Tommy Amaker

College coach infobox


Name = Harold Tommy Amaker
| Caption =
DateOfBirth = birth date and age|1965|6|6
Birthplace = Falls Church, Virginia, U.S.
DateOfDeath =
Sport = Basketball
College = Harvard
Title = Head coach
CurrentRecord = 8-18
OverallRecord = 176-139 (.559)
Awards =
Championships = NIT Championship (2004)
Player = *
Years = 1983–1987
Team = Duke
Position = Point guard
Coach = *
CoachYears = 1988–1997
1997–2001
2001–2007
2007–present
CoachTeams = Duke (asst.)
Seton Hall
Michigan
Harvard

Harold Tommy Amaker (born June 6, 1965 in Falls Church, Virginia) is the current head coach of the Harvard University men's basketball team. He has also served as head basketball coach for the University of Michigan men's basketball team and at Seton Hall University. He played point guard and later served as an assistant coach at Duke University under Mike Krzyzewski. [ [http://www.collegebasketball.rivals.com/viewcoach.asp?Coach=819 Tommy Amaker - Harvard Basketball ] ]

Early life

Tommy Amaker grew up in Fairfax, VA. He went to Wilbert Tucker Woodson High School, and was the star on the basketball team. He was the first freshman to make varsity in WT Woodson, and he even was the starting guard freshman year.

Playing career

Amaker was a star point guard at Duke, playing for Krzyzewski. As a junior in 1986, he was part of a team that finished as national runner-up in the NCAA Tournament. That year he recorded 81 steals. In his senior season, he was named the first winner of the Henry Iba Corinthian Award, given to the national defensive player of the year. [http://www.dukeupdate.com/Alumni/tommy_amaker.htm Tommy Amaker ] ] Amaker also won a gold medal as a member of the US national team in the 1986 FIBA World Championship. [ [http://www.usabasketball.com/history/mwc_1986.html 1986 USA Basketball] ]

Coaching career

In 1988, after graduating, Amaker took a position on Krzyzewski's staff as a graduate assistant at Duke. He would then serve as an assistant coach from 1989-97 during which time Duke won 2 NCAA Championships.

In 1997, Amaker took the head coaching position at Seton Hall. As a head coach, Amaker took Seton Hall to the NCAA tournament once (2000) - when his team reached the "Sweet Sixteen" (third round) - and to the National Invitation Tournament three times (1998, 1999 and 2001).

While at Seton Hall, Amaker recruited the #2 recruiting class in the nation in 2000, according to ESPN [http://espn.go.com/ncb/preview01/setonhall.html] . The class consisted of Eddie Griffin, (ranked by some as the top high school player in the nation [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_3_224/ai_59021132] , Andre Barrett, and Marcus Toney-El. The Pirates were ranked high on many experts pre-season rankings [http://espn.go.com/ncb/preview01/setonhall.html] . The following season, Amaker resigned as the Seton Hall head coach and took the vacant Michigan head coaching job. Amaker is reported to have told the team in the locker room after already having told the press.Fact|date=September 2008

At Michigan, his 2004 team won the NIT title, and his 2006 team was the NIT runner-up. Amaker had been credited for helping to restore the ethical reputation of a Michigan program which had been tarnished by scandal [ [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/college/news/2002/11/07/michigan_selfban_ap/ CNNSI.com - College Basketball - Men - Michigan imposes postseason ban after scandal - Thursday November 07, 2002 04:33 PM ] ] . However, he had been unable to take the Wolverines to the NCAA tournament, which had caused him to draw criticism. Some fans and sportswriters argued that Amaker's teams tended to underachieve and fall apart in pressure situations, particularly at the end of the season. [http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/6381552] On March 17, 2007, Amaker was fired by the University of Michigan. [ [http://www.michigan.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=653877 TheWolverine.com - Amaker finished as Michigan head coach ] ] Amaker will receive $900,000 to buy out the remaining years on his contract.

On April 11, 2007, Amaker was named head men's basketball coach at Harvard University. [http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/mens_basketball/articles/2007/04/09/harvards_choice_is_amaker/] Amaker's Harvard team beat his former team, Michigan, in just his eighth game as coach at Harvard. [http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/annarbornews/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1196619381324060.xml&coll=2] Allegations of possible improper recruiting practices at Harvard arose after a New York Times article in March of 2008, [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/sports/ncaabasketball/02harvard.html?ex=1362114000&en=a45203d38666a18a&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss] but after an investigation the Ivy League concluded that no violations of NCAA or Ivy League rules occurred, clearing Amaker and his staff.cite web|url=http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=523974|author=Crimson Staff|publisher=The Harvard Crimson|title=SPORTS BRIEF: Amaker, Men's Hoops Cleared of Wrongdoing] cite web|url=http://www.ivyleaguesports.com/article.asp?intID=6724|publisher=Ivy League Sports|title=Ivy League Statement On Harvard Men’s Basketball Inquiry]

Amaker is known for his trademark mock turtle-neck shirts, each of which has his initials monogrammed into the collar.

Head coaching record

CBB Yearly Record Start
type=coach
conference=
postseason=CBB Yearly Record Subhead
name=Seton Hall
startyear=1997
conference=Big East Conference
endyear=2001CBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 1997–1998
name = Seton Hall
overall = 15-15
conference = 9-9
confstanding = 3rd (Seven)
postseason = NIT 1st RoundCBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 1998–1999
name = Seton Hall
overall = 15-15
conference = 8-10
confstanding = T-8th
postseason = NIT 1st RoundCBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 1999–2000
name = Seton Hall
overall = 22-10
conference = 10-6
confstanding = T-4th
postseason = NCAA Sweet 16CBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 2000–2001
name = Seton Hall
overall = 16-15
conference = 5-11
confstanding = 6th (West)
postseason = NIT 1st RoundCBB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Seton Hall
overall = 68-55
confrecord = 32-36CBB Yearly Record Subhead
name=Michigan
startyear=2001
conference=Big Ten Conference
endyear=2007|CBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 2001–2002
name = Michigan
overall = 11-18
conference = 5-11
confstanding = T-8th
postseason = CBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 2002–2003
name = Michigan
overall = 17-13
conference = 10-6
confstanding = T-3rd
postseason = CBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 2003–2004
name = Michigan
overall = 23-11
conference = 8-8
confstanding = T-5th
postseason = NIT ChampionsCBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 2004–2005
name = Michigan
overall = 13-18
conference = 4-12
confstanding = 9th
postseason = CBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 2005–2006
name = Michigan
overall = 22-11
conference = 8-8
confstanding = T-6th
postseason = NIT Runner-UpCBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 2006–2007
name = Michigan
overall = 22-13
conference = 8-8
confstanding = T-7th
postseason = NIT 2nd RoundCBB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Michigan
overall = 108-84
confrecord = 43-53CBB Yearly Record Subhead
name=Harvard
startyear=2007
conference=Ivy League
endyear=|CBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 2007–2008
name = Harvard
overall = 8-18
conference = 3-7
confstanding =
postseason = CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Harvard
overall = 8-18
confrecord = 3-7CBB Yearly Record End
overall=184-157

References