Jordan Becomes 7th DI Head Coach at His Alma Mater After Playing in NBA
April 28th, 2013 - 9:35
Eddie Jordan, a member of the New Jersey Nets among the four NBA franchises he played for during his seven-year NBA playing career, returned to his alma mater (Rutgers '77) as head coach. Jordan doesn't have a diploma but joins LSU's Johnny Jones and UNLV's Dave Rice as the only active coaches to have played for their alma mater in a Final Four.
Jordan also has the distinction of being an NBA head coach (three different franchises a total of nine years). He is the leader in scoring and assists average among the following alphabetical list of seven active Division I head coaches detailing the first season they coached their alma mater after playing in the NBA:
| Active Coach | Alma Mater | 1st Year | Summary of NBA Playing Career |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerome Allen | Pennsylvania '95 | 2009-10 | Averaged 2.9 ppg, 1.1 rpg and 1.7 apg with three NBA teams in two seasons in 1995-96 and 1996-97 |
| Bryce Drew | Valparaiso '98 | 2011-12 | Averaged 4.4 ppg, 1.2 rpg and 2.2 apg with three NBA teams in six seasons from 1998-99 through 2003-04 |
| Fred Hoiberg | Iowa State '95 | 2010-11 | Averaged 5.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg and 1.7 apg with the Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls in eight seasons from 1995-96 through 2002-03 |
| Clemon Johnson | Florida A&M '78 | 2011-12 | Averaged 5.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1 apg and 0.9 bpg with four NBA teams in 10 seasons from 1978-79 through 1987-88 |
| Eddie Jordan | Rutgers '77 | 2013-14 | Averaged 8.1 ppg, 1.9 rpg and 3.8 apg with four NBA teams in seven seasons from 1977-78 through 1983-84 |
| Kevin Ollie | Connecticut '95 | 2012-13 | Averaged 3.8 ppg, 1.5 rpg and 2.3 apg with 12 NBA teams in 13 seasons from 1997-98 through 2009-10 |
| Lorenzo Romar | Washington '80 | 2002-03 | Averaged 5.9 ppg, 1.1 rpg and 3.5 apg with three NBA teams in five seasons from 1980-81 through 1984-85 |