Years In Coaching: 7th season
Years at USF: 1st
Alma Mater: Samford, 2018 – Bachelor's degree in public administration
Louisville, 2019 – Master's degree in sport administration
Hometown: Georgetown, Ky.
NOTABLE:
• Played for Chris Mack at Louisville (2018-19) and served on Mack coaching staffs at Louisville and College of Charleston prior to arriving at South Florida.
• Set Samford’s all-time career assist record (514) as a player and ranks 13th on the program’s scoring list with 1,283 points.
Christen Cunningham joined Chris Mack’s first South Florida staff as an assistant coach in March of 2026.
Cunningham played for Mack for one season at Louisville and previously served for two seasons as assistant coach/general manager on his staff at the College of Charleston (20024-26). In the 2024-25 season, he helped guide the program to a 24-9 overall record and an appearance in the CAA semifinals. The Cougars posted a 21-11 mark (14-4 in the CAA) and finished second in the conference in 2025-26.
Prior to arriving in Charleston, Cunningham served for two seasons on the staff at Rhode Island (2022-24), starting as the program’s director of player development before being named an assistant coach.
Cunningham arrived in Rhode Island from Louisville, where he finished his collegiate playing career and served as a graduate assistant on Mack’s staffs from 2020-22.
Cunningham was a team captain at Louisville in 2018-19 as a graduate transfer and averaged 10.1 points and 4.9 assists per game for a Mack-coached team that won 20 games and earned an NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Georgetown, Ky. native was a three-year starter and team captain at Samford prior to transferring to Louisville. He set Samford's all-time career assist record with 514 and ranked fifth in the nation with a school-record 225 assists in the 2016-17 season. Cunningham finished his Samford career ranked 13th on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,283 career points.
Before beginning his coaching career, Cunningham spent the 2019-20 season playing professionally in the Croatian Premier League and Adriatic Basketball Association.
He earned a bachelor's degree in public administration from Samford in 2018 and a master's degree in sport administration from Louisville in 2019.
Christen Cunningham Coaching Career
2026- South Florida, Assistant Coach
2024-26 College of Charleston, Assistant Coach
2023-24 Rhode Island, Assistant Coach
2022-23 Rode Island, Director of Player Development
2020-22 Louisville, Graduate Assistant
