Jump to content

Mike Woodson

From Alfawiki
Mike Woodson
Born (1958-03-24) March 24, 1958 (age 68)
Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Occupation(s)Basketball player, basketball coach
Years active1980–present
Known forNBA player and coach, associate head coach of Sacramento Kings

Michael Dean Woodson (born March 24, 1958) is an American basketball professional with a background as a player and currently serves as the associate head coach for the Sacramento Kings in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Woodson competed at the collegiate level under coach Bob Knight for the Indiana Hoosiers from 1976 through 1980. During his junior year as team captain, he led Indiana to capture the 1979 NIT championship and earned first-team All-Big Ten recognition. That summer, he also captained the United States basketball squad to secure the gold medal at the 1979 Pan American Games. In his senior season, Woodson, alongside teammate Isiah Thomas, steered the Hoosiers to a Big Ten championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen. His individual accolades included being named the 1980 Big Ten Player of the Year, achieving NABC All-American status, and receiving the prestigious Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball award. Woodson ranks fifth all-time in scoring at Indiana, boasting a 19.8 points-per-game average, which ties for second highest among players who competed all four years.

Chosen 12th overall in the 1980 NBA draft by the New York Knicks, Woodson’s professional playing career spanned 11 seasons across several teams: the Knicks, New Jersey Nets, Kansas City/Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, and Cleveland Cavaliers. He participated in 13 playoff contests over five postseason appearances.

After retiring as a player, Woodson transitioned into coaching, serving as an assistant coach for seven NBA franchises including the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Larry Brown-led squads of the Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons, as well as stints with the Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks. He earned an NBA Championship ring during the Pistons’ victorious 2003–04 campaign under Brown. Woodson held the head coaching position with the Atlanta Hawks for six seasons, guiding them to postseason berths in his last three years and securing fourth place in franchise history for total wins with 206. Subsequently, he was head coach of the New York Knicks for three seasons, leading them to two playoff appearances and capturing an Atlantic Division crown.

Early life and prep career

Born in 1958 in Indianapolis, Woodson was the second youngest among twelve siblings. His family endured financial hardships; his father Chester worked multiple jobs before passing away from a heart attack when Woodson was just 13 years old. Following this tragedy, Woodson contributed half of his earnings to support his mother.

Raised amid Indiana’s fervent basketball culture known as Hoosier Hysteria, Woodson developed his skills alongside notable players such as George McGinnis, Roger Brown, and Rick Mount. He credited this environment and mentors like coach Bob Knight with laying a strong foundation in fundamental basketball techniques.

Indiana University playing career

Woodson opted to join coach Bob Knight at Indiana University, drawn by both the chance to compete at a high level and its proximity to home.

During his freshman campaign (1976–77), following Indiana’s undefeated prior season, Woodson encountered initial challenges adapting to Knight’s rigorous coaching style but ultimately earned his respect. The 1977–78 squad finished with a 21–8 record overall, placing second in the Big Ten Conference and advancing to the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Tournament.

As captain in his junior year (1978–79), Woodson averaged 21 points per game and led Indiana to victory in the NIT. After being initially overlooked for all-conference honors, he responded by scoring a career-high 48 points against Illinois, which garnered significant media attention. That same year, he captained Team USA to a gold medal at the 1979 Pan American Games, averaging 18.3 points per game under Coach Knight’s guidance.

In the 1979–80 season, Woodson teamed with teammate Isiah Thomas to lead Indiana into the season ranked No. 1 preseason nationally. Despite injuries limiting his minutes on court, Indiana secured a Big Ten title with a 13–5 conference record and concluded with a 21–8 overall mark after reaching the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.

Woodson finished his collegiate tenure with a total of 2,061 points—ranking fifth all-time at Indiana—and was honored as Big Ten MVP and an NABC All-American despite injury setbacks during his senior year. His career scoring average of 19.8 points per game ties him for second place among four-year players in Hoosier history.

NBA playing career

Woodson was chosen 12th overall in the 1980 NBA draft by the New York Knicks. His professional playing career spanned from 1980 to 1991, during which he averaged 14.0 points across 786 games. After spending his rookie season with the Knicks (1980–81), Woodson briefly appeared in seven contests for the New Jersey Nets (1981–82) before being traded to the Kansas City/Sacramento Kings, where he played from 1981–82 through 1985–86. While with the Kings, he alternated between starting roles and coming off the bench, posting a personal best average of 18.2 points per game in the 1982–83 campaign, which included a playoff berth. Frank Hanblen, an assistant coach for the Kings, praised Woodson as "an exceptional teammate who gave his all." In August 1986, Woodson was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, a move that coincided with the loss of his mother. He spent two seasons with the Clippers (1986–88) before joining the Houston Rockets (1988–91) and later the Cleveland Cavaliers (1990–91).

Throughout his NBA career, Woodson was guided by several notable coaches, including Red Holzman, Larry Brown, Cotton Fitzsimmons, Gene Shue, and Don Chaney.

Assistant coaching roles

Prior to his six-year stint as head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, Woodson held assistant coaching positions with the Milwaukee Bucks (1996–99), Cleveland Cavaliers (1999–2001), and worked under Larry Brown with both the Philadelphia 76ers (2001–03) and Detroit Pistons (2003–04). During the Pistons' championship-winning season of 2003–04, Woodson collaborated closely with Brown, concentrating on defensive schemes that restricted opponents to shooting percentages below 42%.

After serving as head coach for both the Hawks and Knicks, Woodson returned to assistant coaching duties. On September 29, 2014, he was appointed assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers under Doc Rivers, a role he held for four seasons, missing postseason play only in his final year. Woodson stepped down on May 15, 2018. Later, on September 4, 2020, he joined the New York Knicks' coaching staff as an assistant under Tom Thibodeau but soon departed to accept the head coaching position at Indiana University.

Atlanta Hawks head coach (2004–2010)

Woodson assumed head coaching responsibilities for the Atlanta Hawks during the 2004–05 season, taking over from Terry Stotts. The team faced significant challenges at first, concluding the season with a 13–69 (.159) record. Improvement followed in subsequent years with records of 26–56 (.317) in 2005–06 and 30–52 (.366) in 2006–07.

The 2007–08 season represented a milestone as Woodson guided the Hawks to a 37–45 record and their first playoff appearance since 1999. They engaged in a hard-fought seven-game series against the top-seeded Boston Celtics, ultimately losing. Under Woodson’s leadership, Atlanta reached the playoffs for three straight seasons, achieving a 47–35 (.573) record in 2008–09 and an even stronger 53–29 (.646) mark in 2009–10. Despite first-round victories over Miami and Milwaukee during these runs, they were eliminated in the conference semifinals and second round respectively. Following their exit in the 2010 playoffs, general manager Rick Sund announced that Woodson would not be retained.

During his tenure with Atlanta, Woodson oversaw consistent progress, increasing win totals each year from 13 up to 53. He amassed a total of 206 wins as head coach—ranking fourth all-time in Hawks history behind Richie Guerin, Mike Fratello, and Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens. Additionally, Woodson played an important role in developing key players such as Kenny Anderson, Al Horford, and Antoine Walker.

New York Knicks (2011–2014)

On August 29, 2011, Woodson was appointed as an assistant coach for the New York Knicks, working under head coach Mike D'Antoni. Following D'Antoni’s departure on March 14, 2012, Woodson assumed the role of interim head coach. He guided the team to an impressive 18–6 record during the lockout-shortened season, clinching a playoff berth for the second year in a row—marking the first consecutive postseason appearances since 1988–2001. The Knicks concluded the season with a 36–30 tally, their strongest performance since 2000–01. Despite setbacks from injuries to key players like Jeremy Lin and Baron Davis, the team was eliminated by the Miami Heat in the playoffs. Subsequently, Woodson was elevated to full-time head coach on May 25, 2012.

The 2012–13 campaign began with a robust 18–5 start, and by midseason, the Knicks held a 32–18 record, ranking second in the Eastern Conference. They captured the Atlantic Division crown for the first time since 1993–94 and closed with a franchise-record 54–28 mark while setting a new NBA single-season three-point shooting record. The Knicks secured their first playoff series victory since 2000 by overcoming the Boston Celtics, though they were ousted in the second round by the Indiana Pacers.

The 2013–14 season got off to a poor start with a 3–13 record and ultimately ended with a disappointing 37–45 finish, missing the playoffs for the first time in four years. On April 21, 2014, Woodson and his entire coaching staff were relieved of their duties. He concluded his tenure with an overall strong Knicks coaching record of 109–79 (.580) and played an influential role in mentoring prominent players such as Carmelo Anthony, Baron Davis, Jason Kidd, Amar'e Stoudemire, and Rasheed Wallace.

Sacramento Kings (2025–present)

On May 7, 2025, reports emerged that Woodson had been hired as associate head coach of the Sacramento Kings by head coach Doug Christie, with an official confirmation following on May 12.

Indiana Hoosiers coaching career

Woodson was named head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball program on March 28, 2021, signing a six-year deal valued at approximately $3 million annually—comprising a $550,000 base salary plus $2.45 million from marketing and promotional revenues. His contract also included $100,000 incentives for finishing among the top three teams in the Big Ten and for achieving an Academic Progress Rate (APR) above 950.

In his debut season (2021–22), Woodson guided Indiana to a 21–14 overall record and a 9–11 mark in Big Ten play. The team snapped nine-game losing streaks against rivals Purdue and Michigan and advanced to the Big Ten tournament semifinals for the first time since 2013. Indiana earned an NCAA tournament bid—their first since 2016—and won its First Four matchup before exiting in the opening round. In his second year, Woodson led Indiana to consecutive NCAA tournament appearances for the first time since the 2015–16 seasons.

During the 2022–23 season, despite missing starting point guard Xavier Johnson for most games, Woodson’s Hoosiers posted a 23–12 overall record, earned rankings within the top 25 polls, and tied for second place in the Big Ten with a 12–8 conference record. The team led the league in field goal percentage (48.7%), ranked second in defensive field goal percentage, tied for most victories against Top 25 opponents (5), and posted the highest winning percentage against ranked teams (62.5%). Woodson’s achievements were bolstered by developing future NBA prospects such as consensus first-team All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis and Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jalen Hood-Schifino.

On February 7, 2025, Indiana announced that Woodson would resign as head coach following completion of the 2024–25 season.

Coaching philosophy

Woodson's approach to coaching has been influenced by figures such as Bob Knight, Red Holzman, Cotton Fitzsimmons, and Larry Brown, with a strong focus on effort, responsibility, and collective accountability. His on-court style mirrors Knight's strict discipline alongside Holzman's emphasis on team-oriented ball movement. Meanwhile, his method of communication channels Brown’s thoughtful "philosopher-coach" demeanor, prioritizing proper play and player development.

During his tenure at Indiana, Woodson embraced a contemporary strategy by utilizing a "four-out one-in offensive scheme" that showcases adaptable athletes and recognizes the strategic value of three-point shooting. Additionally, he incorporates data analytics to enhance player lineup efficiency. Larry Brown commended Woodson as a devoted and respectful mentor committed to education.

Personal life

Woodson and his spouse, Terri, have two daughters named Alexis and Mariah, both of whom competed in collegiate volleyball. He favors direct verbal conversations over electronic communication such as e-mail or text messaging.

NBA

Source

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| New York | 81 || || 11.7 || .442 || .200 || .766 || 1.2 || .9 || .4 || .1 || 4.7 |- | style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"| | style="text-align:left;"| New Jersey | 7 || 0 || 20.7 || .441 || .000 || .719 || 1.9 || 2.3 || 1.0 || .3 || 11.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| Kansas City | 76 || 74 || 28.8 || .507 || .292 || .780 || 3.1 || 2.7 || 1.8 || .4 || 16.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Kansas City | 81 || 3 || 30.0 || .506 || .212 || .790 || 3.1 || 3.1 || 1.7 || .7 || 18.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Kansas City | 71 || 12 || 25.9 || .477 || .250 || .818 || 2.5 || 2.5 || 1.2 || .4 || 14.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Kansas City | 78 || 3 || 25.6 || .496 || .238 || .800 || 2.5 || 1.8 || 1.5 || .4 || 17.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Sacramento | 81||51||29.8||.475||.154||.837||2.8||2.4||1.1||.5||15.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 

| style="text-align:left;" | L.A. Clippers 
|74||66||28.7||.437||.276||.828||2.2||2.6||1.4||.2||17.1

|- 

| style="text-align:left;" |  
| style="text-align:left;" | L.A. Clippers 
|80||77||31.7||.445||.231||.868||2.4|||3.4||1.4||.3||18.0

|- 

| style="text-align:left;" |  
| style="text-align:left;" | Houston 
| 81||79||27.9||.438||.348||.823||2..4||2..5||1..1||0..2||12..9

|- 

| style="text-align:left;" |  
| style="text-align:left;" | Houston 
|61||11||15..9||0..395||0..293||0..721||1..4||1..1|||0..7|||0..2|||6..5

|- 

| style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2 |  
| style="text-align:left;" | Houston 
|11|||3|||11..4|||0..389|||0..167|||0..833|||1..0|||0..9|||0..5|||0..4|||4..8

|- 

| style="text-align:left;" | 1990–91 Cleveland Cavaliers season 
|4|||0|||11..5|||0..217|||0..000|||1..000|||0..5|||1..3|||0..0|||0..3|||2..8

|-class="sortbottom" 

|style="text-align:center;" colspan=2 |Career
|786|||379|||25..5|||.466|||.271|||.813|||2..3|||2..3|||1..2|||0..3|||14..0

Playoff Performance

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 1981 | style="text-align:left;"| New York | 2 || || 4.0 || .333 || – || 1.000 || 1.0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || 2.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1984 | style="text-align:left;"| Kansas City | 3 || || 29.0 || .409 || .000 || .867 || 2.7 || 3.0 || .7 || .0 || 16.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1986 | style="text-align:left;"| Sacramento | 3 || 3 || 36.7 || .449 || .000 || 1.000 || 3.7 || 1.7 || 1.3 || .7 || 18.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1989 | style="text-align:left;"| Houston | 4 || 4 || 34.3 || .347 || .333 || .833 || 2.3 || 4.5 || 1.0 || .5 || 11.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1990 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 1 || 0 || 6.0 || .333 || .000 || – || .0 || 2.0 || .0 || .0 || 2.0 |-class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" | Overall Career | 13 || 7 || 26.8 || .399 || .231 || .902 || 2.3 || 2.6 || .8 || .3 || 12.2


NBA

|- | align="left" |Atlanta Hawks | align="left" | |82||13||69||.159|| align="center" |5th place in Southeast Division||—||—||—||— | align="center" |Did not qualify for playoffs |- | align="left" |Atlanta Hawks | align="left" | |82||26||56||.317|| align="center" |5th in Southeast Division||—||—||—||— | align="center" |No playoff appearance |- | align="left" |Atlanta Hawks | align="left" | |82||30||52||.366|| align="center" |5th in Southeast Division||—||—||—||— | align="center" |Missed postseason |- | align="left" |Atlanta Hawks | align="left" | |82||37||45||.451|| align="center" |3rd in Southeast Division||7||3||4||.429 | align="center" |Eliminated in first round of playoffs |- | align="left" |Atlanta Hawks | align="left" | |82||47||35||.580|| align="center" |2nd place in Southeast Division||11||4||7||.364 | align="center" |Exited in Conference semifinals |- | align="left" |Atlanta Hawks | align="left" | |82||53||29||.646|| align="center" |2nd in Southeast Division||11||4||7||.364 | align="center" |Conference semifinals elimination |- | align="left" |New York Knicks | align="left" | |24||18||6||.750|| align="center" |2nd in Atlantic Division||5||1||4||.200 | align="center" |Defeated in first round of playoffs |- | align="left" |New York Knicks | align="left" | |82||54||28|||.659 || align="center" |Atlantic Division champions||12||6||6||.500 | align="center" |Lost in Conference semifinals |- | align="left" |New York Knicks | align="left" | |82||37||45|||.451 || align="center" |3rd place in Atlantic Division||—||—||—||— | align="center" |Did not reach playoffs |-class="sortbottom" | align="center" colspan="2"|Total Career |680||315||365|||.463 || ||46||18||28|||.391 ||


External links

Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=Mike_Woodson&oldid=71325"