Eddie Jordan (basketball)

For other people named Eddie Jordan, see Eddie Jordan (disambiguation).

Eddie Jordan

No. 30, 15, 5
Shooting guard
Personal information
Date of birth	January 29, 1955 (1955-01-29)
Place of birth	Washington, D.C.
Nationality	American
High school	Archbishop Carroll (Washington, D.C.)
Listed height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight	170 lb (77 kg)
Career information
College	Rutgers (1973–1977)
NBA Draft	1977 / Round: 2 / Pick: 33rd overall
Selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers
Pro career	1977–1984
Career history
As player:
1977	Cleveland Cavaliers
1977–1980	New Jersey Nets
1980–1983	Los Angeles Lakers
1983	Wyoming Wildcatters (CBA)
1984	Portland Trail Blazers
1984	Los Angeles Lakers
As coach:
1997–1998	Sacramento Kings
2004–2008	Washington Wizards
2009–2010	Philadelphia 76ers
Career highlights and awards
NBA Champion (1982) NBA All-Star Game head coach (2007)
Career NBA statistics
Points	3,414 (8.1 ppg)
Rebounds	788 (1.9 rpg)
Assists	1,595 (3.8 apg)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Edward Montgomery "Eddie" Jordan (born January 29, 1955 in Washington, D.C.) is a retired American professional basketball player and former coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Wizards and Sacramento Kings in the NBA.

Collegiate and pro career

Jordan attended Rutgers University from 1973–1977, and led the school to the 1976 NCAA Final Four, during which he was named East Regional MVP. At Rutgers, Jordan acquired the nickname "Fast Eddie." In his senior season, Jordan was named honorable mention All-America, while setting Rutgers' all-time career records in assists (585) and steals (220). Jordan graduated from Rutgers in 1977 with a degree in health and physical education.

Jordan was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the 1977 NBA Draft (33rd overall), and was acquired by the New Jersey Nets halfway through his rookie season. Jordan tied Norm Nixon (Los Angeles Lakers) for the lead in total steals with 201 in 1978-1979, and was second in total steals, 223, in 1979–80 (behind the New York Knicks' Micheal Ray Richardson with 265).

Jordan played for the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1980–81 season, and was a member of the 1982 NBA World Championship team. He played for the Lakers for four years and then played briefly with the Portland Trail Blazers. Jordan retired from the NBA after the 1983–84 season. Over his seven-year NBA career, Jordan averaged 8.1 points, 3.8 assists and 1.82 steals per game.

Coaching career

NCAA

After retiring from the NBA in 1984, Jordan was a volunteer assistant at Rutgers University under his former college head coach, and his former Wizards' assistant, Tom Young. Jordan followed Young to Old Dominion University as a part-time assistant as before and subsequently obtained an assistant coaching position at Boston College under Jim O'Brien in 1986. He also became an assistant coach at Rutgers in 1988.

Kings

In 1992, Jordan became an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings, and remained as one for five seasons. Jordan was promoted to head coach on March 20, 1997 during the final fifteen games of the 1996–97 regular season and remained the head coach during the 1997–98 season where he compiled a 33–64 record as the King’s head coach. Jordan was later fired after the 1997–98 season.

Nets

Jordan joined the Nets coaching staff on March 17, 1999 and served as the lead assistant for four seasons. While in New Jersey, Jordan helped guide the squad to consecutive Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference Championships in 2002 and 2003.

Wizards

2003–06

Later that year, Jordan signed a four-year contract worth a little more than $3 million per year with the Washington Wizards and was introduced as head coach of the team on June 19, 2003.

Washington finished with a 25–57 record during Jordan's inaugural season as head coach. The following year, Jordan helped guide the Wizards to a 20-game improvement in 2004–05. Only the Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns experienced a greater improvement in total wins from the previous year.

On April 11, 2005 Jordan won his 100th career game as a head coach, and improved his career record to 103-158. During the 2004–05 regular season, Jordan’s second with the Wizards, he led the team to a 45–37 record, which was the franchise’s best season since 1978–79. The record established a new record for wins in a season at Verizon Center, earned the team a five seed in the Eastern Conference, and was the Wizards' first playoff berth since the 1996–97 season. The Wizards played the fourth seeded Chicago Bulls and won the series four games to two. The team rallied from a 0–2 deficit to win the series with four consecutive wins. It was the team's first postseason series win since 1982.

2006–07

In the 2006–07 season, Jordan guided the Wizards to a third straight playoff berth for the first time since 1988. Jordan won the Coach of the Month award for December, guiding Washington to a 12–4 record during that month. Jordan coached the Eastern Conference All-Stars at the NBA All-Star Game on February 18 in Las Vegas, the first coach from the franchise since Dick Motta in 1978–79.

2007–08

In the 2007–08 season Jordan led the Wizards to a fourth straight playoff berth despite beginning the year 0–5. The Wizards were eliminated in the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers for the third straight year.

Firing

Jordan was fired as head coach of the Washington Wizards on November 24, 2008 after a 1–10 start. At the time of his firing Jordan was the longest tenured coach in the Eastern Conference and as their coach he guided the Wizards to four straight playoff appearances, advancing only once. He compiled a regular season record of 197–224. The 197 victories rank third all-time in franchise history.

Sixers

2009 - 2010

Jordan was officially introduced as the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers on June 1, 2009.

On Thursday, April 15, Jordan was fired by the 76ers after one season. Later that month, it was reported that Jordan had been one of the leading candidates for the head coaching vacancy at his alma mater, Rutgers, but had pulled out of the running to continue to seek a new coaching job in the NBA.

Coaching record

Legend
Regular season	G	Games coached	W	Games won	L	Games lost	W–L %	Win-loss  %
Post season	PG	Playoff Games	PW	Playoff Wins	PL	Playoff Losses	PW–L %	Playoff Win-loss  %

Team	Year	G	W	L	W–L%	Finish	PG	PW	PL	PW–L%	Result
SAC	1996–97	15	6	9	.400	6th in Pacific	—	—	—	—	Missed Playoffs
SAC	1997–98	82	27	55	.329	5th in Pacific	—	—	—	—	Missed Playoffs
WAS	2003–04	82	25	57	.305	6th in Atlantic	—	—	—	—	Missed Playoffs
WAS	2004–05	82	45	37	.549	2nd in Southeast	10	4	6	.400	Lost in Conf. Semifinals
WAS	2005–06	82	42	40	.512	2nd in Southeast	6	2	4	.333	Lost in First Round
WAS	2006–07	82	41	41	.500	2nd in Southeast	4	0	4	.000	Lost in First Round
WAS	2007–08	82	43	39	.524	2nd in Southeast	6	2	4	.333	Lost in First Round
WAS	2008–09	11	1	10	.091	(fired)	—	—	—	—	—
PHI	2009–10	82	27	55	.329	4th in Atlantic	—	—	—	—	Missed Playoffs
Career		600	257	343	.428		26	8	18	.308

Personal

Eddie and his wife, Charrisse, have two children, a son, Jackson, and daughter, Skylar. Eddie has three other sons: Justin and Eddie II from his first marriage, and Paul from an earlier relationship.

See also

• List of National Basketball Association players with most steals in a game

References

• Coaches: Eddie Jordan. National Basketball Association. NBA.com. Retrieved: 2006-01-17.
• NBA History: Steals Per Game - 1979-80. NBA.com. Retrieved: 2006-01-17.
• Weeks, Linton (December 18, 2004). "Team Alchemy". Washington Post. (c/o - Washingtonpost.com) p. C01. Retrieved: 2006-01-17.

External links

• Eddie Jordan player profile. - Basketball-Reference.com.
• Eddie Jordan coaching profile. - Basketball-Reference.com.