Eric Atkins
Eric Atkins | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 14, 1991 United States |
| Occupation(s) | Basketball player, basketball coach |
| Years active | 2014–present |
| Known for | Playing professional basketball in Greece and NBA Development League; assistant coach for Towson Tigers women's basketball team |
Eric William Atkins (born December 14, 1991) is an American basketball professional who has transitioned from playing to coaching. He currently serves as an assistant coach for the Towson Tigers women's basketball team. Atkins played collegiate basketball at Notre Dame, where he also took on the role of video coordinator following his playing days. He later joined the coaching staff at Howard as an assistant.
His professional playing career included time in Greece and most recently with the Erie BayHawks in the NBA Development League.
High school career
Atkins was a four-year starter at Mount Saint Joseph, contributing to a cumulative team record of 106–30. His accolades include two MVP awards in the Baltimore Catholic League, three selections to the BCL all-conference team, and three straight All-Baltimore Metro honors from the Baltimore Sun. During his senior year, he averaged 15.0 points, 4.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game, guiding his squad to a 28–3 record and securing the BCL regular season championship.
College career
Competing in 133 games for Notre Dame, Atkins started in 105 contests and posted averages of 10.7 points and 4.4 assists per game. He ranks eighteenth in scoring and third in assists in the school's history. In his senior season, he averaged 13.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 4.9 assists while playing nearly 38 minutes per game.
Professional career
On August 6, 2014, Atkins inked a deal with Greek club KAOD for the 2014–15 season, where he averaged 7.0 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists across 26 appearances.
He signed with Hungary's Falco KC Szombathely on July 27, 2015, posting preseason numbers of 14 points and five assists per game; however, he was cut before the start of the regular season as the coaching staff anticipated greater scoring contributions.
Atkins briefly joined the Utah Jazz on October 25, 2015, but was released the following day. Subsequently, on November 1, he was acquired by the Idaho Stampede—a Jazz affiliate in the NBA Development League—but was waived on November 16 without appearing in any games.
On January 27, 2016, Atkins was picked up by the Erie BayHawks. He made his debut three days later by recording four points, four rebounds, six assists, and one steal in a victory against Raptors 905.
Coaching career
Starting as a video coordinator at Notre Dame, Atkins transitioned into coaching by joining Howard's staff in 2019. There he coached notable players such as MEAC all-time leading scorer Charles Williams and Makur Maker. In 2021, he became part of the coaching team at George Washington. By November 2022, Atkins accepted an assistant coaching role with the NBA G League's Wisconsin Herd. On July 11, 2024, he was appointed assistant coach for the Towson Tigers women's basketball team.
Personal life
Eric is the son of Dominique and the late William L. Atkins and has two elder brothers named Bryan and Sean. He participated in Notre Dame’s Rosenthal Leadership Academy during both 2012 and 2013 and earned his degree in film, television, and theater.