior Nick Branting led the way, averaging 22.3 points and 7.4 rebounds a game to be named the NCAA Division II Player of the Year by one media outlet. He was also named the CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year.
Before the 2005-06 season, Kevin Lofton joined Kropp as co-head coach. During Kropp’s nine years as the sole head coach, he compiled a record of 215-60.
With Lofton helping lead UNK, the Lopers won the 2006 RMAC tournament title before falling in the first round of the NCAA's. Kropp also saw the emergence of Dusty Jura, who led the team in every major statistical category while being named a second team All-American. A 3.00 student, Jura was also named an Academic All-American.
Jura helped the Lopers reach the second round of the NCAA's in 2007 while repeating as an All-American on the court and in the classroom. While averaging more than 20 points and 10 rebounds a game, Jura became the first Loper since Kropp to average a double double for an entire season.
The RMAC P.O.Y. was ALSO selected to play in the Division II all-star game. For all this, Kropp and Lofton were named RMAC Co-Oaches of the Year.
With the start of the 2010-11 season, Kropp ranked third among active Division II coaches in career wins. That year, post Mike Dentlinger was named a Freshman All-American.
When the Lopers moved into the MIAA (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association) for the 2012-13 season, Dentlinger repeated as an Academic All-American.
Before being named co-head coach in 1990, Kropp spent seven years on the UNK staff as an assistant coach from 1983-90. He also spent two years as a graduate assistant while completing his Master’s degree.
Academically, Kropp has close ties to his alma mater. In addition to his two degrees from UNK, he has been on the physical education faculty since 1983. He received his Ed. D. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1989. A native of Grand Island, Kropp received his bachelor’s degree from UNK in 1975.
As a student-athlete, Kropp excelled in both football and basketball. On the gridiron, he was a 1974 NAIA All-American at defensive back. Kropp also was a top running back, gaining 201 yards in a 1971 game vs. Colorado School of Mines.
On the hardwood, Kropp averaged a double double over his entire career (20.7 points & 11.2 rebounds per game); he remains the only Loper to accomplish this feat. He currently ranks third in career rebounds (1,022) and sixth in points (1,884).
As a senior, he scored a school-record 51 points against Central Missouri on his way to being a first team All-America. During his four-year career, he guided the Lopers to a 67-30 record. In the classroom, he was a two time academic All-American.
Following his college career Kropp was picked in the eighth round of the NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, in the third round of the ABA draft by the Denver Nuggets, and in the third round of the NBA draft by the Washington Bullets.
After signing with the Bullets, Kropp spent his rookie year in Washington D.C. before being traded to the Chicago Bulls in 1976. In his one year in Chicago, he appeared in 53 games averaging 3.3 points a game. One game into his third season in the NBA, Kropp was waived.
He finished his playing career in Belgium from 1979-83 where he averaged at least 30 points a game.
Since retiring from professional basketball, Kropp has been inducted into the NAIA, Nebraska Football, Nebraska High School, and the National High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
Kropp lives in Kearney with his wife, Sonja, who is a French professor at UNK. Their daughter, Dominique, currently attends UNK.
YEAR BY YEAR WITH COACH KROPP1990-91 21-9 NCAA First Round
1991-92 9-19
1992-93 20-6
1993-94 18-9
1994-95 19-8
1995-96 24-9 (12-4) NCAA First Round
1996-97 23-8 (16-3) NCAA Second Round
1997-98 25-6 (15-4) NCAA Second Round, RMAC Tournament Champions
1998-99 24-7 (15-4) NCAA Sweet Sixteen
1999-00 16-12 (12-7) RMAC Tournament Semifinals
2000-01 22-6 (15-4) RMAC Tournament Runner Up
2001-02 24-6 (18-1) NCAA First Round, RMAC Regular Season Champions
2002-03 30-3 (18-1) NCAA Elite Eight, RMAC Regular Season Champions
2003-04 28-5 (16-3) NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2004-05 23-7 (16-3) NCAA First Round
2005-06 23-8 (15-4) NCAA First Round, RMAC Regular Tournament Champions
2006-07 24-7 (16-3) NCAA Second Round
2007-08 16-13 (13-6) RMAC Tournament Semifinals
2008-09 11-15 (8-11)
2009-10 13-14 (8-11)
2010-11 13-14 (11-11) RMAC Tournament First Round
2011-12 16-12 (13-9) RMAC Tournament Semifinals
2012-13 7-19 (4-14)
2013-14 15-13 (10-7) MIAA Tournament Second Round
Totals 464-235
