The program announced Thursday that Long Island University has fired men’s basketball coach Derek Kellogg five seasons later and hired Rod Strickland, the program manager for the G League Ignite, as his successor. Strickland is from Bronx and was the first draft topic of the New York Knicks in 1988. After working as an assistant in South Florida from 2014 to 2017, he assisted pioneer Ignite in the early stages of the last three years.
“Rod Strickland is looking to recruit and train student athletes. He won the Long Island University victory,” said Kimberly R. Klein, President of Long Island University, in a statement announced Thursday. I am confident that it will further enhance the tradition. ”
“Rod has done a great job as a program director for the NBA G League Ignite until he helped train young players, including six NBA draft topics over the last two seasons,” said Shareef Abdur-Rahim, president of the NBA G League. Added. “We hope he will do the best at Long Island University. LIU has won great guys and great basketball guys.”
At LIU, Strickland inherits the program to finish third at the Northeast Conference. The shark never ended below .500 in Kellogg’s five-season league match, reaching 74-74 (49-41 NEC) during his tenure and reaching the NCAA tournament in 2018.
49-year-old Kellogg came to LIU after spending nine years at UMass, almost as long as John Calipari’s staff at Memphis. The transition will take place in the second half of the off-season when players enter the transfer portal and have an immediate qualification deadline. passed..
Strickland played for the NBA from 1988 to 2005, recording time with the Knicks, Spurs, Trail Blazers, Wizards, Heat, Timberwolves, Magic, Raptor, and Rocket. He joined the emerging G League program in 2018 as he popped up to act as an alternative to college basketball for high school prospects seeking professional development opportunities.
“Cultivating young players on and off the court has always been in line with my passion while I was playing and after I retired from the NBA,” Strickland said. “Thanks to Long Island University for giving me the opportunity to become a head coach at my home in New York City. Sharks will be a competitive program for top athletes who want to not only take the game to the next level, but also prepare for it. Probably for success. “
