Caught in Draft: 19 Active DI Coaches Were NBA Choices in First Two Rounds
June 25th, 2024 - 8:31
Did you know that the New York Knicks chose four current NCAA Division I head coaches in opening round of an NBA draft in 13-year span from 1980 through 1992? Returning Missouri State mentor Cuonzo Martin was a second-round selection by the Atlanta Hawks in 1995. 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. After former draft picks Mike Davis, Steve Henson, Juwan Howard Sr., Jeff Jones, Kenny Payne, Lorenzo Romar and Jerry Stackhouse departed, following is an alphabetical list of the 24 active DI mentors - seven at helm of their alma mater - picked in an NBA draft (including total of 19 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 |
| Johnny Dawkins | UCF | Duke | San Antonio Spurs | 1986 | 1st |
| Jamie Dixon | Texas Christian | Texas Christian | Washington Bullets | 1987 | 7th |
| Bryce Drew | Grand Canyon | Valparaiso | Houston Rockets | 1998 | 1st |
| Kim English | Providence | Missouri | Detroit Pistons | 2012 | 2nd |
| Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway | Memphis | Memphis State | Golden State Warriors | 1993 | 1st |
| Fred Hoiberg | Nebraska | Iowa State | Indiana Pacers | 1995 | 2nd |
| Bobby Hurley Jr. | Arizona State | Duke | Sacramento Kings | 1993 | 1st |
| Jim Larranaga | Miami (Fla.) | Providence | Detroit Pistons | 1971 | 6th |
| Jim Les | UC Davis | Bradley | Atlanta Hawks | 1986 | 3rd |
| Mark Madsen | California | Stanford | Los Angeles Lakers | 2000 | 1st |
| Cuonzo Martin | Missouri State | Purdue | Atlanta Hawks | 1995 | 2nd |
| Mark Pope | Kentucky | Kentucky | Indiana Pacers | 1996 | 2nd |
| Damon Stoudamire | Georgia Tech | Arizona | Toronto Raptors | 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 |