Tomjanovich Named Dir. of Scouting For Team USA

http://www.usabasketball.com/seniormen/2006/06_msnt_RudyTomjanovich.html

Rudy Tomjanovich Named Director Of Scouting For
2006-08 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team Program

February 15, 2006• Colorado Springs, Colorado


Rudy Tomjanovich led the United States to the gold medal at the 2000 Olympics and he will rejoin the USA Basketball Senior National Team Program for 2006-2008 as the Director of Scouting.

USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team program Managing Director Jerry Colangelo announced today that Rudy Tomjanovich, head coach of the gold medalist 2000 U.S. Olympic basketball team and a former Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers head mentor, has been named Director of Scouting for the USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team program for 2006-08.

As the Director of Scouting, Tomjanovich will oversee the program's advance scouting and opponent personnel scouting.

"I'm thrilled and honored to be working with USA Basketball again. I'm very grateful to Jerry Colangelo for this important assignment and I believe that my experience coaching international basketball and my experience with advance scouting throughout my career will help me fulfill this responsibility and help Coach K and his staff bring back the gold," said Tomjanovich. "By selecting Rudy, we are getting someone who brings impressive credentials. His accomplishments as a NBA player, NBA head coach and as a USA Basketball head coach are tremendous,"
Jerry Colangelo

"What a tremendous addition for USA Basketball's Senior National Team program! Rudy is a legendary NBA and Olympic coach," Mike Krzyzewski


Plans call for the USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team to compete Aug. 19-Sept. 3 in Saitama, Japan, in the 2006 FIBA World Championship; if necessary the 2007 FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament (dates and site TBD); and if the USA qualifies, the 2008 Summer Olympic Games (Aug. 8-24 in Beijing, China).

"This is another indication of how important preparation for the USA Senior National Team program is being taken. As we move forward we are putting an emphasis in the crucial area of scouting," said Colangelo, who was appointed Managing Director of the USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team program on April 27, 2005. "We anticipate having a very thorough scouting program and to be able to have someone of Rudy's accomplishments and experience is awesome. It is somewhat going back to his roots.

"By selecting Rudy, we are getting someone who brings impressive credentials. His accomplishments as a NBA player, NBA head coach and as a USA Basketball head coach are tremendous. He won remarkable back-to-back NBA Championships and also led the 2000 U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal," added Colangelo.

"What a tremendous addition for USA Basketball's Senior National Team program! Rudy is a legendary NBA and Olympic coach," said USA and Duke University (N.C.) head coach Mike Krzyzewski. "The class, dignity and experience he brings is tough to quantify. I feel very fortunate that he's going to give his time to our team."

Tomjanovich in 13 seasons as an NBA head coach with the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers compiled a sterling 525-416 overall record for a 55.8 winning percentage, and he led the Houston Rockets to back-to-back NBA titles in 1994 and 1995. His 525 victories ranks (at the start of the 2005-06 season) 22nd on the NBA's all-time list for head mentors.

Tomjanovich is no stranger to USA Basketball nor senior level FIBA competitions. He served as head coach of the 1998 USA World Championship Team that originally was to be a team comprising NBA players. But when labor problems prevented the use of NBA players, the USA team ended up comprising American players who had played professionally overseas, in the CBA or in college. Despite formulating the team just weeks in advance of the Worlds, Tomjanovich led the U.S. to surprising 7-2 finish and the bronze medal, defeating host Greece 84-61 in the bronze medal contest.

Two years later he led a United States team consisting of NBA players to a perfect 8-0 mark and the gold medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. In leading the U.S. to Olympic gold, he became just the third coach to win an NBA title and an Olympic championship, joining Hall of Fame coaches Chuck Daly and Lenny Wilkins.

After serving one season (2003-04) as a personnel consultant for Houston, Tomjanovich was named on July 10, 2004, head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Compiling a 22-19 mark, he stepped down for health reasons on Feb. 2, 2005.

"Rudy T," as he is known around basketball circles, spent 34 seasons with the Houston Rockets, including 12 as head coach. Compiling a 503-397 regular season record and a 55.9 winning percentage as the Rockets' head mentor, he is the franchise's all-time winningest head coach. Additionally, Rudy T led Houston to seven playoff appearances, a playoff record of 51-39 (.567 winning percentage), and two NBA championships (1994 and 1995).

Tomjanovich became the ninth coach in Rockets history on May 20, 1992, after serving as interim coach for three months. He led the Rockets to a 58-24 regular season record and the franchise's first NBA title in 1993-94, then repeated the feat in 1994-95 after leading Houston to a 47-35 mark during the regular season and a second straight NBA championship.

He has been involved in all four Rockets divisional championships -- as leading scorer in 1976-77, assistant coach in 1985-86 and as head coach in 1992-93 and 1993-94.

Tomjanovich was the 11th coach in NBA history to have his team at least 25 games over .500 in his first full season -- only the third who inherited a team that was not 10 games over .500 the previous season. He is also the only coach in NBA history to guide his team from the NBA Draft Lottery to a division title in his first full season.

After ending his playing career in 1981, Tomjanovich spent the next two seasons as a Houston scout before being named assistant coach in 1983. He served in that capacity until February 1992 when he was named interim head coach. The Rockets responded with a 11-4 record - the best start for any coach in franchise history.

A recipient of many awards, Rudy was voted The Sporting News NBA Coach of the Year in 1993. Serving as head coach of the 1997 Western Conference All-Star team, he earned NBA Coach of the Month honors three times (April 1993, November 1993 and November 1996).

A five-time NBA All-Star and the number two overall selection in the 1970 NBA draft (selected by the San Diego Rockets), Tomjanovich spent his entire 11-season (1970-81) career with the Rockets. He retired Oct. 2, 1981, and his jersey was retired on Jan. 28, 1982. Only two numbers have been retired in the franchise's history - Tomjanovich (45) and Calvin Murphy (23). Tomjanovich is the third leading scorer in franchise history with 13,383 points (17.4 per game), trailing Hakeem Olajuwon and Calvin Murphy. He also ranks third in career games (768); third in minutes (25,714); third in field goals made (5630) and attempted (11,240); fourth in rebounding (6,198 / 8.1 per game), ranking behind Olajuwon, Moses Malone and Elvin Hayes; fifth in free throws attempted (2089), sixth in free throws made (2666), and 11th in scoring average (17.4 points per game). He averaged better than 20 points in four seasons with a high of 24.5 ppg. in 1973-74.

A consensus collegiate All-America selection in 1970, Tomjanovich played three seasons (1968, 1969 and 1970) at the University of Michigan and finished his senior year in 1970 ranked as the NCAA's seventh leading scorer, averaging 30.1 ppg., and 13th leading rebounder, averaging 15.7 rpg. In his three seasons, Rudy T. compiled 1,808 career points (25.1 ppg.) and U of Michigan career best 1,039 rebounds (14.4 rpg.).

2006-2008 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team Program
The USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team Program is headed by Colangelo, the Phoenix Suns Chairman and CEO. Krzyzewski was named on Oct. 26, 2005, head coach of the USA Senior Team program for 2006-2008. Named assistant coaches of the USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team program for 2006-2008 were Syracuse University (N.Y.) head coach Jim Boeheim, Phoenix Suns head mentor Mike D'Antoni, and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan.

Since first fielding a USA Basketball team of legendary NBA stars in 1992, USA Basketball senior national teams comprising NBA players have claimed gold medals in eight of 10 major international basketball competitions, while compiling an impressive 74-6 overall record (.925 winning percentage) in those international competitions and a record of 23-1 (.958 winning percentage) in exhibition games.