Justin Tatum

Last updated

Justin Tatum
Illawarra Hawks
PositionHead coach
League NBL
Personal information
Born (1979-03-10) March 10, 1979 (age 45) [lower-alpha 1]
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High school
College
NBA draft 2003: undrafted
Playing career2003–2005
Position Forward / center
Coaching career2006–present
Career history
As player:
2003–2005 Aris Leeuwarden
2004St. Louis SkyHawks
As coach:
2006–2007 Christian Brothers College HS (assistant)
2007–2013 Soldan HS
2013–2023Christian Brothers College HS
2022–2023 St. Louis Surge (assistant)
2023 Illawarra Hawks (assistant)
2023–presentIllawarra Hawks
Career highlights and awards

Justin Tatum (born March 10, 1979 [lower-alpha 1] ) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Illawarra Hawks of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the Saint Louis Billikens between 1998 and 2001 before having a two-year playing career in the Netherlands with Aris Leeuwarden between 2003 and 2005. Between 2007 and 2023, he had a 16-year high school coaching career in Missouri, winning three state championships. He moved to Australia in 2023 where he became head coach of the Illawarra Hawks.

Contents

Early life

Tatum was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. [4] He grew up with his mother, Rose Mary Johnson, [5] [6] and his younger sister, Kristen. He saw his father occasionally. His mother was an elementary school teacher and worked extra jobs to provide for her children. [7]

Tatum grew up playing football, baseball and track and field. He did not start playing basketball until eighth grade. [8] After spending his freshman year at Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School, [4] he moved to Christian Brothers College High School, where he won a Missouri state title with future NBA player Larry Hughes as a senior in 1997. [9] [10]

College career

Tatum attempted to join the Saint Louis Billikens of the Conference USA for the 1997–98 season, but the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) ruled him ineligible due to academic reasons. [11] He failed to score high enough on the ACT and was subsequently diagnosed by a psychologist with a disorder that involved severe anxiety while taking tests. He was allowed to take the test untimed and registered a score high enough to qualify. However, the NCAA rejected the untimed score. [7] [12] He failed to become eligible for the spring semester, [13] and because he hadn't enrolled as a full-time student until the second semester, he was ruled ineligible for the first semester of the 1998–99 season as well. [7] He contemplated transferring but did not want to play for a Division II school. [7] He subsequently did not play competitive basketball for a year and a half. [10] [13]

Tatum debuted for the Billikens in December 1998. [10] Due to conditioning, he played a reserve role during the 1998–99 season. [10] In 22 games, he averaged 7.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 19.5 minutes per game. [14] In the 1999–2000 season, Tatum averaged 8.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 24.5 minutes in 32 games with 16 starts. [14] He was the second-leading scorer for the Billikens' Conference USA championship team in 2000. [15] In the 2000–01 season, he averaged 8.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in 23.2 minutes in 31 games with 12 starts. [14] Tatum graduated from SLU in 2001. [12]

By completing his degree, Tatum earned back the season of eligibility that he had lost as a freshman but he missed the 2001–02 season due to a knee injury. [15] [16] His NCAA eligibility subsequently expired and he had to join a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) program to complete his collegiate career. [15] Tatum joined McKendree University after becoming eligible in the second semester of the 2002–03 season. [16] [17] He helped the Bearcats finish with a 34–4 record and reach the NAIA final four. [15] In 16 games, he made 15 starts and averaged 13.4 points and 9.9 rebounds in 23.4 minutes per game. [18]

Professional career

Tatum made his professional debut with Aris Leeuwarden in the Dutch Promotiedivisie in the 2003–04 season. [19] He helped the team win the Promotiedivisie championship, which earned them promotion to the first-tiered Dutch Basketball League (DBL). [20]

In 2004, Tatum played for the St. Louis SkyHawks in the United States Basketball League (USBL). In nine games, he averaged 13.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. [3]

Tatum returned to Aris for the 2004–05 DBL season. [19] He played in the DBL All-Star Game [21] and averaged 15.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks in 31 games. [1]

Being away from his family for many months at a time took its toll on Tatum. He subsequently retired from playing professional basketball overseas to be with his son. [11] [22]

Coaching career

High school

Tatum's first coaching stint came in the 2006–07 season as an assistant coach with his alma mater, Christian Brothers College High School. [22]

In 2007, Tatum was appointed head coach of the Soldan High School boys' basketball team. [22] In 2012, he guided Soldan to the Class 4 state title. [23]

In 2013, Tatum returned to Christian Brothers College High School, this time as head coach of the boys' basketball team. In his first season as coach, he guided the Cadets to their first state championship since 1997. [23] He guided the Cadets to the state championship again in 2022. [9] He left the program following the 2022–23 season [9] as one of the most successful prep coaches in Missouri history. [11]

St. Louis Surge

In 2022 and 2023, Tatum served as associate head coach of the St. Louis Surge of the Global Women's Basketball Association (GWBA). [24] [25] [26]

Illawarra Hawks

In February 2023, Tatum joined the Illawarra Hawks of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) as its North American scout and special advisor to basketball operations. [27] [28]

In May 2023, Tatum was appointed an assistant coach of the Illawarra Hawks for the 2023–24 NBL season. [29] On November 14, 2023, he was promoted to interim head coach when Jacob Jackomas was fired after the Hawks started the season with a 2–7 record. [30] [31] Tatum guided the Hawks to seven victories in his first nine games as coach, [32] going on to lead them to a fourth-place finish and a 14–14 record. [33] He subsequently finished as runner-up for NBL Coach of the Year. [34] On February 22, 2024, prior to the Hawks' playoff campaign, Tatum signed a three-year deal with Illawarra to continue as permanent head coach. [35] [36] [37] [38] He helped the Hawks reach the semi-finals with a victory in the play-in game against the New Zealand Breakers. [39] They went on to lose 2–1 to Melbourne United in the semi-finals. [40]

Tatum entered the 2024–25 NBL season with the belief that the Hawks were a top-two team. [41] The team started the season with a 6–2 record. [42]

Personal life

Tatum has a sister and four half-siblings. [7] He is a cousin of former NBA player and current coach Tyronn Lue. [43]

Tatum is the father of NBA player Jayson Tatum, born in 1998 to Brandy Cole. [11] Brandy raised Jayson as a single mother. [44] Tatum was heavily involved with Jayson's life while he was playing at Saint Louis, and when he was playing in the Netherlands, Brandy took Jayson overseas to visit his father. [45]

Tatum's childhood friend, former NBA player Larry Hughes, is Jayson's godfather. [11] Tatum's other two children are son Jaycob and daughter Kayden. [4] [26]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Some sources list him as being born on March 10, [1] [2] while others state he was born on April 11. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illawarra Hawks</span> Australian basketball team

The Illawarra Hawks are an Australian professional basketball team based in Wollongong, New South Wales. The Illawarra Hawks compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at WIN Entertainment Centre, known colloquially as "The Sandpit". The Illawarra Hawks are the only remaining NBL team to have competed in every season since the league's inception in 1979. The team won their first and so far only NBL Championship in 2001 and finished as runners-up in 2005, 2010 and 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Ogilvy</span>

Andrew James Ogilvy is an Australian-Irish former professional basketball player. He played three seasons of college basketball for Vanderbilt before playing in Europe for the first three years of his professional career. After a season in his hometown with the Sydney Kings, he returned to Spain for a second stint. In 2015, he joined the Illawarra Hawks and helped lead them to a grand final appearance in 2017. After seven seasons with the Hawks, he retired from the National Basketball League (NBL) in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Loe</span> New Zealand basketball player

Robert Loe is a New Zealand professional basketball player for Melbourne United of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for Saint Louis University and represents the New Zealand national team. He also holds a British passport.

Mathew Campbell is an Australian former professional basketball player who played his entire career for the Wollongong Hawks of the National Basketball League (NBL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Lisch</span> American-Australian basketball player

Kevin John Lisch is an American former professional basketball player and coach, most known for his time spent in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) as a player. He also holds an Italian passport and is an Australian citizen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesse Wagstaff</span> Australian basketball player

Jesse Kendall James Wagstaff is an Australian professional basketball player for the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (NBL). After playing college basketball for the Metro State Roadrunners in the United States, he joined the Wildcats in 2009 and won Rookie of the Year and a championship in his first season in the NBL. He went on to earn NBL Best Sixth Man in 2012 and then won five more championships in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cody Ellis</span> Australian basketball player

Cody Gordon Ellis is an Australian basketball player for the Warwick Senators of the NBL1 West. After four years of college basketball for the Saint Louis Billikens, Ellis had a five-year stint in the National Basketball League (NBL) with the Sydney Kings and Illawarra Hawks.

Jordair Jett is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Saint Louis Billikens where he was named Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year in 2014, becoming the school's first conference player of the year since 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angus Brandt</span> Australian basketball player

Angus John Brandt is an Australian professional basketball player for the Veltex Shizuoka of the Japanese B.League. He played college basketball for Oregon State University before beginning his professional career with the Sydney Kings in 2014. After two seasons with the Kings, he joined the Perth Wildcats, where he won two NBL championships in three years. He has also had stints in Lithuania, New Zealand and Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Todd Blanchfield</span> Australian basketball player

Todd Blanchfield is an Australian professional basketball player for the Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League (NBL). He began his NBL career in 2009 with the Townsville Crocodiles, where he played six seasons. Between 2015 and 2023, he played for Melbourne United (2015–17), Sydney Kings (2017–18), Illawarra Hawks (2018–20) and Perth Wildcats (2020–23). In 2017, he won a gold medal with Australia at the FIBA Asia Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deng Adel</span> South Sudanese-Australian basketball player

Deng Adel is a South Sudanese-Australian professional basketball player for the Brisbane Bullets of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the Louisville Cardinals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jayson Tatum</span> American basketball player (born 1998)

Jayson Christopher Tatum is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a McDonald's All-American in high school in Missouri and played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils. Tatum was selected by the Boston Celtics with the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft and was voted to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in the 2018 season. Tatum won the inaugural NBA Eastern Conference finals MVP in 2022, and won his first title in the 2024 NBA Finals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Kay</span> Australian basketball player (born 1992)

Nicholas Colin Kay is an Australian professional basketball player for Shimane Susanoo Magic of the Japanese B.League. He played college basketball for the Metro State Roadrunners before beginning his professional career in the National Basketball League (NBL). He won two NBL championships with the Perth Wildcats in 2019 and 2020. He also won a New Zealand NBL championship and league MVP honours with the Wellington Saints in 2019. In 2021, he won a bronze medal with the Australian national team at the Tokyo Olympics.

Sunday Dech is a South Sudanese-Australian professional basketball player for the Adelaide 36ers of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He is a two-time NBL champion with the Perth Wildcats, having won in 2014 and 2019. Dech played NCAA Division II college basketball for the Metro State Roadrunners and Barry Buccaneers.

Hyrum Tipene Harris is a New Zealand professional basketball player for the Perth Wildcats of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wani Swaka Lo Buluk</span> Australian basketball player

Wani Lodu Swaka Lo Buluk is a Sudanese-Australian professional basketball player for the Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League (NBL). Opting to forgo college basketball in the United States to begin his professional career in Australia, he made his debut for the Perth Wildcats in the NBL in 2018. He won two NBL championships with the Wildcats over three years before joining the Sydney Kings in 2021 and winning a third championship in 2022. He also helped the Warwick Senators win the West Coast Classic in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1999–2000 Saint Louis Billikens men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 1999–2000 Saint Louis Billikens men's basketball team represented Saint Louis University in the 1999–2000 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Billikens were led by head coach Lorenzo Romar who was in his first season at Saint Louis. The team played their home games at Scottrade Center. They were a member of Conference USA. The Billikens finished the season 19–14, 7–9 in C-USA play to finish 5th in the conference standings. They won the C-USA tournament to receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament where they were defeated by Utah in the opening round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Beveridge</span> Australian basketball coach

Rob William Beveridge is an Australian professional basketball coach. After coaching the under-19 Australian Emus at the 2003 World Championship to a gold medal win, he began his National Basketball League (NBL) coaching career in 2007 with the West Sydney Razorbacks. The club re-branded as the Sydney Spirit and then folded; Beveridge subsequently joined the Perth Wildcats in 2009 and won an NBL championship in 2010. After four years, three grand finals and one championship, he left the Wildcats and joined the Illawarra Hawks in 2015. He led the Hawks to a grand final appearance in 2017 and left after four seasons.

The 2023–24 Illawarra Hawks season was the 46th season of the franchise in the National Basketball League (NBL).

Lachlan Olbrich is an Australian professional basketball player for the Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League (NBL). In 2022, he was named in the NBL1 Central All-Star Five playing for the Southern Tigers. After a season of college basketball in the United States for UC Riverside, he returned to the NBL1 Central in 2023 and helped the West Adelaide Bearcats win the championship while earning grand final MVP and All-Star Five honours. He joined the Illawarra Hawks for the 2023–24 NBL season and then had a championship-winning season with the Canterbury Rams in the 2024 New Zealand NBL season. With the Rams, he was named grand final MVP, league MVP and All-Star Five.

References

  1. 1 2 "Justin Tatum". Basketball Nederland (in Dutch). Archived from the original on December 21, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Surge Fam, help us wish our Associate Head Coach Justin Tatum a happy birthday today!". facebook.com/stlsurgebasketball. March 10, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Justin Tatum". StatsCrew.com. Archived from the original on December 21, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 "The Journey of Justin Tatum". YouTube. Illawarra Hawks. January 30, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  5. ↑ Himmelsbach, Adam. "How Jayson Tatum's grandmother forged a lifelong bond with Celtics great Jo Jo White". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Jennings Junior High renamed, honoring Johnson". The St. Louis American. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Eisenbath, Mike (January 20, 1999). "Tatum's big lessons came on sideline". St. Louis Post-Dispatch . p. D6. Retrieved December 21, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Woods, Dan (January 27, 2024). "How late bloomer Tatum forged basketball philosophy". NBL.com.au. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024.
  9. 1 2 3 Latsch, Nate (May 12, 2023). "Justin Tatum announces he's leaving CBC High School for role with Australian basketball club". SBLive Sports. Archived from the original on December 21, 2023.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Eisenbath, Mike (January 20, 1999). "Tatum's big lessons came on sideline". St. Louis Post-Dispatch . p. D1. Retrieved December 21, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Spears, Marc J. (June 2, 2022). "Jayson Tatum has always had Larry Hughes' support in his journey to the NBA". Andscape.com. Archived from the original on December 21, 2023.
  12. 1 2 Durando, Stu (December 26, 2000). "Tatum may seek another year at SLU". St. Louis Post-Dispatch . Retrieved December 21, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  13. 1 2 "Mens College Basketball - Preview 2000: Saint Louis". ESPN.com. November 2, 1999. Archived from the original on December 21, 2023. Tatum tried to become eligible for the spring semester of the 1997-98 season, but when that didn't work out, he wound up sitting for a year and a half.
  14. 1 2 3 "Justin Tatum College Stats". Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 21, 2023.
  15. 1 2 3 4 DeCourcy, Mike (February 9, 2022). "Do you know the name Harry Statham? If you are a college basketball fan, you should know the McKendree legend". The Sporting News. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  16. 1 2 "2002–03 McKENDREE COLLEGE MEN'S BASKETBALL SEASON PREVIEW". McKendree University . Archived from the original on March 12, 2003. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  17. ↑ "2002–03 Men's Basketball Roster". McKendree University . Archived from the original on March 12, 2003. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  18. ↑ "2002–03 Men's Basketball Team Statistics". McKendree University . Archived from the original on March 12, 2003. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  19. 1 2 "Justin Tatum" . Eurobasket.com. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  20. ↑ "LWD Basket Leeuwarden History". Eurobasket.com. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  21. ↑ "All Star Gala seizoen 2004-2005". j-dus.com. Archived from the original on April 18, 2016. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  22. 1 2 3 Kvidahl, David (December 15, 2011). "Once the Student, Now the Teacher". LadueNews.com. Archived from the original on December 21, 2023.
  23. 1 2 Austin Jr., Earl (March 27, 2014). "Justin Tatum coaches his alma mater to first state title in 17 years". The St. Louis American . Archived from the original on December 21, 2023.
  24. ↑ "ST. LOUIS SURGE ANNOUNCES NEW COACHING STAFF FOR 10TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON". St. Louis Surge . November 17, 2021. Archived from the original on December 21, 2023.
  25. ↑ "#STLSurgeNation is excited to announce Justin Tatum as our new Associate Head Coach for the 2022 season". facebook.com/stlsurgebasketball. November 17, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  26. 1 2 "ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH JUSTIN TATUM". St. Louis Surge . June 14, 2022. Archived from the original on December 21, 2023.
  27. ↑ "Illawarra Hawks Sign Tatum". Hawks.com.au. February 28, 2023. Archived from the original on December 21, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Hawks Welcome Famous Name". NBL.com.au. February 28, 2023. Archived from the original on December 21, 2023.
  29. ↑ "Hawks Confirm NBL24 Coaching Roster". Hawks.com.au. May 12, 2023. Archived from the original on December 21, 2023.
  30. ↑ "Hawks, Jackomas part ways". NBL.com.au. November 14, 2023. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023.
  31. ↑ "Jayson Tatum's dad promoted to interim head coach of Australian NBL team". WBZ-TV . The Associated Press. November 14, 2023. Archived from the original on November 15, 2023.
  32. ↑ "Hawks prevail in double OT classic over JackJumpers". NBL.com.au. January 12, 2024. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024.
  33. ↑ "Goulding, Melbourne bounce back in tight win over Hawks". ESPN.com.au. February 18, 2024. Archived from the original on February 18, 2024.
  34. ↑ Jennings, Mitch (February 19, 2024). "Illawarra Hawks favourites Gary Clark and Sam Froling win NBL awards". Illawarra Mercury . Archived from the original on February 22, 2024.
  35. ↑ "Hawks appoint Justin Tatum as permanent Head Coach". Hawks.com.au. February 22, 2024. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024.
  36. ↑ "Tatum signs three-year deal with Hawks". NBL.com.au. February 22, 2024. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024.
  37. ↑ Jennings, Mitch (February 22, 2024). "Illawarra Hawks sign coach Justin Tatum to long-term deal in Wollongong". Illawarra Mercury . Archived from the original on February 22, 2024.
  38. ↑ Uluc, Olgun (February 22, 2024). "Justin Tatum signs on as Hawks head coach". ESPN.com.au. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024.
  39. ↑ "Hawks make Playoffs, fairytale continues". NBL.com.au. March 4, 2024. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024.
  40. ↑ Woods, Dan (March 13, 2024). "Hawks reflect on what could have been". NBL.com.au. Archived from the original on March 15, 2024.
  41. ↑ "Tatum: "Were a top-two team"". NBL.com.au. September 27, 2024. Archived from the original on September 27, 2024.
  42. ↑ "Tatum: 'We expect success'". NBL.com.au. October 27, 2024. Archived from the original on October 27, 2024.
  43. ↑ McMenamin, Dave (May 10, 2018). "Tyronn Lue: 'Good to see' cousin Jayson Tatum succeeding with Celtics". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  44. ↑ "Rising Celtics Star Jayson Tatum Continues To Find Inspiration From His Mother". WBZ-TV . May 23, 2018. Archived from the original on December 21, 2023.
  45. ↑ Forgrave, Reid (June 19, 2017). "'Built for Basketball': Jayson Tatum Was Born and Raised to Be an NBA Star". Bleacher Report . Archived from the original on December 23, 2023.
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.