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Which Big Name Players Have Had Success As Coaches?

RJKarl said:
John Wooden was an All Time great college player, but that was another era. In this era great players usually make too much money to want the hassle of being a high D1 coach over the past thirty years.
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Which is why I said 30 years. John wooden played basketball about 70 years ago. I think it shows a lot about mannings character and drive that he stuck it out for a decade with the Kansas program learning how to coach.
 
We agree. He seems to be a bball lifer, a very tall gym rat. He really was a coach on the floor for Danny and the Miracles.
 
While not the player that Danny Manning was, UCONN's Kevin Ollie was a 4 year star at UCONN, and then played a 11 years in the NBA (through the 2009-2010 season). Served as an assistant under Calhoun for 2 years, and now has his team in the Final 4 beating, teams coached by: Tom Izzo, Jay Wright, Fred Hoiberg and Phil Martelli.

Reggie Theus was an A-A at UNLV, finished 2nd in the ROY voting in the NBA, and was an NBA all-star. He then coached NM State to the NCAAs, got the head job with the Sacramento Kings, was fired and is now coaching at Cal-Northridge.

Henry Bibby was an NBA all-star and coached some incredibly talented and undisciplined teams at USC.

Fred Hoiberg was a A-A in college, played 10 years in the NBA, and has done well at Iowa State.
 
Theus is an excellent comparison as he was a star on both levels.

Hoiberg was a good sub in the NBA. A good comparison to him might be Larry Krystowiak (sp?). Each was a long-term role player in the NBA and each went back to college coaching.
 
Quick side note: Delray Brooks, who was Billy Donovan's back court mate at Providence. Was one of two HS players invited to try out for the '84 Olympic team. The other was Danny Manning.
 
oldmandeac said:
No knock intended, but just curious...

I've always heard that the best coaches are those who aren't necessarily stars when they play as they learn the game from sitting on the bench near the coaches while the stars focus on improving their individual skills.

I remember Bill Russell was a successful Player/Coach and then Coach in the NBA. But, I am not recalling any similar situations in the college game although I am certain there have been and this board will be able to recall who they were. Buzz Peterson and Matt Dougherty haven't panned out as coaches, Tommy Amaker has been debated on other threads as have the Capels... I can't remember if Billy Donovan was a star player...

Anyway, improve my memory
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If you watch some of the interviews with Manning, he talks about he wasn't always the fastest or could jump the highest, so he was always looking for ways to figure out how to play smarter. Fwiw, his dad was a coach after playing in the NBA. Manning also states that with his injuries in the NBA, it made him continue to refine his approach to the game so he could continue to be effective. Manning is clearly a guy who has thought a lot about the game.
 
Sean Miller was a good player back in the day. He was the guy who passed the ball to Jerome Lane on the "Send it in Jerome" play made famous by Raftery.
 
tagsfan said:
Sean Miller was a good player back in the day. He was the guy who passed the ball to Jerome Lane on the "Send it in Jerome" play made famous by Raftery.
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Kinda think Jerome Lane shattering the backboard is what made it famous....Raftery had been using "send it in" for years.

but I digress....
 
tagsfan said:
Sean Miller was a good player back in the day. He was the guy who passed the ball to Jerome Lane on the "Send it in Jerome" play made famous by Raftery.
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I never knew that. Thanks for the trivia.
 
sean miller was on the tonight show when he was a teenager for his dribbling prowess

 
Johnny Dawkins had a comparable college career. Slightly worse NBA career.

Player Yr Cl Min MPG FGM FGA FG% 3M 3A 3FG% FTM FTA FT% PPG
------------------ -- -- ---- ---- --- ---- ---- --- --- ---- --- --- ---- ----
Dawkins, Johnny 83 Fr 1002 35.8 207 414 .500 19 54 .352 73 107 .682 18.1
Dawkins, Johnny 84 So 1306 38.4 263 547 .481 - - - 133 160 .831 19.4
Dawkins, Johnny 85 jr 1117 36.0 225 455 .495 - - - 132 166 .795 18.8
Dawkins, Johnny 86 sr 1324 33.1 331 603 .549 - - - 147 181 .812 20.2
------------------ -- -- ---- ---- --- ---- ---- --- --- ---- --- --- ---- ----
Dawkins, Johnny 4 4749 35.7 1026 2019 .508 19 54 .352 485 614 .790 19.2



Amaker was A-A @ Duke but never played professionally
 
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