Bio

A native of west-central Illinois, Kellen Fernetti came to Sandburg prior to the 2022-23 season after spending the previous two years as the boys basketball coach at Decatur Community High School in Oberlin, Kan. Prior to that, Fernetti spent the 2019-20 season as the women's basketball coach at Lamar (Colo.) Community College and was the head women's basketball coach at McCook (Neb.) Community College from 2016-19.

During his three seasons as head coach at McCook, Fernetti's teams won Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference championships in 2017 and 2019, with Fernetti being named the NCCAC Coach of the Year and McCook leading the conference in scoring in both of those seasons. His squad also finished ninth in NJCAA Division I in points per game during the 2018-19 season, averaging 85.2 points and putting up a 21-11 record.

Fernetti spent 2012-16 as a men's basketball assistant at McCook before being named the women's basketball head coach there. With Fernetti on staff, McCook posted back-to-back winning seasons in 2014-15 and 2015-16, won the 2016 NCCAC title and ranked in the top 10 in scoring in NJCAA Division I in each of his final three seasons as an assistant.

Fernetti's first collegiate coaching experience came as a graduate assistant from 2010-12 at William Woods University, where he earned a Master of Education in Athletic/Activities Administration. His first job as a coach came at West Prairie High School in Sciota, where he led the Cyclones junior varsity boys basketball team in 2005-06 and the varsity program from 2006-10.

A former NJCAA student-athlete, Fernetti played at John Wood Community College in Quincy from 2001-03. He totaled 906 career points, led the Blazers in scoring in both seasons and earned All-Collegiate Conference of Illinois honors as a freshman and as a sophomore. He finished his career at John Wood as the program's all-time leader in 3-pointers in a game (nine), season (106) and career (196).

Fernetti then transferred to Hannibal-LaGrange University and was the Trojans' leading scorer in both of his seasons there, earning a spot on the All-American Midwest Conference team in 2004 and again in 2005. In his junior season at Hannibal-LaGrange, Fernetti earned NAIA National Player of the Week honors and led the country with 146 3-pointers. He knocked down 238 treys in his two seasons with the Trojans and finished his playing career as the program's record holder for 3s in a game (11) and season (146). Fernetti earned his Bachelor of Science in Recreation Management from Hannibal-LaGrange in 2006.

While in high school, the Niota native was part of 100 wins in his career at Nauvoo-Colusa, including a 1998 Class A state championship in his freshman season with the Vikings. As a senior, he averaged nearly 32 points and scored a career-high 54 in one game. Fernetti remains the school's record holder in career points, points in a season and 3-pointers.