"I did soccer, track and field and swimming. I did everything but basketball," Kentucky men's basketball assistant coach Mikhail McLean said, overlooking the court inside Historic Memorial Coliseum. "I grew up in the church; I grew up as an alter boy and was in the band. I did everything but sports full time."
Life has a funny way of working out. In McLean's case, it was a 10-inch growth spurt pushing him in a new direction.
"I got a scholarship opportunity to move to Houston when I was 12 and hit that growth spurt," a now 6-foot-4 McLean told BBN Tonight anchor, Maggie Davis. "I was an only child so my mother was like 'I am not letting my 12 year old child move to another country without me.'"
She did, however, permit a trip to the United States. The mother-son duo checked out Houston, "vetted" the opportunity provided by Bahamas native turned 3-time Olympian Frank Rutherford, and decided it was, in fact, the best path toward McLean's future.
"I moved over here. No family; no friends," McLean says now, admitting it was a "really hard" transition for both himself and his mother.
"She would come over four times a year. She spent every bit of her pay check to come over and visit."
McLean ended up spending more than a decade in Houston. After playing all four years of college ball with the Cougars, earning both his bachelor's and master's degrees while serving as a team captain, McLean joined the staff as a graduate assistant and then as assistant director for player development.
He spent six years on the staff, where he helped the program win back-to-back AAC titles and a trip to the Final Four.
He also married his now-wife, Arrion, and they welcomed their first son, Mikhail Junior, into the world. They were expecting their second when McLean's world changed forever.
McLean's mother passed away on January 18, 2021. His father died the following June.
"My dad actually never got a chance to see basketball in person in the States. But my mother came over frequently. She was my best friend. We were really, really close," McLean said. "She made these sacrifices, so that’s why I never take it for granted being in the States and working at a university like Kentucky.
"This is something she kind of spoke into fruition for me way before I thought I could do it... She believed I could be the prime minister of The Bahamas or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company."
McLean may not be doing those exact things (at least, not yet), but he is returning to his home country this summer as the head coach for The Bahamas men's national team.
"It’s on the rise. And it’s here to stay," McLean says of the sport's growth in The Bahamas over the past decade, noting the country's rich history in the sport and NBA ties including 1978 No. 1 pick, Mychal Thompson and current players Deandre Ayton, Buddy Hield and V.J. Edgecombe.
"I would say over the course of the last ten years, basketball has become a household thing in The Bahamas. We're known for track and field, but [basketball] is on the rise."
Now, he has a chance to continue that rise, while beginning to leave his own legacy.
"It means a lot. A lot," McLean says. "A lot of people come for the vacation, and they don’t understand it’s a third-world country. It’s hard to make it out. Being the head coach is a different responsibility, and continuing to build a legacy we’ve kind-of established is awesome."
"My mother was my biggest cheerleader, so she’s up there [in Heaven] showing everyone the newspaper articles, showing everyone the videos."
Kentucky basketball assistant coach Mikhail McLean tapped to lead the Bahamas men's national team
— Maggie Davis (@MaggieDavisTV) June 10, 2026
He's been with the team since '21, working as defensive coordinator and associate head coach https://t.co/yxoeeou03K
McLean will undoubtely carry his parents' love and his own love for The Bahamas with him as he begins a new journey as the team's head coach. But he'll bring a piece of the Bluegrass with him, too.
In addition to McLean, one current Kentucky graduate assistant, Willis Mackey Jr., will also work with The Bahamas men's national team this summer as an assistant coach and video coordinator.
"Fortunate enough to have Willis on our staff, who has been a big factor in our success here at Kentucky. Willis is doing a really, really good job. We're really lucky to have him at Kentucky, and I'm really lucky to have him on our team, on our staff," McLean said.
Probably too late for Malachi Moreno to get citizenship for the Bahamas, but he'll be rooting for his Kentucky assistant coach, Mikhail McLean, nonetheless #BBN
— Maggie Davis (@MaggieDavisTV) June 23, 2026
Our full story with McLean coming up tonight at 7:30 on @BBNTonight pic.twitter.com/ZYLibvwBw3
The native Bahamians met several years ago while McLean was an assistant coach and Mackey was playing; now, they work together for both programs.
"For him to be here two years later at the University of Kentucky is unbelievable," McLean says of Mackey.
"Really excited for his future, his trajectory and the impact he’s having on both programs."
Watch McLean's full story with Davis and BBN Tonight for more on how his parents continue to inspire him, how it feels to share this new experience with his three sons, and what he's most excited to show them when they travel to The Bahamas later this summer.
This story was shot and edited by BBN Tonight photojournalist, Nick Lazaroff.
For more on Kentucky basketball and all of the Wildcats, join us on BBN Tonight, airing weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on the official station for UK Athletics, LEX 18.
