Rob Senderoff: 3 things to know about the Kent State Golden Flashes basketball coach

For the first time since 2017, Rob Senderoff has the Kent State Golden Flashes dancing again in March Madness.

In arguably his most successful season yet as the school's men's basketball coach, Kent State won the Mid-American Conference Tournament last weekend to secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament where the Golden Flashes are a No. 13 seed in the Midwest Region.

Kent State takes a 28-6 record into the NCAA Tournament. KSU plays No. 4 Indiana (22-11) in a first-round game at MVP Arena in Albany, New York. The game is scheduled to tip at 9:55 p.m. Friday.

Before we get to our three things to know about Senderoff, here's some basic facts about the Kent State University men's basketball head coach:

• Age: 49 years old

• Birthday: July 25, 1973

• Hometown: Spring Valley, N.Y.

• Previous coaching experience: Assistant coach at Fordham, Indiana, Kent State, Towson and Yale; graduate assistant at Miami University

• Coaching record at Kent State: 247-146

• Overall coaching record: 247-146

• Salary: $285,000 is his yearly base salary, according to WKSU in July 2021 when he signed an extension to stay at Kent through the 2025-26 season.

And here are three more things to know about Senderoff:

1. A meaningful opponent and venue for Kent State basketball coach Rob Senderoff

Friday's game was always going to have meaning for Senderoff and the Golden Flashes. After all, it's their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017. That said, Friday's opponent (Indiana) and venue (Albany) both have extra meaning for Senderoff. Senderoff has spent the past two decades in Kent with one exception, a three-year stint as an assistant coach at Indiana from 2006 to 2008. As for Albany? Well, that's where he graduated from in 1995. (In another odd twist involving his alma mater, Senderoff became Kent State's winningest coach against the University at Albany during the 2018-2019 season.)

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2. Rob Senderoff found success right away at Kent State

For many coaches, it takes months or even years to build a winner. Senderoff found success right away. Indeed, in Senderoff's head coaching debut for the Golden Flashes, Kent State snapped West Virginia's 36-game non-conference home win streak. That marked the Flashes' first true road win over a BCS opponent in 41 years. That Kent State team won eight of its first nine (the lone loss was to Cleveland State) and finished the year with a 21-12 record.

The start was strong. The consistency under Senderoff has been no less striking. In his 12 years leading the Golden Flashes, they have eight seasons with 20-plus wins. They've never gone two seasons in a row under Senderoff without hitting the 20-win threshold. Moreover, under Senderoff, Kent State has never posted a losing record. (The Golden Flashes had .500 seasons in 2013-2014 and 2017-2018.)

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3. Rob Senderoff having his best season yet at Kent State

For all the 20-win seasons he has amassed at Kent State, this is, at least by the numbers, Senderoff's best team yet. At 28 wins, this year's team easily topped last year's squad (23) for the most wins a Senderoff team has posted in a single season. (His 2014-2015 team also racked up 23 wins.) From a winning percentage perspective (.824), it's not even close. Last year's .676 is the next highest. And of course, combine all that with the Golden Flashes' second MAC Tournament championship in his 12 years leading the program. Sitting at 28 wins entering the NCAA Tournament, this Kent State team is tied for second in program history, behind only the memorable 2001-2002 season that led to 30 wins and an Elite Eight appearance.

With a win Friday, this year's team can stand out in another way, by delivering Senderoff his first NCAA Tournament victory as a head coach.

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This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Rob Senderoff: 3 facts on the Kent State basketball coach