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 a famous 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 from 2008 to 2016.
As a college player, Johnny Dawkins was a two-time All-American. He was even named the national player of the year in 1986 while playing for Duke. After college, he played nine seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played for the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, and Detroit Pistons. Later, from 1998 to 2008, he worked as an assistant basketball coach at Duke, his old college.
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Johnny Dawkins' Playing Career
College Basketball Success
Johnny Dawkins grew up in Washington, D.C.. He played basketball at Mackin Catholic High School before going to Duke University. At Duke, he became the team's all-time leading scorer with 2,556 points. This record stood for many years until 2006.
In his final year at Duke, the 1985–86 season, his team had an amazing record of 37 wins and only 3 losses. This was an NCAA record for the most games played and won in a single season. They made it to the 1986 NCAA championship game. They played against Louisville but lost by a close score of 72–69.
During his senior season, Dawkins scored an average of 20.2 points per game. He also won the Naismith College Player of the Year Award. This award goes to the best college basketball player in the country. He also served as an alternate for the 1984 United States Olympic basketball team. He earned a degree in political science from Duke.
Duke University later retired his jersey number 24 to honor his achievements. Johnny Dawkins has received many awards. He was chosen for the ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team. This team honored the 50 greatest players in Atlantic Coast Conference history. In 2002, The Sporting News' also named him the 78th greatest player in college basketball history.
NBA Career Highlights
In the 1986 NBA draft, the San Antonio Spurs picked Johnny Dawkins as the 10th player overall. He even participated in the 1987 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. He played in the NBA for nine seasons. Besides the Spurs, he also played for the Philadelphia 76ers and the Detroit Pistons. During his NBA career, he averaged 11.1 points, 5.5 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game.
Johnny Dawkins' Coaching Career
Starting as a Coach at Duke
After his NBA playing career, Johnny Dawkins returned to Duke University in 1996. He worked in the athletic department and was a basketball analyst for Duke's home games. In 1998, he joined the Duke coaching staff. He worked closely with the famous head coach Mike Krzyzewski. In 1999, he was promoted to associate head coach. In this role, he was in charge of helping players improve their skills.
Leading the Stanford Cardinal
In April 2008, Johnny Dawkins became the head coach at Stanford University. He took over from Trent Johnson. During his time at Stanford, he became known for his success in the NIT. His teams won the NIT championship in 2012 and 2015. However, his Stanford team only made it to the NCAA tournament once in his eight seasons there.
On March 14, 2016, after eight seasons and only one NCAA Tournament appearance, Dawkins was no longer the head coach at Stanford.
Coaching the UCF Knights
On March 23, 2016, Johnny Dawkins was hired as the head coach for the University of Central Florida. Soon after, his son, Aubrey Dawkins, transferred from Michigan to play basketball for his father at UCF.
On March 2, 2019, the UCF team had a big win. They defeated the Houston Cougars, who were ranked very high at the time. This win ended Houston's long home winning streak of 33 games. After this victory, UCF entered the AP Poll rankings for the first time since the 2010–11 Knights team.
Coaching Record Summary
Johnny Dawkins has coached two college basketball teams as a head coach.
- Stanford Cardinal (2008–2016):
* Overall record: 156 wins and 115 losses. * Conference record: 66 wins and 78 losses. * Won the NIT Championship twice (2012, 2015). * Made one NCAA Tournament appearance (2014), reaching the Sweet 16.
- UCF Knights (2016–present):
* Overall record: 168 wins and 120 losses (as of July 2025). * Conference record: 79 wins and 85 losses (as of July 2025). * Made one NCAA Tournament appearance (2019), reaching the Round of 32. * Reached the NIT Semifinals in 2017 and the NIT Second Round in 2023.
Overall, as a head coach, Johnny Dawkins has a combined record of 324 wins and 235 losses.
See also
In Spanish: Johnny Dawkins para niños
