Tommy Amaker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tommy Amaker

Amaker in 2024
Current position
Title	Head coach
Team	Harvard
Conference	Ivy League
Record	298–189 (.612)
Biographical details
Born	(1965-06-06) June 6, 1965 (age 60) Falls Church, Virginia, U.S.
Playing career
1983–1987	Duke
Position(s)	Point guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1988–1997	Duke (assistant)
1997–2001	Seton Hall
2001–2007	Michigan
2007–present	Harvard
Head coaching record
Overall	474–328 (.591)
Tournaments	4–5 (NCAA Division I) 11–8 (NIT) 0–1 (CIT)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
NIT (2004) 7 Ivy League Regular Season (2011–2015, 2018, 2019)
Awards
Player NABC Defensive Player of the Year (1987) Third-team All-American – NABC (1987) Second-team All-ACC (1987) High School All-American (1983: McD, Parade) Coach Ivy League Coach of the Year (2010 FOX, 2011 College Insider) 2012 USBWA District I Coach of the Year
Records
Player Duke career consecutive games started (138, 1986–) ACC single-season games started (40, 1986–) ACC single-season games played (40, 1986–) Coach Harvard's all time winningest head coach (2016–present) Harvard's first NCAA tournament victory (2013) Harvard win v. highest ranked opponent AP Poll (#17, 2009–2013; #10, 2013–present) Coaches' Poll (#24, 2009–2011; #20, 2011–2013; #10, 2013–present) Harvard single-season wins (21, 2010–2011; 23, 2011–2012; 26, 2012–2014; 27, 2014–present) Harvard's first Ivy League championship (2011) Harvard's first NIT (2011) Harvard's first appearance in the AP and Coaches Polls (December 5, 2011) Harvard's highest poll rankings AP (22, January 2, 2012) and Coaches (21, January 2, 2012 & February 6, 2012) Youngest coach in Big East Conference history
Medal record Men's basketball Representing  United States William Jones Cup Silver 1985 Taipei USA FIBA World Championship Gold 1986 Spain USA

Harold Tommy Amaker Jr. (born June 6, 1965) is a famous American college basketball coach. He is currently the head coach for the Harvard University men's basketball team. Before Harvard, he coached at the University of Michigan and Seton Hall University.

Amaker was also an amazing basketball player. He played point guard for Duke University. Later, he became an assistant coach there under Mike Krzyzewski. As a player, he won many awards and set several records. As a coach, he led Seton Hall to the postseason multiple times. He also helped Michigan win the National Invitation Tournament. At Harvard, he led the team to their first Ivy League championships and their first win in the NCAA tournament. He is now Harvard's winningest coach ever.

Early Life and High School Success

Tommy Amaker was born in Falls Church, Virginia in 1965. He grew up in Falls Church but went to W. T. Woodson High School in Fairfax, Virginia. His mother, Alma Amaker, was an English teacher in Fairfax County. Her job allowed her to choose which school Tommy attended. She chose Woodson because the basketball coach, Red Jenkins, was very impressed with Tommy's skills.

Amaker started playing varsity basketball as a freshman. He was the first freshman to do so in his school's history. Coach Jenkins called him "T-bird." Tommy led the Woodson Cavaliers to win four straight district titles. He even helped them beat strong teams like DeMatha Catholic High School.

High School Awards and Records

Amaker was a McDonald's All-American and a Parade All-American in 1983. He also won the Wooden Defensive Player of the Year award. This award goes to the best defensive high school player in the country. At Woodson, he averaged nearly 18 points per game. He also had 7.5 assists and 3.5 steals per game. In 1992, he was named to the Connection Dream Team as a point guard.

College Basketball Career at Duke

Amaker became a star point guard at Duke University. He started playing as a freshman for coach Mike Krzyzewski. He led his team in assists for three years. He also led them in steals for all four of his seasons.

Freshman and Sophomore Years

When Amaker joined Duke in 1983, the team was not ranked. With Amaker and Johnny Dawkins, they won their first seven games. This was the longest winning streak for Coach Krzyzewski at that time. Amaker helped Duke reach the NCAA Tournament in 1984 and 1985. In 1984, he made the game-winning shot in overtime against Georgia Tech. His defense was also very strong, often limiting opponents' scoring.

Junior Year Highlights

In his junior year (1985–86), Duke won the NIT Season Tip-Off tournament. Amaker had nine assists in the championship game. He helped Duke win their first regular season ACC Championship since 1966. This was a big achievement for the team.

Amaker playing for Duke in the 1986 NCAA tournament.

Duke was ranked number one going into the 1986 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. Amaker and Dawkins were known as the best guard duo in the country. In the Final Four, Amaker made two key free throws to help Duke win. This sent them to the championship game. The team set an NCAA record with 37 wins that season.

Duke finished as the national runner-up in the 1986 NCAA Tournament. Amaker set a Duke record for career steals that year. He also set an NCAA Tournament record with 18 steals in 1986. He was named to the All-NCAA Final Four Team.

Senior Year and Key Awards

In 1986, Amaker won a gold medal with the US national team. This was at the FIBA World Championship. He played an important role in the team's victory over Italy.

As a senior in 1986–87, Amaker was the team captain. He led Duke back to the NCAA tournament. They reached the Sweet Sixteen before losing to Indiana. Amaker led Duke in three-point shooting that year. He also led the team in scoring in their final two tournament games.

That year, Amaker received the first-ever NABC Defensive Player of the Year award. He was also named to the 1987 NCAA Men's Basketball All-American third team. He earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Duke in 1987.

Duke Records and Achievements

Amaker set many Duke records for assists and games played. He held the record for single-season assists for several years. He also held the record for career assists until Bobby Hurley broke it.

He played 138 consecutive games as a starter. This was a Duke record for many years. He also played 138 consecutive games, which was a Duke record until 2004.

Professional Basketball Career

After college, Amaker was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1987 NBA draft. He was also drafted by the Staten Island Stallions in the United States Basketball League. However, he was considered too small for the NBA. He was cut from the SuperSonics team in October 1987. He then played briefly in the Continental Basketball Association. Soon after, he decided to return to Duke to get his MBA degree.

Coaching Career Highlights

Assistant Coach at Duke

After playing four years for Duke basketball, Amaker returned to serve on the staff of his former coach, Mike Krzyzewski (pictured).

Amaker returned to Duke in 1988 as a graduate assistant. He became an assistant coach from 1989 to 1997. During this time, Duke won two NCAA Championships (1991 and 1992). They also reached the Final Four two other times. Duke made it to five consecutive Final Fours during this period. Amaker turned down many head coaching jobs during his time as an assistant.

Head Coach at Seton Hall

In 1997, Amaker became the head coach at Seton Hall. At 31, he was the youngest head coach in Big East Conference history. He quickly turned the team around. Seton Hall had missed the postseason for two years before he arrived.

Amaker led Seton Hall to the postseason in all four of his seasons. This included one trip to the NCAA tournament in 2000, where they reached the "Sweet Sixteen." They also played in the National Invitation Tournament three times. His calm style and respect for players helped the team succeed.

Coaching at Michigan

Amaker took over the Michigan Wolverines team in 2001. The team was dealing with issues from a past scandal. Despite this, Amaker helped restore the team's reputation.

In 2004, his team won the 2004 National Invitation Tournament. This was his highest single-season win total at that time. In 2006, Michigan finished as the runner-up in the 2006 National Invitation Tournament. Amaker was praised for bringing integrity back to the program. However, some criticized him for not taking Michigan to the NCAA tournament. He was fired by Michigan in March 2007.

Leading the Harvard Crimson

Amaker coaching Harvard in 2011.

On April 11, 2007, Amaker became the head coach for Harvard University. Harvard's team had not had a winning season for five years. Amaker changed that in his third year. He became the only African American head coach among Harvard's 32 sports teams.

In 2009, Amaker's Harvard team beat a ranked opponent for the first time ever. This was a big moment for the program. His 2008–09 recruiting class was also the first Ivy League class ranked in the top 25 by ESPN.

Jeremy Lin was a key player for Amaker's 2009–10 Harvard team.

In 2010, the Harvard team, led by Jeremy Lin, had its highest single-season win total ever. They were invited to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. Amaker was nominated for the Ben Jobe Award as a top minority coach. He was also named the Ivy League Coach of the Year by Fox Sports.

In 2010, the NCAA found a minor recruiting issue with Amaker. Harvard accepted some recruiting limits for the 2010–11 season. These were the first NCAA penalties for Harvard's men's basketball program.

Harvard's Championship Era

Under Amaker, the 2010–11 team tied for the Ivy League championship. This was Harvard's first men's basketball Ivy League title. They also set a school record for home wins. The team's 23–7 record was a new school record for wins. Harvard made its first appearance in the 2011 National Invitation Tournament.

The 2011–12 Harvard team defeated a ranked Florida State team. This was Harvard's second win over a ranked opponent. In December 2011, Harvard appeared in the AP Poll and Coaches' Poll for the first time ever. They set a new record for single-season wins with 26. In March 2012, Harvard earned its first bid to the NCAA tournament since 1946.

In 2012–13, the Harvard team faced challenges when some players left due to an academic issue. Despite this, they won the Ivy League championship again. This earned them another trip to the NCAA tournament. On March 21, Harvard won its first-ever NCAA tournament game. They defeated a top 10 opponent, New Mexico. Amaker was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.

The 2013–14 team won the Great Alaska Shootout. They also won the Ivy League championship with a 13–1 record. They set a school record with 27 wins. Harvard won another game in the 2014 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. This made them the first Ivy League school to win games in consecutive NCAA tournaments since 1984.

Amaker talking with a referee during a game.

The 2014–15 team was the first Ivy League team to make five straight postseason appearances. On December 7, 2016, Amaker earned his 179th win at Harvard. This made him Harvard's all-time winningest coach. He led the team to share the Ivy League regular season title in 2017–18.

Besides coaching, Amaker also serves as a Special Assistant to Harvard University President Larry Bacow. He was named a Champion of Diversity by the NCAA in 2021.

Personal Life

Tommy Amaker is married to Stephanie Pinder-Amaker. She is a licensed psychologist. They met while attending Duke University. Amaker's grandmother, Annie Deskins, used to mail him his favorite spaghetti sauce.

Amaker is known for his unique style. He often wears mock turtleneck shirts with his initials on them. He also wears a sports coat to every news conference. Unlike many coaches, he tends to avoid the press and does not do radio or TV shows.

Amaker was inducted into the Duke Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001. He was also a member of the board of directors for USA Basketball. He helped choose players for the 1996 Olympic gold medal team. Amaker collects vintage Mercedes-Benz cars. He is also a fan of the Washington Commanders football team.

Coaching Record

See also

In Spanish: Tommy Amaker para niños