UConn Do It: Ollie and Hoiberg Make Quick Transition from NBA to College

April 5th, 2014 - 16:08

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 didn't have a diploma but joined 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. Perhaps Rutgers can meet Manhattan (Steve Masiello) in a Coaches vs. Graduation Tip-Off Classic next season to draw attention to the APR disease.

Jordan also has NBA head coaching experience (three different franchises a total of nine years) but he may need to be more like Connecticut's Kevin Ollie and Iowa State's Fred Hoiberg to make a more successful transition from the NBA to the college game. Ollie and Hoiberg had significantly less coaching experience than Jordan among the following alphabetical list of six 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
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