Lloyd Daniel Pierce (born May 11, 1976)[1][2] is an American basketball coach who serves as the lead assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has previously coached for the Philadelphia 76ers, Memphis Grizzlies, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, and Atlanta Hawks. In addition to coaching, he has also played internationally.
 Pierce in 2016 | |
| Indiana Pacers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Lead assistant coach |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | May 11, 1976 San Jose, California, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Yerba Buena (San Jose, California) |
| College | Santa Clara (1994–1998) |
| NBA draft | 1998: undrafted |
| Playing career | 1998–2002 |
| Coaching career | 2003–present |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1998–1999 | Billings RimRockers |
| 1999 | Soles de Jalisco |
| 2000 | Mount Gambier Pioneers |
| 2001–2002 | SV 03 Tübingen |
| As coach: | |
| 2003–2007 | Santa Clara (assistant) |
| 2007–2010 | Cleveland Cavaliers (assistant) |
| 2010–2011 | Golden State Warriors (assistant) |
| 2011–2013 | Memphis Grizzlies (assistant) |
| 2013–2018 | Philadelphia 76ers (assistant) |
| 2018–2021 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 2021–present | Indiana Pacers (assistant) |
Playing career
editPierce made the varsity of Yerba Buena High School as a freshman in 1990. He loved playing defense and was considered one of the best-ever players from the San Jose area. He earned a full basketball scholarship to Santa Clara University.
With future NBA players Steve Nash and Marlon Garnett, the Santa Clara Broncos made the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament three times in four years from 1993 to 1996. Pierce helped guide the Broncos to the 1995 and 1996 NCAA tournaments (his freshman and sophomore seasons), advancing to the NCAA 2nd Round in 1996.[3] He was an honorable mention for all-West Coast Conference and averaged 7.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steal per game during his college playing years.[4]
Pierce played professionally for four seasons in Mexico, Australia, Germany, and Turkey.[4][5]
Coaching career
editSanta Clara University
editPierce started coaching by serving as a volunteer for the position of director of basketball operations at Santa Clara in the 2002–03 season. He was part of Dick Davey's staff until 2007.[4] In 2016, he would become a finalist for the Santa Clara University Broncos head coaching job.[3]
Cleveland Cavaliers
editPierce served as the coordinator for player development for the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2007 to 2010.
Golden State Warriors
editPierce was an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors during the 2010–11 season under head coach Keith Smart.
Memphis Grizzlies
editPierce began coaching the Memphis Grizzlies in 2011 and worked under head coach Lionel Hollins.[6] He was also part of the player development staff.
Philadelphia 76ers
editPierce joined the Philadelphia 76ers just before the 2013–14 season.[7] He would be involved with the team throughout the next few seasons, becoming in charge of the team's defense and being involved in playcalling during timeouts.[3]
Atlanta Hawks
editOn May 11, 2018, Pierce was hired by the Atlanta Hawks as head coach.[1][8] The Hawks fired Pierce on March 1, 2021, after the team's 14–20 start to the season.[9][10]
Indiana Pacers
editFollowing his departure from Atlanta, Pierce was hired as the lead assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers.[11]
Head coaching record
edit| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
| Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | 2018–19 | 82 | 29 | 53 | .354 | 5th in Southeast | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Atlanta | 2019–20 | 67 | 20 | 47 | .299 | 5th in Southeast | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Atlanta | 2020–21 | 34 | 14 | 20 | .412 | (fired) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Career | 183 | 63 | 120 | .344 | — | — | — | — | |||
Personal life
editPierce graduated from Santa Clara University with a degree in business management. After graduation, he was a special education teacher for Pinnacle Academy in Santa Clara and also worked for a local financial services firm.[4]
He married his wife Melissa in 2015[3] and the two first had a child in 2018.[5] Pierce missed three games of the 2020–21 season due to birth of his second child.[12]
References
edit- ^ a b Pompey, Keith (May 11, 2018). "Sixers assistant Lloyd Pierce gets Atlanta Hawks head coaching job". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
On Friday, his 42nd birthday...
- ^ The Redwood. Santa Clara College. 1997. p. 292.
- ^ a b c d Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce has come a long way from that kid at the playground
- ^ a b c d Lloyd Pierce profile in Santa Clara Athletics
- ^ a b Meet Hawks Coach Lloyd Pierce ’98
- ^ "Coaching staff complete". NBA.com. December 5, 2011. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ Pavorsky, Jake (August 25, 2013). "Sixers Hire Lloyd Pierce As Assistant Coach". Liberty Ballers. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ "Hawks Reach Agreement in Principle With Lloyd Pierce To Become Team's Head Coach". NBA.com. May 11, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
- ^ "Lloyd Pierce Relieved of Head Coaching Duties". NBA.com. March 1, 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
- ^ "Atlanta Hawks fire coach Lloyd Pierce". ESPN.com. March 1, 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
- ^ "Report: Rick Carlisle Hiring Lloyd Pierce As Pacers Assistant Coach". si.com. July 1, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
- ^ "Trae Young's 35 points, 15 assists lift Hawks over Nuggets". Reuters. February 22, 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
The Hawks again had assistant coach Nate McMillan running the team. Coach Lloyd Pierce missed the last two games for the birth of his second child, but was sidelined this time for health and safety protocols. He is expected to be back for Tuesday's game at Cleveland.