When Antoine Pettway got the head coaching job at Kennesaw State, one of the first things he did was call Delaney Heard.

With Heard in the portal after three seasons at Alabama, the longtime Crimson Tide assistant knew exactly what he brought to a program.

It didn’t take Heard long to give Pettway an answer.

“It was no question that I wanted to come here,” the now-Kennesaw State guard said.

With Heard among the starting five for Pettway’s Owls this season, his second-year team advanced to the Conference USA semifinals before falling by a point to regular-season champion Liberty on Friday in Huntsville.

The 70-69 loss capped off a 19-win season for the Owls.

“I’m extremely proud of our group,” Pettway said. “All year they fought, all year they believed, and today was no different. We didn’t execute like you needed to down the stretch, maybe cost us a game. Didn’t finish like we normally finish, but man, I’m not trading, none of my guys, I’m not trading this experience for anything.”

An assistant at Alabama for 15 seasons, primarily responsible for coordinating the offense under Nate Oats in his final year, Pettway was announced as the head coach at Kennesaw State ahead of the 2023-24 season.

His second season saw the Owls finish 19-13 overall and fourth in Conference USA as a first-year member, making headlines after pulling off an upset over No. 24 Rutgers in November.

This year’s group had three all-conference players, including league freshman of the year Adrian Wooley, a Tuscaloosa native and Paul Bryant High alum.

Heard announced his commitment to follow Pettway to Kennesaw State on July 1 after playing 16 games across three seasons at Alabama.

“I’ve been knowing him a long, long time,” Pettway said of Heard. “Recruited him when I was at Alabama, coached him when I was at Alabama, and I wanted culture guys, guys that we can coach hard that were going to show up every single day and bust their tails.”

Heard still remembers being recruited by Pettway out of high school and the immediate connection he felt when he was going through the process of finding a college program; he chose Alabama as an invited walk-on.

“The first day I stepped on campus at Alabama, he was one of the guys that instilled confidence in me and belief in me from day one,” he said. “I knew when he came over here that nothing was going to change. I know where he’s cut from the cloth, the dedication and heart he has, I want to play for somebody like that. I knew when he got the job, there was no question I wanted to come here with him and start something here at Kennesaw.”

Along with the group with Tuscaloosa native, this year’s Kennesaw State team provided some more Alabama flavor.

Montgomery native and former UAB player Rongie Gordon was a fifth-year player on this year’s Kennesaw State team, with Pettway recruiting him as a high school prospect.

“With coach Pett coming, I knew I had someone that believed in me,” Gordon said. “It was easy to come play, be myself and learn and take all the coaching he could give me. I knew he was going to have guys around me who were going to help us win and were going to keep the culture going.

“Like he said, hard work and dedication and commitment to the team, that was the biggest thing and I knew I was going to have that coming here to Kennesaw under him.”

Pettway graduated from Wilcox Central High School in Camden before playing college basketball at Alabama, also spending time as a grad assistant at Alabama and a staffer at Jacksonville State before beginning his long stint as an assistant in Tuscaloosa.

Gordon took note of that Alabama flare when asked about what Pettway’s personality was like.

“He’s going to take care of you,” the Montgomery native said. “We come from Alabama, our culture is we love each other, we’re family-oriented. He keeps us strong. He’s got his own family, but he always makes sure we’re good. You can’t ask for much else from a coach.

“He’s faith-driven and that’s why he’s so passionate about what he does. He’s got his purpose, he knows his purpose and as a man, that’s all you can ask for.”

With Pettway set to return plenty of talent to his Kennesaw State group next year, both fifth-year players are confident that he and the staff will keep building the Cobb County program in Georgia.

“Anything he’s asking, enough asking of us energy-wise, he’s giving the same from the sideline,” Heard said. “If there could be six people out there, he’d be playing with us too. He’s one of the most down-to-earth types of guys you’ll ever meet, but he’ll give you that energy. He’s going to get on you, but he wants the best out of you in every type of way, on and off the court, being good men, good players.

“He’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever played for.”