- Lon Kruger
College coach infobox
Name = Lon Kruger
Sport =Basketball
| ImageWidth =
Caption =
DateOfBirth = birth date and age|1952|8|19
Birthplace =Silver Lake, Kansas , U.S.
DateOfDeath =
Deathplace =
College = UNLV
Title = Head coach
Awards = SEC Coach of the Year (1992, 1994)
MWC Coach of the Year (2008)
Championships = MWC Tournament Championship (2007, 2008)
Big 10 Regular Season Championship (1998)
CurrentRecord =
OverallRecord =
Player = *
Years = 1971–1974
Team = Kansas State
Position =
Coach = *
CoachYears = 1976–1977
1977–1978
1979–1982
1982–1986
1986–1990
1990–1996
1996–2000
2000–2003
2003–2004
2004–present
CoachTeams = Pittsburg State (asst.)
Kansas State (asst.)
Kansas State (asst.)
Texas–Pan American
Kansas State
Florida
IllinoisAtlanta Hawks New York Knicks (asst.)
UNLV
CollegeHOFID =
BBallHOF =Lon Kruger (born
August 19 ,1952 inSilver Lake, Kansas ) is an Americanbasketball coach. Most recently he took theUNLV Rebels to theNCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Sweet 16 for the first time since 1991.Prior to accepting the
head coach ing position at UNLV in 2004, Kruger was the head coach of theAtlanta Hawks of theNational Basketball Association . It was as head coach of the Hawks that Kruger guaranteed season-ticket holders that the Hawks would make the playoffs or get a $125 refund. The Hawks failed to make the playoffs and Kruger was fired midway through the season. Kruger also held head coaching positions in collegiate basketball at theUniversity of Texas-Pan American (1982-86),Kansas State University (1986-90), theUniversity of Florida (1990-96), and the University of Illinois (1996-2000). Kruger is one of five coaches to take 4 teams to the men's NCAA basketball tournament.He was an assistant coach under
Rudy Tomjanovich for the US national team in the1998 FIBA World Championship , winning the bronze medal. [ [http://www.usabasketball.com/history/mwc_1998.html 1998 USA Basketball] ]As a player, Kruger led
Kansas State to back-to-backBig Eight championships in 1972 and 1973 under coachJack Hartman . Kruger was named theBig Eight Player of the Year in 1973 and 1974, after being named the Big Eight Sophomore of the Year in 1972. He was also aShortstop on the Kansas StateBaseball team. As coach of the Wildcats, he led K-State to the NCAA Tournament in each of his four seasons as head coach and the Elite 8 in 1988 before losing to the archrivalKansas Jayhawks , the eventual national champion.Kruger's son, Kevin, took advantage of a new NCAA rule, called Proposal 2005-54, [ [http://ncaasports.com/basketball/mens/story/9548240 "Kruger transfers to play for father"] , "Associated Press", July 10, 2006] before the 2006-2007 season to transfer from Arizona State and immediately play for his father at UNLV without sitting out one year. The controversial rule has been repealed for the next season due to the "
unintended consequence s" of allowing players with undergraduate diplomas to immediately begin playing for another school without sitting out for any time. [Kantowski, Ron. [http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/sports/2007/jan/08/566665682.html Ron Kantowski eulogizes a 'wacko' NCAA rule that, while used innocently enough by UNLV's Lon and Kevin Kruger, left the door open for 'unintended consequences'] , "Las Vegas Sun", January 7, 2007.]On
February 9 ,2008 , TheUNLV Rebels beat Colorado St. 68-51 at home, for his 400th career win.Collegiate Coaching Record
CBB Yearly Record Start
type=coach
conference=
postseason=
poll=CBB Yearly Record Subhead
name=Pan-American Broncs
startyear=1982
conference=Independent
endyear=1986|CBB Yearly Record Entry
season = 1982-83
name = Pan-American
overall = 7-21
conference =
confstanding =
postseason = CBB Yearly Record Entry
season = 1983-84
name = Pan-American
overall = 13-14
conference =
confstanding =
postseason = CBB Yearly Record Entry
season = 1984-85
name = Pan-American
overall = 12-16
conference =
confstanding =
postseason = CBB Yearly Record Entry
season = 1985-86
name = Pan-American
overall = 20-8
conference =
confstanding =
postseason = CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Pan-American
overall = 52-59
confrecord = CBB Yearly Record Subhead
name=Kansas State Wildcats
startyear=1986
conference=Big Eight Conference
endyear=1990|CBB Yearly Record Entry
season = 1986-87
name = Kansas State
overall = 20-11
conference = 8-6
confstanding = 4th
postseason = NCAA 2nd RoundCBB Yearly Record Entry
season = 1987-88
name = Kansas State
overall = 25-9
conference = 11-3
confstanding = 2nd
postseason = NCAA Elite EightCBB Yearly Record Entry
season = 1988-89
name = Kansas State
overall = 19-11
conference = 8-6
confstanding = 3rd
postseason = NCAA 1st RoundCBB Yearly Record Entry
season = 1989-90
name = Kansas State
overall = 17-15
conference = 7-7
confstanding = 4th
postseason = NCAA 1st RoundCBB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Kansas State
overall = 81-46
confrecord = 34-22CBB Yearly Record Subhead
name=Florida Gators
startyear=1990
conference=Southeastern Conference
endyear=1996|CBB Yearly Record Entry
season = 1990-91
name = Florida
overall = 11-17
conference = 7-11
confstanding = 6th
postseason = CBB Yearly Record Entry
season = 1991-92
name = Florida
overall = 19-14
conference = 9-7
confstanding = 2nd/E
postseason = NIT 4th PlaceCBB Yearly Record Entry
season = 1992-93
name = Florida
overall = 16-12
conference = 9-7
confstanding = 3rd/E
postseason = NIT 1st RoundCBB Yearly Record Entry
season = 1993-94
name = Florida
overall = 29-8
conference = 12-4
confstanding = T-1st/E
postseason = NCAA Final FourCBB Yearly Record Entry
season = 1994-95
name = Florida
overall = 17-13
conference = 8-8
confstanding = 3rd/E
postseason = NCAA 1st RoundCBB Yearly Record Entry
season = 1995-96
name = Florida
overall = 12-16
conference = 6-10
confstanding = 5th/E
postseason = CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Florida
overall = 104-80
confrecord = 51-47CBB Yearly Record Subhead
name=Illinois Fighting Illini
startyear=1996
conference=Big Ten Conference
endyear=2000|CBB Yearly Record Entry
season = 1996-97
name = Illinois
overall = 22-10
conference = 11-7
confstanding = T-4th
postseason = NCAA 2nd RoundCBB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
season = 1997-98
name = Illinois
overall = 23-10
conference = 13-3
confstanding = T-1st
postseason = NCAA 2nd RoundCBB Yearly Record Entry
season = 1998-99
name = Illinois
overall = 14-18
conference = 3-13
confstanding = 11th
postseason = CBB Yearly Record Entry
season = 1999-00
name = Illinois
overall = 22-10
conference = 11-5
confstanding = 5th
postseason = NCAA 2nd RoundCBB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Illinois
overall = 81-48
confrecord = 38-28CBB Yearly Record Subhead
name=UNLV Runnin' Rebels
startyear=2004
conference=Mountain West Conference
endyear=present|CBB Yearly Record Entry
season = 2004-05
name = UNLV
overall = 17-14
conference = 7-7
confstanding = T-4th
postseason = NIT 2nd RoundCBB Yearly Record Entry
season = 2005-06
name = UNLV
overall = 17-13
conference = 10-6
confstanding = 4th
postseason = CBB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference tournament
season = 2006-07
name = UNLV
overall = 30-7
conference = 12-4
confstanding = 2nd
postseason = NCAA Sweet SixteenCBB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference tournament
season = 2007-08
name = UNLV
overall = 27-8
conference = 12-4
confstanding = 2nd
postseason = NCAA 2nd RoundCBB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = UNLV
overall = 91-42
confrecord = 41-21CBB Yearly Record End
overall = 409-275Notes
External links
* [http://unlvrebels.collegesports.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/kruger_lon00.html Lon Kruger Bio]
* [http://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/krugelo99c.html NBA Coaching Record]
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