Jeff Hornacek

Jeff Hornacek
Born	Jeffrey John Hornacek (1963-05-03) May 3, 1963 United States
Occupation(s)	Professional basketball coach, former player
Years active	1986–2000 (player), 2007–present (coach)
Known for	NBA player and coach; coaching consultant for Utah Jazz; head coach of Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks

Jeffrey John Hornacek (; born May 3, 1963) is an American professional basketball coach and former player, currently serving as a coaching consultant for the Utah Jazz in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has held head coaching positions with the Phoenix Suns from 2013 to 2016 and the New York Knicks between 2016 and 2018, in addition to a stint as an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets. Hornacek’s playing career in the NBA spanned from 1986 to 2000, primarily as a shooting guard, after competing at the collegiate level for Iowa State University.

Elementary and high school

Hornacek’s early education took place at Komarek Elementary School located in North Riverside, Illinois, followed by Gurrie Middle School, and then Lyons Township High School in La Grange, Illinois.

College

Beginning his college basketball journey at Iowa State University, Hornacek redshirted his initial year in 1981 before joining the team as a walk-on from 1982 through 1986. As the son of a high school basketball coach, he developed into an all-conference athlete within the Big Eight Conference under the guidance of coach Johnny Orr. Playing primarily as a point guard, Hornacek led the Cyclones to the Sweet Sixteen round of the 1986 NCAA tournament. A highlight of his collegiate career was his clutch performance against Miami University, where he first tied the game with a critical shot and then hit a buzzer-beater from 26 feet in overtime, securing Iowa State’s first NCAA tournament victory since 1944. Shortly afterward, he contributed to an upset over second-seeded Michigan, one of Orr’s most celebrated wins.

By the end of his college tenure, Hornacek had accumulated a Big Eight record total of 665 assists and scored 1,313 points. In recognition of his impact, Iowa State retired his No. 14 jersey in 1991, making him only the fourth player to receive such an honor from the program.

Phoenix Suns

Selected as the 22nd pick in the second round (46th overall) of the 1986 NBA draft, Hornacek was chosen by the Phoenix Suns. The draft pick had changed ownership several times before landing with Phoenix—it was originally traded by the Los Angeles Lakers to obtain Byron Scott, then moved to the Detroit Pistons, and ultimately acquired by Phoenix.

Hornacek’s initial seasons were modest; however, following coach Cotton Fitzsimmons’ arrival and the signing of free agent Tom Chambers, the Suns experienced a dramatic turnaround—from just 28 wins in 1987–88 to an impressive 55 in 1988–89. Positioned as the third scoring option behind Chambers and Kevin Johnson, Hornacek played a key role in guiding Phoenix to four straight playoff berths and two appearances in the Western Conference Finals. During the 1991–92 season, he led the team with an average of 20.1 points per game, earned selection to the NBA All-Star Game, and was named NBA Player of the Month for December 1991.

Philadelphia 76ers

In a significant trade during 1992, Hornacek was sent along with Andrew Lang and Tim Perry to join the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Charles Barkley. With Hersey Hawkins occupying shooting guard duties, Hornacek transitioned back to point guard and achieved a personal best average of 6.9 assists per game during the 1992–93 NBA season. Despite his strong individual performance, team success was limited with a final record of 26–56. Partway through the following season (1993–94 NBA season), Hornacek was traded to the Utah Jazz for Jeff Malone, returning to his natural position as shooting guard alongside teammate John Stockton.

Utah Jazz

Hornacek served as a vital supporting player alongside stars Karl Malone and John Stockton on the Utah Jazz squads that advanced to the NBA Finals in both 1997 and 1998.

On November 23, 1994, he established an NBA milestone by sinking eight straight three-point shots in a contest against the Seattle SuperSonics. Additionally, he matched a record by making 11 consecutive three-pointers spanning from December 1994 to January 1995. Celebrated for his proficiency at the free-throw line, Hornacek once converted 67 free throws in a row and boasts a career free throw percentage of 87.7%, placing him 16th in NBA history. He claimed victory twice in the NBA three-point shooting competition and shared the All-Star 2-Ball Challenge title with Utah Starzz player Natalie Williams.

Due to ongoing knee problems, Hornacek ended his professional playing career in 2000 after participating in 1,077 games over 14 seasons. His left knee endured significant injury necessitating probable replacement surgery. Following retirement, he devoted his time primarily to family pursuits. In honor of his impact during six seasons with Utah, the Jazz retired his No. 14 jersey. Both Coach Jerry Sloan and commentator "Hot Rod" Hundley affectionately referred to him as "Horny."

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Phoenix | 80 || 3 || 19.5 || .454 || .279 || .777 || 2.3 || 4.5 || .9 || .1 || 5.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Phoenix | 82 || 49 || 27.4 || .506 || .293 || .822 || 3.2 || 6.6 || 1.3 || .1 || 9.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Phoenix | 78 || 73 || 31.9 || .495 || .333 || .826 || 3.4 || 6.0 || 1.7 || .1 || 13.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Phoenix | 67 || 60 || 34.0 || .536 || .408 || .856 || 4.7 || 5.0 || 1.7 || .2 || 17.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Phoenix | 80 || 77 || 34.2 || .518 || .418 || .897 || 4.0 || 5.1 || 1.4 || .2 || 16.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Phoenix | 81 || 81 || 38.0 || .512 || .439 || .886 || 5.0 || 5.1 || 2.0 || .4|| 20.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Philadelphia |79||78||36.2||.470||.390||.865||4.3||6.9||1.7||.3||19.1 |-

| style="text-align:left;" |  
| style="text-align:left;" |Philadelphia 
|53||53||37.6||.455||.313||.873||4.0||5.9||1.8||.2||16.6

|-

| style="text-align:left;" |  
| style="text-align:left;" |Utah 
|27||9||30.6||.509||.429||.891||2.5||3.9||1.2||.1||14.6 

|-

| style="text-align:left;" |  
| style="text-align:left;" |Utah 
|81||81||33.3||.514||.406||.882||2.6||4.3||1.6||.2||16..5 

|-

| style="text-align:left;" |  
| style="text-align:left;" |Utah 
|82||59||31..6||..502||..466|||893|||2..5|||4..1|||1..3|||..2|||15..2

|-

| style="text-align:left;" |  
| style="text-align:left;" |Utah 
|82|||82*|||31..6|||482|||369|||899|||2..9|||4..4|||1..5|||..3|||14..5

|-

| style="text-align:left;" |  
| style="text-align:left;" |Utah 
|80|||80|||30..8|||482|||441|||885|||3..4|||4..4|||1..4|||..2|||14..2

|-

| style="text-align:left;" |  
| style="text-align:left;" |Utah 
|48|||48|||29..9|||477|||420|||893|||3..3|||4..0|||1..1|||..3|||12..2

|-

| style="text-align:left;" |
|style="text-align:left;" :1999–2000 Utah Jazz season Utah 

 77 77 27..7 492 478 950 2..4 2..6 ..9 ..2 12..4

Playoff Performance

|- |style="text-align:left;"|1989 |style="text-align:left;"|Phoenix Suns |12||12||31.2||.497||.000||.840||5.8||5.2||1.3||.3||14.1 |- |style="text-align:left;"|1990 |style="text-align:left;"|Phoenix Suns |16||16||36.4||.511||.250||.932||3.9||4.6||1.5||.0||18.6 |- |style="text-align:left;"|1991 |style="text-align:left;"|Phoenix Suns |4||4||36.3||.431||.500||.929||6.3||2.0||.8||.5||18.3 |- |style="text-align:left;"|1992 |style="text-align:left;"|Phoenix Suns |8||8||42.9||.484||.471||.912||6.4||5.3||1.8||.3||20.4 |- |style="text-align:left;"|1994 |style="text-align:left;"|Utah Jazz |16||16||34.9||.475||.441||.912||2.4||4.0||1.5||.4||15.4 |- |style="text-align:left;"|1995 |style="text-align:left;"|Utah Jazz |5||5||35.6||.510||.538||.786||1.2||4.0||1.6||.2||14.0 |- |style="text-align:left;"|1996 |style="text-align:left;"|Utah Jazz |18||18||35.8||.502||.586||.890||3.6||3.3||1.1||.2||17 .5 |- |style="text-align:left;"|1997 |style="text-align:left;"|Utah Jazz |20||20||35 .2 || .433 || .358 || .876 || 4 .5 || 3 .7 || 1 .1 || .2 || 14 .6 |- |- style="text-align:left;" | 1998 NBA Playoffs | 1997-98 Utah Jazz season | 20 | 20 | 31 .8 | .416 | .467 | .846 | 2 .5 | 3 .2 | 1 .0 | .2 | 10 .9 |- |- style="text-align:left;" | 1999 NBA Playoffs | 1998-99 Utah Jazz season | 11 | 11 | 27 .6 | .462 | .389 | .879 | 3 .7 | 2 .4 | 1 .0 | .0 | 12 .2 |- |- style="text-align:left;" | 2000 NBA Playoffs | 1999-2000 Utah Jazz season | 10 | 10 | 29 .7 | .422 | .409 | .833 | 3 .0 | 3 .3 | 1 .0 | .0 | 11 .5 |- class="sortbottom" ! style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" | Career Totals ! 140 !! 140 !! 34 .0 !! .470 !! .433 !! .886 !! 3 .8 !! 3 .8 !! 1 .2 !! .2 !! 14 .9

Coaching Career

Hornacek initiated his coaching journey as a special assistant with the Utah Jazz during the 2007–08 NBA season, concentrating on enhancing players' shooting skills, with notable contributions to Andrei Kirilenko's development. In May of 2008, he pursued a coaching position with the Chicago Bulls, choosing to postpone a full-time coaching commitment to maintain family stability. After Jerry Sloan and Phil Johnson left the organization in February 2011, Hornacek was elevated to a full assistant coaching role with the Jazz.

By 2013, Hornacek had become a leading candidate for head coaching vacancies with the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, and Charlotte Bobcats. He was ultimately hired as head coach of the Phoenix Suns on May 28, 2013. His coaching philosophy draws heavily from his experiences playing under Cotton Fitzsimmons and Jerry Sloan.

Under his guidance, the Suns' Summer League squad achieved a six-game winning streak culminating in a finals appearance in Las Vegas during the summer of 2013; the team also concluded pre-season with an impressive 5–2 record and commenced the regular season by winning their first four home games—a franchise first.

Hornacek received the NBA Coach of the Month accolade in December 2013 after steering the Suns to a strong 10–3 record that month, making him only the third former player to earn both Player and Coach of the Month honors and the first to do so with the same franchise. In his inaugural season, he led Phoenix to a remarkable improvement of 23 additional wins, finishing with a record of 48–34—the league's most improved team—although they narrowly missed playoff qualification; Hornacek finished as runner-up for NBA Coach of the Year behind Gregg Popovich.

On February 1, 2016, Hornacek was relieved of his duties as head coach of the Suns. He was appointed head coach of the New York Knicks on June 2, 2016. Despite an encouraging start at 16–13, internal disputes contributed to a disappointing overall record of 31–51 in his first year and an even weaker showing at 29–53 in his second campaign; he was dismissed on April 12, 2018.

Hornacek joined the Houston Rockets as an assistant coach on November 30, 2020. He returned to Utah as a coaching consultant on September 15, 2022.

Head coaching record

|- | align="left"|Phoenix | align="left"| | 82||48||34|||| align="center"|3rd place in Pacific||—||—||—||— | align="center"|Did not qualify for playoffs |- | align="left"|Phoenix | align="left"| | 82||39||43|||| align="center"|3rd in Pacific||—||—||—||— | align="center"|Did not qualify for playoffs |- | align="left"|Phoenix | align="left"| | 49||14||35|||| align="center"|(dismissed)||—||—||—||— | align="center"|— |- | align="left"|New York | align="left"| | 82||31||51|||| align="center"|3rd in Atlantic||—||—||—||— | align="center"|Did not qualify for playoffs |- | align="left"|New York | align="left"| | 82||29||53|||| align="center"|4th in Atlantic||—||—||—||— | align="center"|Did not qualify for playoffs |-class="sortbottom" | align="center" colspan="2"|Overall career || 277 || 161 || 216 ||||| || — || — || — ||

Stats

Records at Iowa State University:

• Total steals during career: 211
• Complete games played in career: 30
• Most assists in a single season: 219 (1985–1986; second highest with 198 in 1983–1984)
• Highest assists per game average in a season: 6.83 (1984; second with 6.63 in 1986)

NBA career statistics:

• Total games participated: 1,077
• Total minutes on court: 33,959
• Points scored: 15,659 (averaging 14.5 per game)
• Assists made: 5,281 (4.9 per game)
• Steals recorded: 1,536 (1.43 per game)

Personal life

Hornacek is of Czech heritage and is the brother-in-law of Aaron Nelson, the Phoenix Suns' athletic trainer, whom he endorsed for an assistant position early on. His father, John, served as a coach for basketball and baseball at St. Joseph High School in Illinois and played a significant role in shaping Hornacek’s coaching career along with mentors Cotton Fitzsimmons and Jerry Sloan.

Since marrying Stacy on June 7, 1986, they have raised three children: Ryan (born 1989), Tyler (born 1990), and Abby (born 1994). Abby began her professional journey in media as a digital host for the online sports network 120 Sports in 2016 and later joined Fox Nation in 2019. Hornacek has two brothers, including John, who also played basketball at the high school level.

In 2002, Hornacek was actively involved with St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church located in Salt Lake City. His representation is managed by Steve A. Kauffman and Spencer Breecker from Kauffman Sports Management Group.

See also

• List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career 3-point field goal percentage leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career free throw percentage leaders