Dan D'Antoni

Dan D'Antoni
Sport(s) Basketball
Current position
Title Head coach
Team Marshall
Record 11–21
Biographical details
Born July 9, 1947
Mullens, West Virginia
Playing career
1967–1970 Marshall
Position(s) Point guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1970–1971
1975–2005
2005–2008
2008–2012
2012–2014
2014–present		 Marshall (assistant)
Socastee HS
Phoenix Suns (assistant)
New York Knicks (assistant)
Los Angeles Lakers (assistant)
Marshall
Head coaching record
Overall 11–21

Lewis Joseph “Dan” D’Antoni II[1] (born July 9, 1947) is an Italian-American former basketball player and current head coach for the Marshall Thundering Herd men's basketball team. He was previously an assistant coach under his younger brother, Mike D'Antoni, with the NBA's Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, and Los Angeles Lakers.

Playing career

Born in Mullens, West Virginia, D'Antoni played college basketball at Marshall University from 1966-1970. He was the Thundering Herd's starting point guard from 1968-70. He led the Herd with a 17.5 scoring average in 1968-69. In 1990, he was inducted into the Marshall University Athletics Hall of Fame.[2]

Coaching career

After D'Antoni graduated from Marshall University, he joined the Herd's coaching staff as the head coach of the freshman basketball team coaching his brother Mike, before becoming an assistant coach of the varsity squad.[3] After failing to make the Baltimore Bullets, he decided to become to be the head basketball coach at Socastee High School in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in 1975. D'Antoni coached 30 years at Socastee, 1975–2005, and accumulated over 500 wins and founded the Beach Ball Classic, one of the most prestigious high school basketball tournaments in the country during his tenure. In the summer of 2005, he became an assistant with the Phoenix Suns.[4]

Shortly after younger brother Mike accepted the head coaching position with the New York Knicks, D'Antoni was hired as an assistant with the Knicks.[5] On March 15, 2012, D'Antoni and fellow assistant coach Phil Webber stepped down after Mike resigned as Knicks head coach.[6] On November 15, 2012 he became an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers, also under his brother.[7] In addition to being an assistant coach, D’Antoni also served as the head coach of the Knicks’ and Lakers’ NBA Summer League teams.

On April 24, 2014, D'Antoni was announced as the new head coach of Marshall University Thundering Herd men's basketball program, 43 years after he was an assistant with the Herd.[8]

Personal life

D'Antoni graduated from Marshall in 1970 with a degree in Speech and Physical Education and also earned a Master’s degree in Principles of Guidance from Marshall in 1972.

His father, Lewis, is a legendary high school basketball coach in West Virginia and Ohio, and was inducted into West Virginia’s Sports Hall of Fame in May 2004.[9]

D'Antoni is the father of three sons, all of whom played collegiate basketball: Matt played at Brown; Andrew attended Army and later served 3½ years in Iraq, rising to the rank of captain in the U.S. Army; and Nick attended William & Mary, where he was captain of the basketball team. Dan and wife Vanessa are also parents of daughter Morgan.[9]

Head coaching record

Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Marshall Thundering Herd (Conference USA) (2014–present)
2014–15 Marshall 11–21 7–11 T–11th
Marshall: 11–21 7–11
Total: 11–21

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

  1. ↑ Smock, Doug (April 24, 2014). "Herd hires the ‘other’ D’Antoni as basketball coach". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  2. ↑ Marshall University Hall of Fame. Herdzone.com. Retrieved on March 15, 2013.
  3. ↑ Steven Koek (July 28, 2005) One-on-One with Dan D’Antoni. Suns News via NBA.com. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Suns Add Dan D’Antoni to Coaching Staff". NBA.com. June 29, 2005. Retrieved December 26, 2008.
  5. ↑ "Dan D'Antoni joins brother on Knicks staff". The Herald-Dispatch. June 21, 2008. Retrieved December 26, 2008.
  6. ↑ Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni resigns. ESPN.com (March 15, 2012). Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  7. ↑ Lakers Will Hire Mike D'Antoni's Brother, Dan, Leave Staff Intact. Bleacher Report (November 13, 2012). Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  8. ↑ Marshall Men's Basketball Hires Dan D'Antoni as Head Coach. Herdzone.com (April 24, 2014). Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Coaches: Dan D'Antoni". National Basketball Association. Retrieved January 28, 2011.

External links