Lon Kruger
Encyclopedia
Lon Kruger is an American college and professional basketball
coach
who is currently the men's basketball head coach of the University of Oklahoma
. Kruger played college basketball
for Kansas State University
. He has served as the head coach of the University of Texas–Pan American
, Kansas State, the University of Florida
, the University of Illinois, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
, as well as the Atlanta Hawks
of the National Basketball Association
(NBA).
. As a player, Kruger led Kansas State University
to back-to-back Big Eight
championships in 1972 and 1973 under coach Jack Hartman
. Kruger was named the Big Eight Player of the Year in 1973 and 1974, after being named the Big Eight Sophomore of the Year in 1972. He was also a shortstop on the Kansas State baseball team. As coach of the Wildcats, he led K-State to the NCAA Tournament in each of his four seasons as head coach and the Elite 8 in 1988 before losing to the arch-rival Kansas Jayhawks
, the eventual national champion.
Prior to accepting the head coaching position at UNLV in 2004, Kruger was the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks
of the National Basketball Association
(NBA). It was as head coach of the Hawks that Kruger guaranteed season-ticket holders that the Hawks would make the playoffs or get a $125 refund. The Hawks failed to make the playoffs and Kruger was fired midway through the season. Kruger also held head coaching positions in collegiate basketball
at the University of Texas-Pan American (1982–1986), Kansas State University
(1986–1990), the University of Florida
(1990–1996), and the University of Illinois
(1996–2000). While at Illinois, he became the only Big Ten coach to successfully sign three consecutive Illinois Mr. Basketball
winners, after inking Sergio McClain, Frankie Williams
, and Brian Cook
between 1997 and 1999. Kruger is one of five coaches to take four different teams to the men's NCAA basketball tournament. In the process, he led the University of Florida
to its first-ever Final Four
appearance (1994).
Kruger was an assistant coach under Rudy Tomjanovich
for the US national team in the 1998 FIBA World Championship
, winning the bronze medal.
His son, Kevin, took advantage of a new NCAA rule, called Proposal 2005-54, before the 2006–2007 season to transfer from Arizona State and immediately play for his father at UNLV without sitting out one year. The controversial rule has been repealed for the next season due to the "unintended consequence
s" of allowing players with undergraduate diplomas to immediately begin playing for another school without sitting out for any time.
In 2007, his team made the Sweet Sixteen before falling to Oregon
. They finished fourteenth in the polls that year, and made the second round the following year.
On February 9, 2008, the UNLV Runnin' Rebels
beat Colorado State
68–51 at home, for his 400th career win.
On April 1, 2011, sources confirmed that Kruger had accepted the head coaching position with the Oklahoma Sooners
, replacing the fired Jeff Capel
. Kruger's new Oklahoma Sooners compensation package purportedly exceeds $2.2 million annually. Despite his success, he has not been immune to criticism. Fans of opposing teams point out that Kruger has won just one regular season conference championship in his 25 years of college coaching (Illinois tied for the Big 10 title in 1997-98). Plus the 13 times that his teams have made the NCAA tournament, they have lost in the 1st or 2nd round 10 times. Also, some critics mention his failed venture in the NBA. However, Kruger generally enjoys a positive reputation overall.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
who is currently the men's basketball head coach of the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
. Kruger played college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
for Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
. He has served as the head coach of the University of Texas–Pan American
University of Texas–Pan American
The University of Texas–Pan American , founded as Edinberg College, is a state university located in Edinburg, Texas. Founded in 1927, it is a component institution of The University of Texas System. The university serves the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas with baccalaureate,...
, Kansas State, the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, the University of Illinois, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada-Las Vegas is a public, coeducational university located in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada, USA. The campus is located approximately east of the Las Vegas Strip. The institution includes a Shadow Lane Campus, located just east of the University Medical Center of...
, as well as the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA).
Biography
Lon Kruger was born in Silver Lake, KansasSilver Lake, Kansas
Silver Lake is a city in Shawnee County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,439. It is part of the Topeka, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-20th century:...
. As a player, Kruger led Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
to back-to-back Big Eight
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
championships in 1972 and 1973 under coach Jack Hartman
Jack Hartman
-Coaching record at Kansas State:- References :...
. Kruger was named the Big Eight Player of the Year in 1973 and 1974, after being named the Big Eight Sophomore of the Year in 1972. He was also a shortstop on the Kansas State baseball team. As coach of the Wildcats, he led K-State to the NCAA Tournament in each of his four seasons as head coach and the Elite 8 in 1988 before losing to the arch-rival Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas Jayhawks
The sports teams at the University of Kansas are known as the Jayhawks. They are one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a member of the Big 12 Conference...
, the eventual national champion.
Prior to accepting the head coaching position at UNLV in 2004, Kruger was the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA). It was as head coach of the Hawks that Kruger guaranteed season-ticket holders that the Hawks would make the playoffs or get a $125 refund. The Hawks failed to make the playoffs and Kruger was fired midway through the season. Kruger also held head coaching positions in collegiate basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
at the University of Texas-Pan American (1982–1986), Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
(1986–1990), the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
(1990–1996), and the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
(1996–2000). While at Illinois, he became the only Big Ten coach to successfully sign three consecutive Illinois Mr. Basketball
Illinois Mr. Basketball
Each year the Illinois Mr. Basketball award is given to the person chosen as the best high school boys basketball player in the U.S. state of Illinois....
winners, after inking Sergio McClain, Frankie Williams
Frank Williams (basketball)
Frank Lowell Williams is a former American professional basketball player. As a point guard, Williams starred at both the high school and collegiate levels, and played briefly in the NBA....
, and Brian Cook
Brian Cook
Brian Joshua Cook is an American professional basketball player. Cook was drafted out of the University of Illinois with the 24th pick of the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers...
between 1997 and 1999. Kruger is one of five coaches to take four different teams to the men's NCAA basketball tournament. In the process, he led the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
to its first-ever Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
appearance (1994).
Kruger was an assistant coach under Rudy Tomjanovich
Rudy Tomjanovich
Rudolph Tomjanovich, Jr. , nicknamed Rudy T., is an American retired basketball player and coach who coached the Houston Rockets to two consecutive NBA championships. He is currently a scout for the Los Angeles Lakers.-Early life:...
for the US national team in the 1998 FIBA World Championship
1998 FIBA World Championship
The 1998 FIBA World Championship was the 13th FIBA World Championship, an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation and hosted in Athens, Greece from July 29 to August 9, 1998...
, winning the bronze medal.
His son, Kevin, took advantage of a new NCAA rule, called Proposal 2005-54, before the 2006–2007 season to transfer from Arizona State and immediately play for his father at UNLV without sitting out one year. The controversial rule has been repealed for the next season due to the "unintended consequence
Unintended consequence
In the social sciences, unintended consequences are outcomes that are not the outcomes intended by a purposeful action. The concept has long existed but was named and popularised in the 20th century by American sociologist Robert K. Merton...
s" of allowing players with undergraduate diplomas to immediately begin playing for another school without sitting out for any time.
In 2007, his team made the Sweet Sixteen before falling to Oregon
Oregon Ducks men's basketball
Oregon Ducks men’s college basketball is an intercollegiate basketball program that competes in the NCAA Division I and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference, representing the University of Oregon. The Ducks play their home games at Matthew Knight Arena. Oregon, then coached by Howard Hobson, won...
. They finished fourteenth in the polls that year, and made the second round the following year.
On February 9, 2008, the UNLV Runnin' Rebels
UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball
The UNLV Runnin' Rebels are a NCAA Division I men's basketball team who play at the Thomas & Mack Center in Paradise, Nevada. Their most recent appearance in the NCAA Tournament was in 2011 when they received an at–large bid to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, earning an 8-seed in...
beat Colorado State
Colorado State Rams
Colorado State University competes in 16 sponsored intercollegiate sports, including 10 for women and six for men...
68–51 at home, for his 400th career win.
On April 1, 2011, sources confirmed that Kruger had accepted the head coaching position with the Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball
-1908-1980:The Sooners enjoyed moderate success on the court during this era, posting only 16 losing records in their first 72 seasons. They were coached by 9 different coaches during this period, beginning with Bennie Owen , and ending with Dave Bliss in 1980...
, replacing the fired Jeff Capel
Jeff Capel
Felton Jeff Capel III is an American former college basketball player at Duke University and was a head coach at Virginia Commonwealth University and University of Oklahoma. He is currently an assistant coach for his alma mater, Duke.-Youth:Capel is from a basketball family...
. Kruger's new Oklahoma Sooners compensation package purportedly exceeds $2.2 million annually. Despite his success, he has not been immune to criticism. Fans of opposing teams point out that Kruger has won just one regular season conference championship in his 25 years of college coaching (Illinois tied for the Big 10 title in 1997-98). Plus the 13 times that his teams have made the NCAA tournament, they have lost in the 1st or 2nd round 10 times. Also, some critics mention his failed venture in the NBA. However, Kruger generally enjoys a positive reputation overall.
Collegiate coaching record
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Illinois Fighting IlliniIllinois Fighting IlliniThe Fighting Illini are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The University offers 10 men's and 11 women's varsity sports....
- Kansas State WildcatsKansas State WildcatsKansas State University's athletic teams are called the Wildcats. The official color of the teams is Royal Purple, making Kansas State one of very few schools that have only one official color; white and silver are generally used as complementary colors.Kansas State participates in...
- NCAA Men's Division I Elite Eight appearances by coachesNCAA Men's Division I Elite Eight appearances by coachesA list of the most NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Elite Eight appearances by coaches since expansion to 64 teams in 1985.-Elite Eight appearances by coach since NCAA expansion to 64 teams in 1985:...
- UNLV Runnin' Rebels
- Oklahoma SoonersOklahoma SoonersThe University of Oklahoma features 19 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's teams are called the Sooners, a nickname given to the early participants in the land rushes which initially opened the Oklahoma Indian Territory to non-native settlement. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-A,...
- University Athletic AssociationUniversity of Florida Athletic AssociationThe University Athletic Association, Inc. is a non-profit corporation that is responsible for maintaining the Florida Gators intercollegiate sports program of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida...