Caught in the Draft: Three Active NCAA DI Coaches Were First-Round Picks
June 26th, 2012 - 12:06
A striking number of NCAA Division I coaches probably will be a mite more interested in the NBA draft this week than their counterparts because they were drafted themselves. New Tulsa coach Danny Manning joins Stanford's Johnny Dawkins and Valparaiso's Bryce Drew in a former first-round pick category.
A total of 11 active NCAA Division I head coaches were picked in the first or second round of an NBA draft. Third-round choice Billy Donovan should have been able to share some draft insight to Florida's Bradley Beal, who is expected to be picked immediately after fellow freshman phenom Anthony Davis of Kentucky. Here is an alphabetical list of the 32 active DI coaches who were selected in an NBA draft:
| Division I Coach | Current School | NBA Team | Draft Year | Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Alford | New Mexico | Dallas Mavericks | 1987 | 2nd |
| Jerome Allen | Penn | Minnesota Timberwolves | 1995 | 2nd |
| Tommy Amaker | Harvard | Seattle SuperSonics | 1987 | 3rd |
| Tony Benford | North Texas | Boston Celtics | 1986 | 4th |
| Tony Bennett | Virginia | Charlotte Hornets | 1992 | 2nd |
| Eddie Biedenbach | UNC Asheville | Los Angeles Lakers | 1968 | 4th |
| Larry Brown | Southern Methodist | Baltimore Bullets | 1963 | 7th |
| Johnny Dawkins | Stanford | San Antonio Spurs | 1986 | 1st |
| Howie Dickenman | Central Connecticut State | Phoenix Suns | 1969 | 17th |
| Jamie Dixon | Pittsburgh | Washington Bullets | 1987 | 7th |
| Billy Donovan | Florida | Utah Jazz | 1987 | 3rd |
| Bryce Drew | Valparaiso | Houston Rockets | 1998 | 1st |
| Mark Gottfried | North Carolina State | Detroit Pistons | 1987 | 7th |
| Fred Hoiberg | Iowa State | Indiana Pacers | 1995 | 2nd |
| Lewis Jackson | Alabama State | Golden State Warriors | 1984 | 3rd |
| Clemon Johnson | Florida A&M | Portland Trail Blazers | 1978 | 2nd |
| Jeff Jones | American University | Indiana Pacers | 1982 | 4th |
| Lon Kruger | Oklahoma | Atlanta Hawks | 1974 | 9th |
| Larry Krystkowiak | Utah | Chicago Bulls | 1986 | 2nd |
| Jim Larranaga | Miami (Fla.) | Detroit Pistons | 1971 | 6th |
| Jim Les | UC Davis | Atlanta Hawks | 1986 | 3rd |
| Danny Manning | Tulsa | Los Angeles Clippers | 1988 | 1st |
| Cuonzo Martin | Tennessee | Atlanta Hawks | 1995 | 2nd |
| Ray McCallum | Detroit | Indiana Pacers | 1983 | 8th |
| Mike McConathy | Northwestern State | Chicago Bulls | 1977 | 4th |
| Fran O'Hanlon | Lafayette | Philadelphia 76ers | 1970 | 8th |
| Louis Orr | Bowling Green | Indiana Pacers | 1980 | 2nd |
| Buzz Peterson | UNC Wilmington | Cleveland Cavaliers | 1985 | 7th |
| Joseph Price | Grambling State | Washington Bullets | 1986 | 7th |
| Oliver Purnell | DePaul | Milwaukee Bucks | 1975 | 6th |
| Craig Robinson | Oregon State | Philadelphia 76ers | 1983 | 4th |
| Lorenzo Romar | Washington | Golden State Warriors | 1980 | 7th |