Education: Texas Christian University (1986)
At Ouachita: 16th season (210-201)
Career: 22nd season (282-297)
Records updated prior to the 2026-27 season
Dennis Nutt, a former NBA player with the Dallas Mavericks from 1986-88, is in his 16th season as head coach of the Tigers in 2026-27. He has led the Tigers to two Great American Conference tournament championships in 2013 and 2016, and a GAC regular season title in 2015. His 2016 squad qualified for the NCAA Division II National Tournament, the first appearance for the program since 2008.
Nutt's 2024-25 and 2025-26 squads put together the first back-to-back 20-win seasons for the program in 50 years. The 2024-25 team finished 22-8 overall and 16-6 in GAC games, just one win away from winning the league's regular season title. The 2025-26 team finished at 23-7 overall and again finished second in the GAC at 18-4. The 2025-26 team helped Ouachita return to the national rankings for the first time since 2009, reaching as high as No. 16 in the NABC Top 25. The 23 wins in 2025-26 marked the most wins in a season for the program in the NCAA era.
At Ouachita, Nutt has coached 21 All-GAC selections and 11 GAC All-Tournament Selections, including 2013 GAC Tournament MVP Colt Fason and 2016 Tournament MVP Tirrell Brown. He was named GAC Coach of the Year following the 2014-2015 season. Under his leadership, the Tigers have earned two GAC player of the year honors (Tirell Brown and Hobert Grayson), four GAC newcomer of the year honors (Brown, Grayson, Lakee Westbrook, Devon Hancock), and three GAC defensive player of the year honors (Grayson, David Berete, Christian Parks).
Nutt served as men’s basketball head coach at Texas State University from 2000 to 2006. He also has been an assistant coach at Coastal Carolina University, Arkansas State University and Westark Community College, as well as a graduate assistant basketball coach at Texas A&M University. Prior to taking the head job at Ouachita, he was a consultant and fundraiser for Coker College and an NBA scout for the Charlotte Bobcats.
Among his many accolades, Nutt is a member of the TCU Hall of Fame, was selected to the All-Time Southwest Conference Team and was on the 1985 All Southwest Conference First Team. He also was named the team MVP in 1984 and 1985, was a 1981 Arkansas High School All-Star participant and was a 5A All-State selection in 1980-81 in both basketball and football.
Nutt, a native of Little Rock, Arkansas, is the youngest of four brothers with successful coaching careers. Houston and Danny Nutt are former college football coaches, most notably with the Arkansas Razorbacks, and Dickey Nutt is on the men’s basketball staff at the University of Missouri. Their father, the late Houston Nutt Sr., is a member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and the Deaf Hall of Fame.
A 1986 graduate of TCU, Dennis Nutt and his wife, Vicki, are the parents of twin daughters, Macy and Myca.
