Craig Neal

Last updated

Craig Neal
Craig Neal in 2008.jpg
Craig Neal in December 2008 at the Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego
Nevada Wolf Pack
PositionAssociate head coach
League Mountain West Conference
Personal information
Born (1964-02-16) February 16, 1964 (age 60)
Muncie, Indiana, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight165 lb (75 kg)
Career information
High school Washington (Washington, Indiana)
College Georgia Tech (1983–1988)
NBA draft 1988: 3rd round, 71st overall pick
Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers
Playing career1988–1995
Position Shooting guard
Number10, 11, 22
Coaching career2000–present
Career history
As player:
1988 Jacksonville Hooters
1988–1989 Portland Trail Blazers
1989 Miami Heat
1989–1990 Rapid City Thrillers
1990–1991 Columbus Horizon
1991 Denver Nuggets
1991 Florida Jades
1991–1993Rapid City Thrillers
1993–1994 Fort Wayne Fury
1994 Omaha Racers
1994–1995Fort Wayne Fury
As coach:
2000–2003 Toronto Raptors (assistant)
2004–2007 Iowa (Associate HC)
2007–2013 New Mexico (Associate HC)
2013–2017New Mexico
2019–present Nevada (Associate HC)
Career highlights and awards
As player:
  • WBL All-Star (1991)

As head coach:

Stats at NBA.com  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Stats at Basketball Reference
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
FIBA Americas Championship
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1993 San Juan Team competition

Craig Duane Neal (born February 16, 1964) is an American basketball coach and former professional NBA player. He is the associate head coach for the Nevada Wolf Pack of the Mountain West Conference (MWC). He was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the third round (71st pick overall) of the 1988 NBA draft and played in the NBA and several minor leagues.

Contents

High school

He was brought up in Washington, Indiana, where he played high school basketball at Washington High School, coached by his father, Stan. As a senior in 1983, he earned all-American [1] and all-state honors, averaging 27.6 points per game and leading his 25-2 Washington High School team to the semi-state finals. He scored 1,440 points in his Hatchets career. [2]

College playing career

In 1982, Neal signed with the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) to play basketball under coach Bobby Cremins. [1]

Neal played for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets from 1983 to 1988. [3] Due to a season-ending injury, Neal played only four games in his sophomore season in 1984–85 and redshirted that year. [4] As a senior in 1987–88, Neal set the ACC single-season record with 303 assists while averaging a league-best 9.5 assists per game in addition to 7.7 points. [4]

During Neal's time at Georgia Tech, the Yellow Jackets made the 1984 NIT and subsequent NCAA Tournaments the following four years, including trips to the Elite Eight in 1985 and Sweet Sixteen in 1986. [4]

Neal graduated with a bachelor's degree in management in 1988. [5]

Professional playing career

In the 1988 NBA draft, the Portland Trail Blazers picked Neal in the third round, 71st overall. [6] Neal began his basketball career playing for the Jacksonville Hooters of the USBL. [7] In his rookie NBA season, Neal played 21 games for the Portland Trail Blazers before being waived on January 11, 1989. On February 3, Neal signed as a free agent with the Miami Heat and played 32 games. [6]

After playing in the CBA in the 1989–90 season, Neal returned to the NBA in 1990 as a free agent with the Chicago Bulls but was released before the regular season. On February 12, 1991, Neal signed with the Denver Nuggets. In 10 games, Neal averaged 12.5 minutes and 4.4 points before being waived on March 3. [6]

Neal later played for the Florida Jades of the World Basketball League in 1991 and he was the Most Valuable Player in the 1991 WBL All-Star Game. [8]

Neal served as a player and coach for the Fort Wayne Fury of the CBA in 1994–95. [9]

NBA scouting and coaching career

In 1996, Neal joined the Toronto Raptors of the NBA as a scout before becoming an assistant coach for the team under Lenny Wilkens in 2000. [4] [1] For three years, Neal coached the Raptors' summer league team and led pre-draft workouts for prospects. After Wilkens was fired, Neal returned to a scouting role for the Raptors during the 2003–04 season. [4]

College coaching career

Iowa

In August 2004, Craig Neal joined long-time friend and head coach Steve Alford at the University of Iowa. Neal and Alford had known each other since they were in the third grade. [10] With Neal as Associate Head Coach, Iowa posted a 63–35 record, including consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2005 and 2006. The Hawkeyes won 25 games in 2005–06. They also captured the 2006 Big Ten Conference tournament title and ran off a school record 19-game winning streak in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, winning all 17 home games in 2005–06. [4]

New Mexico

On March 27, 2007, Craig Neal followed Steve Alford to New Mexico and became the Associate Head Coach of the Lobos. In his first year at New Mexico, Craig Neal played an essential role in turning New Mexico into a competitive team. In addition, the Lobos made the NIT, their first trip to the postseason since 2005. In 2010 and 2012, New Mexico reached the NCAA tournament (winning both opening round games). In 2013. New Mexico reached the NCAA tournament as the number 3 seed, losing in the first round to 14th seed Harvard.

On April 2, 2013, New Mexico promoted Neal to Head Coach [11] after Alford left to take the head coaching position at UCLA. Neal signed a five-year contract worth $750,000 annually plus incentives. [5] At his introductory press conference Neal remarked "It's just been amazing, this has been one of the happiest days of my life. Steve set the bar really high, I'm going to try and jump over it." [12]

In Neal's first season as head coach, New Mexico finished 27–7, including 15–3 and second place in the Mountain West Conference. New Mexico beat San Diego State in the Mountain West tournament, finished the season ranked 17th in the AP Poll, and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. As a 7 seed in the tournament, New Mexico lost in the Round of 64 to 10 seed Stanford. [13] New Mexico Athletic Director Paul Krebs rewarded Neal with a two-year contract extension. [14]

However, New Mexico went 15–16 the following year and 17–15 in 2015–16 and failed to make the NCAA tournament. [15] Neal's son Cullen, a starting guard on the team, left the program after the year. [16] In 2016–17, New Mexico went 17–14 and marked the first time in the nearly 50-year history of The Pit that home attendance did not rank in the top 25 in Division I. [17] By the end of the season, four players who had eligibility remaining decided to leave the program, including leading scorer Elijah Brown. [17] [18]

On March 31, 2017, New Mexico fired Neal 3 weeks after Lobos AD Paul Krebs announced that Neal would return next season. [17] Acting university president Chaouki Abdallah stated: "The decision made late tonight comes after lengthy consideration in light of recent developments that cannot be ignored." [19]

Nevada

After spending two seasons out of college basketball, Neal rejoined his old friend Steve Alford, now the Head Coach at Nevada, before the 2019–20 season. Neal was hired as associate head coach and became the highest paid assistant coach in Nevada athletics history. [20]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
New Mexico Lobos (Mountain West Conference)(2013–2017)
2013–14 New Mexico 27–715–32nd NCAA round of 64
2014–15 New Mexico 15–167–118th
2015–16 New Mexico 17–1510–8T–4th
2016–17 New Mexico 17–1410–85th
New Mexico:76–52 (.594)42–30 (.583)
Total:76–52 (.594)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Community service

Neal founded the Craig Neal/Grant Delagrange Benefit Golf Tournament in Fort Wayne, IN, to raise money for schools to support children with autism and Down syndrome. In addition, while in Toronto, Craig Neal was involved with the NBA's Team Up community service program. [4]

Family

Neal and his wife, Janet, have two sons, Cullen and Dalton. Cullen played five seasons of college basketball and is now a staff member at Rice. Craig's younger brother Shane played four seasons for the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Mocs men's basketball team, and their father Stan played college basketball at Ball State University.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Alford</span> American basketball player and coach (born 1964)

Stephen Todd Alford is an American men's college basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach for the Nevada Wolf Pack of the Mountain West Conference (MWC). Born and raised in Indiana, he was a two-time consensus first-team All-American playing in college for the Indiana Hoosiers. He led them to a national championship in 1987. After playing professionally for four years in the National Basketball Association (NBA), he has been a college head coach for over 30 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">P. J. Carlesimo</span> American basketball coach

Peter John Carlesimo is an American basketball coach who coached in both the National Basketball Association (NBA) and college basketball for nearly 40 years. He is also a television broadcaster and has worked with ESPN, The NBA on TNT, Westwood One, Fox Sports Southwest, Pac-12 Network, The NBA on NBC, and CSN New England.

The New Mexico Lobos men's basketball team represents the University of New Mexico, competing in the Mountain West Conference (MWC) in NCAA Division I. The university established basketball as a varsity sport in 1899 and began competing with regional colleges after establishing an athletics department in 1920.

Kevin Douglas Gamble is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association and currently a scout with the Toronto Raptors. At 6'5" he played as both a shooting guard and small forward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay Triano</span> Canadian basketball coach (born 1958)

Howard James "Jay" Triano is a Canadian basketball coach and former professional player who is currently the associate head coach of the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously served as the head coach of the NBA's Toronto Raptors and Phoenix Suns. A former Canada national team player who competed in two Olympics, he has also had two stints as head coach of the national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Mexico Lobos</span> Collegiate athletic program based in Albuquerque, New Mexico

The New Mexico Lobos are the athletic teams that represent the University of New Mexico, located in Albuquerque. The university participates in the NCAA Division I in the Mountain West Conference (MW) since 1999, after leaving the Western Athletic Conference. The university's athletic program fields teams in 18 varsity sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Mexico State Aggies men's basketball</span> College sports team

The New Mexico State Aggies men's basketball team represents New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Founded in 1904, the Aggies compete in Conference USA after spending 18 seasons in the Western Athletic Conference from 2005 through 2023. The Aggies, who last played in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 2022, are one of 34 college basketball teams with multiple NBA retired jerseys from former players and a team that reached the NCAA Final Four. The team plays home games in the Pan American Center.

The Boise State Broncos men's basketball team represents Boise State University in the Mountain West Conference. The Broncos are led by head coach Leon Rice, hired in March 2010, and play their home games on campus at ExtraMile Arena in Boise, Idaho. BSU's most recent appearance in the NCAA tournament was in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Snell (basketball)</span> American basketball player (born 1991)

Tony Rena Snell Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the New Mexico Lobos. He was drafted with the 20th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls.

The 2012–13 New Mexico Lobos men's basketball team represented the University of New Mexico as a member of the Mountain West Conference during the 2012–13 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Lobos were coached by sixth-year head coach Steve Alford and played their home games at The Pit in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They finish with a record of 29–6 overall and 13–3 in Mountain West play to win the Mountain West regular season championship. They were also champions of the Mountain West tournament, defeating UNLV in the championship game, to earn an automatic bid to the 2013 NCAA tournament. In the tournament, they were upset by Harvard in the first round.

The 2013–14 New Mexico Lobos men's basketball team represented the University of New Mexico during the 2013–14 NCAA Division I men's basketball season as a member of the Mountain West Conference. They played their home games at The Pit in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Lobos were led by first year head coach Craig Neal. They finished the season 27–7, 15–3 in Mountain West play to finish in second place. They were champions of the Mountain West tournament, their third consecutive conference tournament championship, to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament where they lost in the second round to Stanford.

Curtis Lamont Dennis is a Former American professional basketball player from the Bronx, New York. He first attended the University of New Mexico, then transferred to University of Toledo, and finished his collegiate career at Iona College. In high school, he attended St. Raymond High School for Boys, than transferred to Blessed Sacrament-St. Gabriel High School where he graduated in 2006. After graduating he went to Houston Inner City Academy/Gulf Shores Academy in Houston, Texas. After completing a full year there he later transferred to Findlay Prep Academy in Henderson, Nevada. Dennis played for Tadamon Zouk in Lebanon, and is currently retired.

The 2014–15 New Mexico Lobos men's basketball team represented the University of New Mexico during the 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season as a member of the Mountain West Conference. They played their home games at The Pit in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Lobos were led by second-year head coach Craig Neal. They finished the season 15–16, 7–11 in Mountain West play, to finish in eighth place. They lost in the first round of the Mountain West tournament to Fresno State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Kirk</span> American basketball player

Alex Ryan Kirk is an American professional basketball player for Ryukyu Golden Kings of the Japanese B.League. He played college basketball for the University of New Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norman Powell</span> American basketball player (born 1993)

Norman Powell is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Powell played college basketball with the UCLA Bruins, where he was an all-conference player in the Pac-12. He was selected in the second round of the 2015 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, who subsequently traded his draft rights to the Toronto Raptors. He won an NBA championship with Toronto in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryce Alford</span> American professional basketball player (born 1995)

Bryce Michael Alford is an American former professional basketball player who is an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. He set school records for the most three-point field goals made in a game, season, and career. He earned first-team all-conference honors in the Pac-12 as a senior in 2016–17.

The 2015–16 New Mexico Lobos men's basketball team represented the University of New Mexico during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season as a member of the Mountain West Conference. They played their home games at The Pit in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Lobos were led by third year head coach Craig Neal. They finished the season 17–15, 10–8 in Mountain West play to finish in a tie for fourth place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West tournament to Nevada.

The 2016–17 New Mexico Lobos men's basketball team represented the University of New Mexico during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season as a member of the Mountain West Conference. They played their home games at The Pit in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Lobos were led by fourth-year head coach Craig Neal. They finished the season 17–14, 10–8 in Mountain West play to finish in fifth place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West tournament to Fresno State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Weir (basketball)</span> Canadian basketball coach (born 1979)

Paul Michael Weir is the athletic director at Eastern New Mexico University. He is the former head men's basketball coach of the University of New Mexico, having been named head coach on April 11, 2017 as the successor to Craig Neal, his second head coaching position at the college level. Weir was also the head coach of New Mexico State University (NMSU) for one season, going 28–6 and winning the Western Athletic Conference tournament. He was an assistant at NMSU from 2007 to 2016, including five seasons as associate head coach. Prior to that he spent two years as an assistant coach under Steve Alford at the University of Iowa, and served as director of basketball operations at Northwestern State University for one season. Weir began his coaching career as head coach of Don Bosco Catholic Secondary School in Toronto from 1999 to 2003. He also served as an assistant coach for the Costa Rica national basketball team in 2015.

The 2017–18 New Mexico Lobos men's basketball team represented the University of New Mexico during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Lobos were led by first-year head coach Paul Weir. They played their home games at Dreamstyle Arena, more commonly known as The Pit, in Albuquerque, New Mexico as members of the Mountain West Conference. They finished the season 19–15, 12–6 in Mountain West play to finish in third place. They defeated Wyoming and Utah State to advance to the championship game of the Mountain West tournament where they lost to San Diego State.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Grammer, Geoff (June 9, 2013). "Neal gets to make his mark". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Craig Neal - Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame". hoopshall.com/. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Players: Craig Neal". Sports-Reference CBB. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "2016-17 Men's Basketball Coaching Staff: Craig Neal". University of New Mexico Athletics. Archived from the original on April 2, 2017. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
  5. 1 2 "Craig Neal Named 20th Basketball Coach at New Mexico". University of New Mexico Lobos athletics. April 2, 2013. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 "Craig Neal". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2017. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  7. ↑ "The Palm Beach Post from West Palm Beach, Florida on June 3, 1988 · Page 175". June 3, 1988 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "World Basketball League". apbr.org.
  9. ↑ "Craig Neal". National Basketball Association. 2001. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Former assistant Craig Neal takes over at New Mexico after Alford's departure for UCLA". Associated Press. March 25, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Craig Neal Named 20th Basketball Coach at New Mexico". University of New Mexico. April 2, 2013. Archived from the original on April 6, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Craig Neal officially introduced as New Mexico Lobos coach". KOAT. April 4, 2013. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  13. ↑ "2013-14 New Mexico Lobos Schedule and Results".
  14. ↑ "New Mexico gives coach Neal 2-year extension". ESPN. March 31, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Craig Neal". SRCBB. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  16. ↑ "New Mexico G Neal transferring from school". ESPN. March 14, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  17. 1 2 3 Grammer, Geoff (April 1, 2017). "Neal is out as UNM basketball coach". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  18. ↑ "Basketball player Elijah Brown to transfer from UNM". KOB-TV. March 20, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  19. ↑ "Craig Neal relieved of duties as men's basketball coach". University of New Mexico. April 1, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  20. ↑ Murray, Chris (July 24, 2019). "Craig Neal becomes highest-paid assistant coach in Nevada athletics history". Nevada Sports Net. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.