Johnny Dawkins facts for kids
Dawkins in 2010
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| UCF Knights | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | September 28, 1963 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| High school | Mackin Catholic (Washington, D.C.) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 165 lb (75 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Duke (1982–1986) |
| NBA Draft | 1986 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10th overall |
| Selected by the San Antonio Spurs | |
| Pro career | 1986–1995 |
| Coaching career | 1998–present |
| League | Big 12 Conference |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1986–1989 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1989–1994 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1994–1995 | Detroit Pistons |
| As coach: | |
| 1998–1999 | Duke (assistant) |
| 1999–2008 | Duke (associate HC) |
| 2008–2016 | Stanford |
| 2016–present | UCF |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As coach:
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| Career Big 12 Conference statistics | |
| Points | 5,984 (11.1 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 1,336 (2.5 rpg) |
| Assists | 2,997 (5.5 apg) |
Johnny Earl Dawkins Jr. (born September 28, 1963) is an American basketball coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the UCF men's basketball team. Before joining UCF, he was the head coach at Stanford University from 2008 to 2016.
Johnny Dawkins was a two-time All-American during his college years at Duke University (1982–1986). In his senior year (1986), he was even named the national player of the year! After college, he played nine seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for teams like the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, and Detroit Pistons. Later, he returned to Duke as an assistant basketball coach from 1998 to 2008.
Contents
Johnny Dawkins: A Basketball Star
College Career: Duke University Legend
Johnny Dawkins grew up in Washington, D.C.. He played high school basketball at Mackin Catholic High School before going to Duke University. At Duke, he became an amazing player. He scored 2,556 points, which was the most points any Duke player had ever scored at that time! This record stood until 2006.
In his final year at Duke (the 1985–86 season), his team, the Duke Blue Devils, had an incredible season. They won 37 games and only lost 3. This set a record for the most games played and won in a single NCAA season. They made it all the way to the 1986 NCAA championship game, but they lost a close game to Louisville.
During that senior season, Dawkins averaged 20.2 points per game. He also won the Naismith College Player of the Year Award, which is given to the best college basketball player in the country. He even served as an alternate for the 1984 United States Olympic basketball team. He earned a degree in political science from Duke.
Duke University later honored Johnny Dawkins by retiring his jersey number, 24. This means no other Duke player will wear that number. He also received other awards, like being named to the ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team. This team honored the 50 greatest players in the history of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
NBA Career: Playing Professionally
In the 1986 NBA draft, Johnny Dawkins was chosen by the San Antonio Spurs as the 10th player picked overall. He even took part in the 1987 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, where he showed off his amazing dunking skills.
He played in the NBA for nine seasons. Besides the Spurs, he also played for the Philadelphia 76ers and the Detroit Pistons. During his time in the NBA, he averaged 11.1 points, 5.5 assists (helping teammates score), and 2.5 rebounds (getting the ball after a missed shot) per game.
Coaching Teams to Victory
After his playing career in the NBA, Johnny Dawkins returned to Duke University in 1996. He worked in the athletic department and also as a commentator for Duke's home basketball games. In 1998, he joined the Duke coaching staff, working closely with the famous head coach Mike Krzyzewski. He was promoted to associate head coach in 1999, focusing on helping players improve their skills.
Stanford University Coach
In April 2008, Johnny Dawkins became the head coach at Stanford University. During his time there, he became known as "the king of the NIT". He led Stanford to win the NIT championship twice, in 2012 and 2015. The NIT is a big college basketball tournament for teams that don't make it into the main NCAA tournament.
However, Stanford only made it to the main NCAA tournament once in his eight seasons (in 2014). Because of this, he was let go from his coaching job at Stanford on March 14, 2016.
UCF Knights Coach
Just nine days later, on March 23, 2016, Johnny Dawkins was hired as the head coach for the University of Central Florida (UCF). Soon after, his son, Aubrey Dawkins, transferred from another college to play basketball for his dad at UCF!
On March 2, 2019, Johnny Dawkins led the UCF team to a big win against the Houston Cougars. Houston was a highly ranked team and had won 33 games in a row at home, which was the longest home winning streak in the country at the time! This victory helped UCF enter the AP Poll (a ranking of top college basketball teams) for the first time since the 2010–11 season.
Johnny Dawkins' Coaching Journey: Key Stats
As a head coach, Johnny Dawkins has led two different college basketball teams.
At Stanford, from 2008 to 2016, his teams had an overall record of 156 wins and 115 losses. This means they won about 57.5% of their games. In conference play, they had 66 wins and 78 losses.
Since 2016, as the head coach for the UCF Knights, his teams have had an overall record of 158 wins and 109 losses as of the 2024-25 season. This is a winning percentage of about 59.2%. In conference games, they have 75 wins and 76 losses.
Overall, combining his time at both Stanford and UCF, Johnny Dawkins has coached his teams to 314 wins and 224 losses. This gives him a total winning percentage of about 58.4% as a head coach.
See also
In Spanish: Johnny Dawkins para niños
