Jeff Van Gundy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jeff Van Gundy

Van Gundy with the Houston Rockets in 2006
[[Los Angeles Clippers|Los Angeles Clippers]]
Lead assistant coach
Personal information
Born	(1962-01-19) January 19, 1962 (age 63) Hemet, California, U.S.
High school	Brockport Central (Brockport, New York)
Career information
College	Menlo (1981–1982) Brockport (1982–1983) Nazareth (NY) (1983–1985)
Coaching career	1985–2007, 2024–present
League	NBA
Career history
As coach:
1985–1986	McQuaid Jesuit HS
1986–1988	Providence (assistant)
1988–1989	Rutgers (assistant)
1989–1996	New York Knicks (assistant)
1996–2001	New York Knicks
2003–2007	Houston Rockets
2024–present	Los Angeles Clippers (lead assistant)
Career highlights and awards
As coach: NBA All-Star Game head coach (2000) As senior consultant: NBA champion (2024)
Medals Men's basketball Head Coach for  United States FIBA AmeriCup Gold 2017 Argentina {{{2}}}

Jeffrey William Van Gundy (born January 19, 1962) is a well-known American basketball coach. He also worked as a sports commentator. Currently, he is the main assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Van Gundy used to be a head coach for the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets. He led the Knicks to the 1999 NBA Finals. In 2024, he won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics. He was a senior consultant for their team.

Early Life and Basketball Beginnings

Jeff Van Gundy was born in Hemet, California. He lived in Martinez, California until 1977. His family then moved to Brockport, New York. There, he played basketball at Brockport High School.

His father, Bill Van Gundy, was also a basketball coach. Jeff's older brother, Stan Van Gundy, also became a famous NBA coach.

As a high school point guard, Jeff was chosen as an All Greater Rochester player twice. This happened in 1979 and 1980. He helped his Brockport team reach the Class AA finals. Van Gundy went to Yale University before moving to Menlo College. He later graduated from Nazareth University in 1985.

At Nazareth, Van Gundy led his team, the Golden Flyers, to a big tournament in 1984. He still holds the record at Nazareth for the best free throw percentage. He made 86.8% of his free throws.

Coaching Career Highlights

Starting His Coaching Journey

Van Gundy started coaching basketball in the 1985–86 season. His first job was at McQuaid Jesuit High School in Rochester, New York. The next year, he became an assistant coach at Providence College. He worked under head coach Rick Pitino. He helped the Providence Friars reach the Final Four in 1987.

He was promoted to assistant coach in his second year with the Friars. After that, Van Gundy became an assistant coach at Rutgers.

Time with the New York Knicks

On July 28, 1989, Van Gundy joined the New York Knicks as an assistant coach. He spent over six years helping different Knicks head coaches. During this time, the Knicks won their division three times. They always made it to the playoffs.

The Knicks reached the Eastern Conference finals in 1993. They also made it to the 1994 NBA Finals in 1994. They played against the Houston Rockets in that final series.

On March 8, 1996, Van Gundy became the head coach of the Knicks. In his second game as head coach, his team won by a lot against the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls. Even so, the Bulls beat the Knicks in the playoffs that year.

In his first full season, the Knicks had a great record of 57 wins and 25 losses. This was one of the best records in their team's history. In 1998, during a playoff game, a fight broke out between players. Van Gundy famously tried to stop the fight. He ended up holding onto a player's leg on the floor.

During the 1998–99 season, which was shorter due to a player lockout, the Knicks faced challenges. Their star player, Patrick Ewing, was injured. They finished as the eighth-ranked team for the playoffs. But the Knicks surprised everyone! They beat the top-ranked team, the Miami Heat. This made them only the second eighth-seed team to win against a number one seed.

This big win started an amazing journey for the Knicks. They swept the Hawks and beat the Pacers. They became the first eighth-seed team to reach the 1999 NBA Finals. However, without Ewing, they lost the Finals to the San Antonio Spurs in five games.

The Knicks had another strong season in 1999–2000. They won 50 games. They reached the Conference finals again but lost to the Indiana Pacers. This was the last time the Knicks won a playoff series until 2013. It was also their last conference finals appearance until 2025.

In 2001, during a game, a player accidentally hit Van Gundy while trying to punch another player. Van Gundy later said he learned a lesson about breaking up player fights. The Knicks lost in the first round of the playoffs that year.

Van Gundy surprisingly resigned as the Knicks' head coach after only 19 games into the 2001–02 season.

Leading the Houston Rockets

On June 10, 2003, Van Gundy became the head coach of the Houston Rockets. In his first year, the Rockets won 45 games. They made the playoffs for the first time in five years. But they lost in the first round to the Los Angeles Lakers.

In his second season, Van Gundy led the Rockets to 51 wins. This was their best record since 1997. The team had star players like Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. However, they lost in the first round of the playoffs again.

In 2005, Van Gundy was fined a large amount of money by the NBA. He had said that referees were being unfair to Yao Ming. Injuries affected the Rockets in the 2005–06 season. Van Gundy missed the playoffs for the first time as an NBA head coach.

More injuries happened in the next season. The Rockets made a late push but lost in the first round of the playoffs. After this loss, Van Gundy was fired as the Rockets' head coach.

Coaching the National Team

In July 2017, Van Gundy was chosen to be the head coach for the U.S. national team. He coached them in the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup tournament. He also coached them in the qualifying games for the 2019 FIBA World Cup. This was his first coaching job since leaving the Rockets in 2007.

Van Gundy led the U.S. team to win the gold medal at the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup. He also helped them qualify for the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

Working in the Front Office

On October 14, 2023, the Boston Celtics announced that Van Gundy had joined their team. He worked as a senior consultant for their basketball operations. The Celtics won the 2024 NBA Finals. This gave Van Gundy his first NBA Championship.

Return to Coaching with the Clippers

On June 18, 2024, the Los Angeles Clippers hired Van Gundy. He became the lead assistant coach under head coach Tyronn Lue. This was his first NBA coaching job since 2007.

Broadcasting Career

After leaving the Houston Rockets in 2007, Van Gundy started working as a guest analyst for ESPN. He soon became a regular commentator for them.

He worked as a color commentator with play-by-play announcer Mike Breen. He also worked with Mark Jackson. They called the NBA Finals together 15 times. In June 2023, Van Gundy left ESPN.

Personal Life

Jeff Van Gundy's older brother is Stan Van Gundy. Stan is also a well-known former NBA head coach.

In 2011, Jeff Van Gundy received an honorary degree from his old school, Nazareth University.

NBA Head Coaching Record

See also

In Spanish: Jeff Van Gundy para niños