Caught in Draft: Total of 24 Current DI Coaches Were Picked in First 2 Rounds
June 23rd, 2022 - 17:15
Did you know that the New York Knicks chose five current NCAA Division I head coaches in opening round of an NBA draft in 13-year span from 1980 through 1992? New Louisville mentor Kenny Payne, an assistant coach for the Knicks the past two seasons, was a first-round selection by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1989. A striking number of DI bench bosses probably were a mite more interested in the NBA draft than their counterparts this week if only because they were selected themselves. Following is an alphabetical list of the 31 active DI mentors - 10 at helm of their alma mater - picked in an NBA draft (including total of 24 in rounds 1 and 2):
| Division I Coach | Current School | Alma Mater | NBA Team | Draft Year | Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Alford | Nevada | Indiana | Dallas Mavericks | 1987 | 2nd |
| Tommy Amaker | Harvard | Duke | Seattle SuperSonics | 1987 | 3rd |
| Tony Bennett | Virginia | Wisconsin-Green Bay | Charlotte Hornets | 1992 | 2nd |
| Alvin Brooks | Lamar | Lamar | San Antonio Spurs | 1981 | 10th |
| Craig "Speedy" Claxton | Hofstra | Hofstra | Philadelphia 76ers | 2000 | 1st |
| Hubert Davis | North Carolina | North Carolina | New York Knicks | 1992 | 1st |
| Mike Davis | Detroit | Alabama | Milwaukee Bucks | 1983 | 2nd |
| Johnny Dawkins | UCF | Duke | San Antonio Spurs | 1986 | 1st |
| Jamie Dixon | Texas Christian | Texas Christian | Washington Bullets | 1987 | 7th |
| Juan Dixon | Coppin State | Maryland | Washington Wizards | 2002 | 1st |
| Bryce Drew | Grand Canyon | Valparaiso | Houston Rockets | 1998 | 1st |
| Patrick Ewing | Georgetown | Georgetown | New York Knicks | 1985 | 1st |
| Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway | Memphis | Memphis State | Golden State Warriors | 1993 | 1st |
| Steve Henson | Texas-San Antonio | Kansas State | Milwaukee Bucks | 1990 | 2nd |
| Fred Hoiberg | Nebraska | Iowa State | Indiana Pacers | 1995 | 2nd |
| Juwan Howard | Michigan | Michigan | Washington Bullets | 1994 | 1st |
| Bobby Hurley Jr. | Arizona State | Duke | Sacramento Kings | 1993 | 1st |
| Jeff Jones | Old Dominion | Virginia | Indiana Pacers | 1982 | 4th |
| Jim Larranaga | Miami (Fla.) | Providence | Detroit Pistons | 1971 | 6th |
| Jim Les | UC Davis | Bradley | Atlanta Hawks | 1986 | 3rd |
| Mark Madsen | Utah Valley | Stanford | Los Angeles Lakers | 2000 | 1st |
| Aaron McKie | Temple | Temple | Portland Trail Blazers | 1994 | 1st |
| Kenny Payne | Louisville | Louisville | Philadelphia 76ers | 1989 | 1st |
| Mark Pope | Brigham Young | Kentucky | Indiana Pacers | 1996 | 2nd |
| Lorenzo Romar | Pepperdine | Washington | Golden State Warriors | 1980 | 7th |
| Jerry Stackhouse | Vanderbilt | North Carolina | Philadelphia 76ers | 1995 | 1st |
| Rod Strickland | Long Island | DePaul | New York Knicks | 1988 | 1st |
| Reggie Theus | Bethune-Cookman | UNLV | Chicago Bulls | 1978 | 1st |
| Darrell Walker | UALR | Arkansas | New York Knicks | 1983 | 1st |
| Maurice "Mo" Williams | Jackson State | Alabama | Utah Jazz | 2003 | 2nd |
| Mike Woodson | Indiana | Indiana | New York Knicks | 1980 | 1st |