College - Kansas State '75
A veteran of two decades as a head coach on the collegiate and professional levels, Lon Kruger is in his first season on the Knickerbockers’ coaching staff. He joined the organization on Jun. 20, 2003. “Lon Kruger is a coach with tremendous ability and knowledge of the game, and he will be invaluable to our organization,” said club President and General Manager Scott Layden upon Kruger’s hiring. “His addition to an experienced staff that already includes Brendan Malone, Herb Williams and Michael Malone will be a great fit.” Following an 18-year career as one of the nation’s most successful college coaches, Kruger made his NBA debut as head coach of the Atlanta Hawks for the past three seasons (2000-01 through mid-2002-03), compiling a 69-122 (.361) overall mark. Now, his latest NBA stop is on the game’s biggest stage. “The intensity of the coverage and the interest level, where everyone is aware and has an opinion, is good,” says the 51-year old Kruger of his new home. “Obviously, it’s easier when you’re in the Playoffs every year. But you love the awareness and the interest level, and the fact that people are concerned. “We’ve always been intrigued by the city. We’ve never spent a lot of time here; we’d come in, play games and leave. For the most part, the stays have been very brief. Now I look forward to a lengthy stay, for sure. The opportunity to experience New York is definitely exciting.” Ironically, the possibility of Kruger and Don Chaney working together on the same staff first arose back in 2000. “I first met Lon (in 2000), when I was interviewing for an assistant coaching job when he was coaching the Atlanta Hawks. They got permission from the Knicks to speak with me, and I interviewed,” explains Chaney. “I was very impressed with him and his approach to the game and his philosophies, and we sort of parallel in our thinking. So when the opportunity came for me to hire him as an assistant, I didn’t hesitate. I feel he brings a totally different dimension on the bench in that he’s had head coaching experience both in the NBA and in college.” “Philosophically, we’re very similar,” says Kruger. “I like what others think around the League about Don, about his work ethic, his knowledge of the game and relationship with the players. He’s very consistent, very positive.” Prior to coming to the NBA, Kruger compiled a standout 318-233 (.577) overall mark in 18 seasons as a head coach at Pan American (1982-83 through 1985-86), Kansas State (1986-87 through 1989-90), Florida (1990-91 through 1995-96) and Illinois (1996-97 through 1999-2000). Kruger piloted his teams to the postseason on 11 different occasions, with nine appearances in the NCAA Tournament and two in the post-season NIT. He compiled seven 20+ victory seasons. A two-time SEC Coach of the Year (1992 and 1994), he led the Florida Gators to the 1994 NCAA Final Four. At Illinois, Kruger coached Knicks point guard and 2002 first round draft choice Frank Williams in 1999-2000. In his fourth season in the NBA, Kruger’s latest challenge is to bring that same level of success to the Knicks. “There’s a lot that you learn every year, whether it’s college or the pros,” says Lon. “Hopefully, you get better every year. Certainly, after being in the pros for three years, I have a lot better understanding of what’s needed, what the players are looking for and what they want in terms of helping them become as effective and successful as possible. And I learned that varies a lot from player to player. “I don’t think you can throw a blanket over them and say they’re all the same, because each has specific needs. Older guys have their own routines, while younger guys may need a little more direction. And in that sense, there’s not much difference. You’re always trying to identify how to help them be as effective as possible, how to promote their strengths.” Kruger’s coaching career began as an assistant coach at Pittsburg State (1976-77) and Kansas State (1977-78 through 1981-82). As a player at Kansas State, the Silver Lake, Kansas-native helped lead the Wildcats to back-to-back Big Eight Conference titles in 1972 and 1973, and earned Big Eight Player of the Year honors in 1973 and 1974. Kruger finished his collegiate career as school’s 14th best scorer (1,063 points) and averaged 17.6 points as a senior. He was selected by the Hawks in ninth round of the 1974 NBA Draft. Lon also starred on the baseball diamond for Kansas State and was drafted by the Houston Astros in 1970 and the St. Louis Cardinals in 1974. Born on Aug. 19, 1952, Kruger graduated from Kansas State in 1975 with a degree in business and earned his Master’s degree in physical education from Pittsburg State in 1977. During his career, Lon has been involved in a host of charities, especially the Coaches vs. Cancer program, sponsored by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. In 1995, he was named the Gainesville (FL) Volunteer of the Year. Lon and his wife Barbara live in Rye Brook, NY. The Krugers have two children: daughter Angie (who is in her third year of medical school at the University of Florida) and son Kevin (a sophomore at Arizona State and a member of the Sun Devils basketball team). During the Krugers’ stay in Atlanta, Barbara was also heavily involved in charity work, especially “My House”, a transitional home for babies from one-to-three years old.