Former NBA players we'd like to see go back to coach their college teams
Last week, Georgetown University announced that Patrick Ewing would become the new Georgetown men’s basketball coach. Ewing had been lobbying for a head coaching job in the NBA for at least a decade. While he’s spent several years on the bench as a special assistant and, most recently, the head assistant coach for the Charlotte Hornets, Ewing was never offered the NBA job he desperately wanted. After John Thompson III was fired by Georgetown, Ewing was offered the job. While there will be challenges for the Georgetown legend, especially on the recruiting trails, the Hall of Fame center seems like a good fit in the nation’s capital.
In a statement released by the university, Ewing said, “Georgetown is my home, and it is a great honor for me to return to my alma mater and serve as the next head coach. I have been preparing to be a head coach for many years and can't wait to return to the Hilltop."
After John Thompson II, no one meant more to the Hoyas than Ewing. This got us thinking, who else would we love see go back to their alma maters in head coaching roles?
Brandon Roy - Washington
While there are plenty of athletes whose careers were cut too short due to injuries, there are few whose story is as tragic as Brandon Roy's. He was the NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 2007 and an All-Star in each of the next three years. Unfortunately, a scary lack of cartilage in his knees led to seven arthroscopic knee surgeries from the time he was in high school through his second retirement from the NBA at age 28.
Roy never got to play into his prime years, and we were robbed of what was promising to be a fantastic career. Leaving the NBA wasn’t the end of his story, though. Roy was recently named the Naismith National High School Coach of the Year after leading Seattle’s Nathan Hale High School to a 29-0 record and a championship. After excelling in high school, his next step should be to conquer the Pac-12 and lead the Washington Huskies to heights they could only reach with a talent like Brandon Roy.
Baron Davis - UCLA
Steve Alford is doing a pretty OK job in Westwood. His teams seem to win some games more often than they lose them, but boy has UCLA been boring. UCLA athletics exist solely to win championships, and if Alford isn’t doing that, it might be time to boot him out for a guy who knows the city and all of the talent it fosters in Baron Davis.
From his playing days with the Clippers to what he’s currently doing with the Drew League, Davis would be able to land any Los Angeles-based recruit he wants. There’s an inherent coolness that Davis has always exhibited, and there isn’t a city that cares about that more than Los Angeles. Davis’ style of play isn’t far off of what the culture of the NBA is now. And if you have the opportunity to run and gun for a coach who has deep ties in the NBA and one of the historically great programs, how do you turn that down? Oh, and with Davis’ personality, just imagine the sideline interviews during the season. Must-see TV.
Lamar Odom - Rhode Island
This one is more about giving Odom something to hold on to as he tries to maintain his sobriety. He’s had as difficult a life as any ex-NBAer, which includes the loss of a child and a drug-induced coma during his marriage to Khloe Kardashian. Things have been rough for Odom his whole life, from his childhood through his playing days in the NBA.
One of the highlights of his life was playing for Rhode Island, a school he helped put on the map by winning the university’s first Atlantic 10 title, hitting a game-winning three-pointer against Temple. While Odom had difficulties there, he had the help of his head coach along with his longtime coach and friend Jerry DeGregorio. If nothing else, Odom’s high basketball IQ and willingness to play the game unselfishly despite his myriad offensive talents would make him a great coaching candidate. His life experiences would give him credibility with kids coming straight out of high school, and he can offer them guidance both on and off the court as they become new adult citizens in a difficult world to navigate.
Eddie Jones - Temple
One of the NBA world’s biggest mysteries is: Where the hell is Eddie Jones? I’ve had conversations with NBA staffers and reporters who covered Jones during his playing days, and literally no one has any idea what Jones is doing with his life. We know he has a family, and we can only assume he’s happy with them and out of the spotlight.
But Jones was one of the NBA’s most entertaining players from his early years with the Lakers through his time with the Miami Heat. He was one of the first players to be named to Brand Jordan and receive his own signature shoe from the Nike subdivision.
It’s weird for multiple-time all-stars to just fall out of the public’s eye, and sometimes we just want to be selfish. I don’t like not knowing where Eddie Jones is, and knowing that players like Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade leaned on Jones for advice as they learned how to play the NBA game, it’s safe to say that Jones might have the right kind of mind to lead a group of youngsters as they pursue their dreams to reach the NBA. Oh yeah, we’ll know where Eddie Jones is too, and that’s what’s important here.
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