Travis Kirk has a long history at Hutchinson Community College.

Kirk is a longtime fan of the Blue Dragon basketball program dating back to his childhood. He was a student at HutchCC. He later became an assistant coach with the Blue Dragons men’s basketball team for two seasons. Kirk is now in his 24th season as a Blue Dragon basketball women’s assistant coach.

Assisting his third head coach since joining the Blue Dragon women’s program, Kirk has proven his worth with his on-court coaching abilities and as a tireless recruiter and fundraiser for the Dragons.

Originally hired by Rob Edmisson to join the women’s staff before the 2001-02 season, Kirk stayed on staff when Nathan Daume was hired before the 2002-03 season. Kirk was once again retained by current head coach John Ontjes.

The Blue Dragons have had some of their best seasons with Kirk on the bench, especially the 2023-24 season where Hutchinson completed an undefeated run to the program’s first national championship in its history.

The 2023-24 Blue Dragons went 37-0, winning the Jayhawk Conference and Region VI Tournament titles before defeating Cochise, New Mexico Junior College, Eastern Arizona and Northwest Florida State in the 2024 NJCAA Tournament as Casper, Wyoming to capture the program’s first national title in its fourth title-game appearance.

Guard Kiki Smith was named the Jayhawk Conference, Region VI and NJCAA National Player of the Year as well as the MVP of the national tournament. Including Smith, five Blue Dragon players earned all-KJCCC honors with Journey Armstead and Monae Duffy joining Smith in the first team. Hailey Jackson and Akaysha Muggeridge were second-team selections.

Over the past 17 seasons, Kirk has helped guide the Hutchinson women’s program to national status. The Blue Dragons have now captured 8 of the last 17 Region VI championships (2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2022, 2024). The Dragons have qualified for 11 NJCAA National Tournaments with Hutchinson’s 2024 Region VI championship.

Hutchinson has also won 11 Jayhawk West championships.

The Hutch women have posted record of 607-159 over Kirk’s first 23 seasons.

During his first season with the HutchCC women, the Blue Dragons tied a team record for wins with 27. In 2005, HutchCC had 23 wins, which tied for the fourth most victories and in 2008 HCC had 24 victories, which tied for the third-most in program history.

Along the way, Kirk has seen some of the biggest wins in program history, including a monumental 64-50 victory on Feb. 28, 2004 at Seward County, which snapped the Saints’ 135-game home-court winning streak. Kirk also saw the Blue Dragons’ own 132-game home-court winning streak, the third longest in college basketball history.

As a recruiter, Kirk has been exceptionally strong with in-state recruiting. Since coming on-board, Kirk’s has three Kansas recruits in the current Blue Dragon career scoring Top 10 and six of his in-state recruits in the career 3-point Top 10.

Since joining the HutchCC women’s staff, Kirk has seen 45 players sign with NCAA Division I programs. Another 35 players signed with NCAA Division II programs.

Before joining the Hutchinson women’s basketball staff, Kirk was an assistant for the Blue Dragon men under former coach Tim Jankovich.

Kirk is a graduate of Haven High School, Hutchinson Community College and the University of Kansas. He has a master’s degree in sports administration from KU.

Kirk, and his wife Courtney, have two daughters, Keegan and Tenley.