Aaron Kahl is entering his 15th season as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach and Assistant Athletic Director at the University of Northwestern. Coach Kahl was hired in 2010, and in addition to his coaching duties he oversees the athletic department’s transportation needs, tickets, and concessions.
Since Coach Kahl’s arrival in the 2010-2011 season, his Eagles have consistently been in contention at the top of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference. The Eagles clinched a share of the UMAC title in 2014-2015 and 2020-2021. In 2013-2014, Coach Kahl led the Eagles on an unforgettable run through the UMAC Conference Tournament, on route to winning the Conference Tournament Championship. UNW was the #3 seed in the tournament, and after a win against the #2 seeded St. Scholastica Saints, they matched up with the #1 seed Minnesota-Morris, who the Eagles had never beaten in Coach Kahl’s tenure. The Eagles shocked the conference by dominating the game from the start. UNW would win 71-33 at Minnesota-Morris, and Coach Kahl guided his squad to their first NCAA National Tournament appearance in program history. This was not the only national success Kahl’s Eagles have had, UNW qualified for the NCCAA National Tournament in 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022. In 2020-2021 the Eagles won their quarterfinal game, and an overtime thriller in their semifinal game to advance to the National Championship Game for the first time in program history.
Coach Kahl has been named the UMAC Coach of the year three times (2014-2015, 2020-2021, 2022-2023) and the NCCAA Regional Coach of the year six times, including two separate runs of winning the award three consecutive seasons (2013-2014, 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2020-2021, 2021-2022, 2022-2023). The 23 games that his squad won in 2015-2016 tied a program record for wins in a season. The Eagles won over 20 games for the second time in Kahl's tenure in 2021-2022.
The 2022-2023 season was a big one for Coach Kahl and his team. The Eagles went 19-9, finished 13-1 in the UMAC, won the conference regular season and tournament championships, and returned to the NCAA Division III National Tournament. 2023 also saw Coach Kahl become the all time winningest coach in program history with 221 wins at UNW and counting.
Coach Kahl earned his Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Gustavus Adolphus in 2000, and received his Master of Science in Sport Administration from Minnesota State University-Mankato in 2006. Prior to coming to Northwestern, Coach Kahl was an Assistant Coach at Gustavus Adolphus from 2001-2006 and the Head Coach at Dakota Wesleyan University from 2006-2009.
Coach Kahl currently resides in Shoreview with his wife, Amy, and their three children, Tyler, Makenna and Kinsley.
