In 2008, McKenna was appointed the inaugural senior coach of the newly founded Gold Coast Suns Football Club. He oversaw their TAC Cup and VFL campaigns prior to their entrance in the AFL. In the 2011 season, the Gold Coast Suns under McKenna in its inaugural season in the AFL league, finished in last place on the ladder with three wins and nineteen losses for the wooden spoon. In the 2012 season, the Gold Coast suns under McKenna finished in seventeenth position (second-last) on the ladder, yet again with three wins and nineteen losses. In the 2013 season, the Gold Coast Suns under McKenna improved on-field performance when they finished fourteenth on the ladder with eight wins and fourteen losses. In the 2014 season, Gold Coast Suns under McKenna finished in twelve place on the ladder with ten wins and twelve losses. But however after the Suns failed to make the finals in their first four years in the AFL senior competition league, McKenna was sacked as senior coach of the Gold Coast Suns on 1 October 2014, at the end of the 2014 season. McKenna was then replaced by Rodney Eade as Gold Coast Suns Football Club senior coach. McKenna coached Gold Coast Suns Football Club to a total of 88 games with 24 wins and 64 losses to a winning percentage of 27 percent. Essendon Football Club assistant coach (2015–2017) On 9 November 2015, McKenna was appointed as an assistant coach in the position of line coach at under senior coach John Worsfold, who he previously played with as a former teammate at West Coast Eagles. McKenna left the Essendon Football Club at the end of the 2017 season. Statistics Playing statistics |- |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1988 |style="text-align:center;"| | 17 || 18 || 0 || 3 || 169 || 156 || 325 || 73 || 17 || 0.0 || 0.2 || 9.4 || 8.7 || 18.1 || 4.1 || 0.9 |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1989 |style="text-align:center;"| | 17 || 20 || 1 || 1 || 184 || 184 || 368 || 113 || 26 || 0.1 || 0.1 || 9.2 || 9.2 || 18.4 || 5.7 || 1.3 |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1990 |style="text-align:center;"| | 17 || 26 || 4 || 3 || 252 || 210 || 462 || 97 || 52 || 0.2 || 0.1 || 9.7 || 8.1