Michael Dean "Mike" Woodson (born March 24, 1958) is a retired American basketball player and current interim head coach of the New York Knicks.
Playing career
Indiana University
Woodson elected to play college basketball for Bob Knight and the Indiana University Hoosiers. During one recruiting visit by Knight where Woodson's high school coach, his mother, and his pastor were all present, Knight got into a heated exchange because his high school coach was not convinced Woodson would fit into Indiana's system.[1] However, according to Woodson, "I wanted to go somewhere where I could play, and where I knew I could get a great education, and my family didn't have to travel far to see me. So it was perfect. And I thought I was playing for the best coach in the country at that time."[1]
In Woodson's junior year, the 1979-80 season, he was the leading scorer on the Hoosier team that won the 1979 NIT Tournament. The 1979-80 Hoosiers, led by Woodson and Isiah Thomas, won the Big Ten championship and advanced to the 1980 Sweet Sixteen. Woodson finished his career at Indiana with 2,062 points.
Profesional career
He was selected 12th overall by the New York Knicks in the 1980 NBA Draft and played in the league from 1980 until 1991. He spent two years in New York, before being traded to the Kansas City Kings. He enjoyed great success with the franchise, leading the team with 18.2 points per contest during a 1983 playoff run. He averaged 12.2 points over his career with the Kings (moving with the team to Sacramento). After success with that franchise, he finished his career by moving between several teams, making contributions in New Jersey, Los Angeles (with the Clippers), Houston, and Cleveland.
Coaching career
Previously, Woodson was the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks having taken over the job from Terry Stotts prior to the 2004-05 NBA season. He came to the Hawks after a stint as an assistant coach on the 2003-04 Detroit Pistons NBA Championship team and was a long-time assistant under Larry Brown. Woodson was known for getting the most of defensive players, allowing teams coached by him and Brown to limit opponents to just under 42% shooting.
Prior to working with Brown, Woodson was an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks for three years beginning in 1996. He later took a coaching job in Cleveland before being invited to join Brown's staff.
Woodson coached the Atlanta Hawks for six seasons. After the Hawks lost their second round playoff series with the Orlando Magic 0-4 in 2010, general manager Rick Sund announced that the team would not attempt to re-sign Woodson, whose contract expired on May 17, 2010.[2]
On August 29, 2011, the New York Knicks announced that Mike Woodson was hired as an assistant coach under head coach Mike D'Antoni. On March 14, 2012, Woodson was named interim head coach after D'Antoni's resignation. It is reported that he will act as head coach for the remainder of season.[3]
Personal life
Woodson and his wife Terri have two daughters, Alexis and Mariah, and both are very talented volleyball players.[4]
