A valuable member of the Cal State LA women’s basketball program, Kameron McClinton returns for his 11th season as an assistant coach with the Golden Eagles. He has been a trusted part of the program and a big reason why the Golden Eagles have enjoyed the best sustained run of success in program history.
He helped the Golden Eagles to a historic season in 2025-26 as Cal State LA won the California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament title for the first conference championship in the program’s history. The Golden Eagles finished with a 24-7 overall record and an 18-4 conference mark, setting new program records for wins both for a season and for conference play. The Golden Eagles also set a new program record with a 15-game winning streak, which smashed the previous record of eight in a row that had stood since 1986.
McClinton helped the Golden Eagles make a fifth straight CCAA Tournament appearance and a third NCAA appearance in the past four years.
In his first nine seasons with the program, Cal State LA has a 143-115 record, including a 113-80 mark in conference play. Over the past six seasons, the Golden Eagles are 105-69 overall and 82-47 in conference play.
Cal State LA has earned 30 All-CCAA awards, three All-Region awards and two All-Americans in Nicole Flennaugh and Nevaeh Asiasi during his tenure. Asiasi also became the program’s first CCAA Player of the Year and the first to win CCAA Tournament Most Valuable Player honors.
McClinton, who got his introduction to the program as a practice player, has taken on increased responsibilities during his coaching tenure and is one of the most respected assistant coaches in the conference.
McClinton helped the Golden Eagles reach a fourth straight CCAA Tournament appearance for the first time in program history in an outstanding season in 2024-25. Cal State LA was 18-10 overall and 13-9 in CCAA play.
Cal State LA was ranked ninth in the final NCAA West Region rankings and narrowly missed a third consecutive trip to the NCAA playoffs.
McClinton helped the Golden Eagles make it to the NCAA Division II playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history in 2023-24 in an impressive follow-up to a historic season in 2022-23. The Golden Eagles were 17-13 overall and finished fourth in the CCAA with a 13-9 mark.
As the No. 4 seed, the Golden Eagles advanced to the semifinals of the CCAA Tournament for a third straight season. Cal State LA then reached the NCAA West Regionals as the No. 8 seed.
McClinton helped guide the Golden Eagles to a sensational 2022-23 season that saw the Golden Eagles advance to the NCAA playoffs for the first time since 2012 and win 20 games for just the fourth time in program history. Cal State LA finished third in the CCAA for a second straight year and established a new program record for conference wins with a 16-6 mark.
Cal State LA earned the No. 3 seed for the CCAA Tournament and reached the tourney semifinals for a second straight season. The Golden Eagles then earned the No. 5 seed in the NCAA West Regional and fell to No. 4 Montana State Billings in a hard-fought contest to end the season.
He has not only helped with the success on the court, but McClinton has also contributed greatly to the Golden Eagles’ academic success. After the season, Cal State LA was among the schools honored by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association for having a team grade point average above a 3.0.
McClinton also had a big role in guiding the Golden Eagles through a transitional period and then to a successful return to competition in 2021-22.
He helped the Golden Eagles equal their best-ever finish in the CCAA and to their first CCAA Tournament win since 2014. Cal State LA was 8-2 in its final 10 conference games to finish third in the CCAA with a 12-7 mark. The Golden Eagles were 14-13 overall.
Before the 2020-21 season was canceled due to COVID, McClinton helped Cal State LA to a much-improved 2019-20 season. The Golden Eagles improved their overall win total by three games and their conference win total by four and just missed a spot in the CCAA Tournament by one game.
He joined the coaching staff prior to the 2016-17 season and has added responsibilities each year. He assists with practice drills and works with skill development. McClinton coordinates travel and gear and is also actively involved in the program’s community service outreach.
McClinton began his time with the Golden Eagles as a practice player from 2014-16. He learned opponents’ offensive plays and defensive schemes for practice and also assisted with players’ skill development.
McClinton earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration: management from Cal State LA in 2017.
