Kenton Paulino joined the men's basketball staff at ORU as an assistant coach in June 2021.
Paulino came to the Golden Eagles after spending two seasons at UTEP helping turn around the program. In 2019-20, the Miners totaled 17 wins, nine more than the year before his arrival, and more than doubled their win total in Conference USA play. UTEP posted its first winning season in four years and made a return to the C-USA Tournament during his first year on campus finishing with a 13-4 record at home, the most home wins in four years.
Prior to his time at UTEP, Paulino worked two years at Tulsa (2017-19), five years at Fresno State (2012-17) and one season at Lamar (2011-12) as an assistant coach. He also worked for three seasons (2008-11) as a special assistant at Texas under head coach Rick Barnes. The Longhorns won 75 games while advancing to three consecutive NCAA Tournaments and garnered the program’s first no. 1 ranking in the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls (2009-10).
As a player from 2002-06, Paulino was a two-year starter and four-year letter winner for the Longhorns appearing in 106 games, playing both the point guard and shooting guard positions, and was a tri-captain as a senior. He was a member of four NCAA Tournament teams and made trips to the Final Four (2003), Elite Eight (2006) and Sweet 16 (2004). During Paulino’s senior season (2005-06), he helped the Longhorns to a 30-7 record, the Big 12 Conference regular-season title and an Elite Eight appearance. He started all 37 games that season and was one of six players nationally named to the Sports Illustrated "All-Glue" team.
After his collegiate career, Paulino played two years professionally spending a year oversees in Turkey and another as a member of the Austin Toros (2007-08), the NBA G League affiliate of the San Antonio Spurs.
Paulino earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Ethnic Studies from Texas in 2008. The Los Angeles native is married to the former Shelette Williams and the couple has two children, Kiera and Kaleb.
