SMU Athletics

Kurt Karis is in his third season as an assistant coach at SMU and his ninth working with Head Coach Andy Enfield.

SMU was 20-14 this past season, earning the program’s first NCAA Tournament bid since 2017. The Mustangs are 44-25 in his first two seasons, including a 21-17 ACC record. 

In 2025-26, the Mustangs recorded a pair of top-25 wins for the first time in six seasons and were ranked in the AP Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Poll for the first time in nine seasons. SMU tied for the most All-ACC honorees with three and finished in the top-30 nationally in scoring, assists, field-goal percentage and three-point percentage.

In his first season on the Hilltop, the Mustangs went 24-11 and earned a No. 1 seed in the NIT. The Mustangs were one of just two teams in the nation with six players averaging at least 9.9 points and one of just eight teams in the NCAA top 50 for field goal percentage and field goal defense. SMU signed the nation’s fourth-ranked high school recruiting class, which is the best in program history.

Karis was an assistant coach on the USC staff in 2023-24 after the previous three seasons as director of scouting and two seasons as a graduate assistant. He earned his Master’s in Communication Management in 2020.  He also earned his undergraduate degree from USC in Communication.

Karis spent three seasons as a student-athlete with USC basketball (2015-18), and was a back-up guard for the Trojans. That was following two years at Chicago State (2013-15).  

Karis played his high school ball at Glenbrook North in Northbrook, Illinois, where he averaged 17 points and seven assists as a senior.  He was named all-conference his final three seasons at Glenbrook North and was named the team MVP his final two seasons.  He helped lead his team to conference titles each of his final three seasons.

Karis is one of 10 children.

Updated: August 3, 2026