June 26, 2015
ORLANDO – The Orlando Magic have named Adrian Griffin, Monte Mathis, Mario Elie and Conner Henry assistant coaches. Per team policy, terms of the deals are not disclosed. In addition, Laron Profit and Jay Hernandez will remain as assistant coaches/player development, completing Scott Skiles’ coaching staff.
Griffin has spent the last five seasons (2010-15) as an assistant coach with Chicago. During the summer of 2014, he worked with the USA Basketball Men’s National Team that captured the gold medal at the FIBA Basketball World Cup. Prior to joining the Bulls, he served as assistant coach/player development for two seasons (2008-10) with Milwaukee under Scott Skiles.
As a player, Griffin appeared in 477 career NBA games (179 starts) during nine seasons with Boston, Dallas, Houston, Chicago and Seattle, averaging 4.0 ppg., 3.2 rpg. and 1.4 apg. in 16.8 minpg. He also played in 48 career playoff outings, averaging 3.4 ppg. and 3.0 rpg. in 13.2 minpg. and helped Dallas reach the 2006 NBA Finals. Griffin also played one season in Italy and three seasons with Connecticut of the CBA. In 1998-99, he was named CBA Most Valuable Player and also earned CBA Finals MVP, leading Connecticut to the championship.
Born on July 4, 1974 and a native of Wichita, Kansas, Griffin was a three-year starter at Seton Hall University. He and his wife, Audrey, have two daughters, Vanessa and Aubrey, and two sons, Alan and Adrian, Jr.
Mathis has spent the previous five seasons (2010-15) as an assistant coach with Dallas and the last four seasons as the Mavericks’ defensive coordinator, after spending one season as player development coach. As defensive coordinator, his responsibilities included preparing defensive game plans and coordinating scouting reports on upcoming opponents. Prior to that, Mathis served as head video coordinator/scout with Dallas for the previous four seasons (2006-10). He also had served as Dallas’ summer league head coach since 2009.
Prior to joining the Mavericks, Mathis spent 11 years coaching in the collegiate ranks. He came to Dallas after serving as an assistant coach at Xavier (Ohio) University. Before that, Mathis spent four seasons as an assistant coach with Ohio State University (2000-04), helping them win the Big Ten title in 2002. Prior to joining the Buckeyes, Mathis was an assistant coach for four seasons at the University of Toledo. During his tenure, he helped the Rockets to their first postseason appearance in 20 years. He also served as an assistant coach at the University of South Alabama (1995-96) and as a graduate assistant at McNeese State (1994-95). Mathis began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Woodward High School in Cincinnati.
Mathis played for Larry Brown at the University of Kansas before transferring to Toledo, where he was a two-year letter winner in baseball and basketball. After graduating from Toledo in 1991 with a bachelor of arts degree in communications, Mathis played and coached in the Atlanta Braves and Chicago White Sox farm systems for three years. His father, Mike Mathis, was an NBA referee for 25 years, while his brothers, Mick, Marty and Brian, all played college football, with Brian making it to the NFL for four seasons. Born on June 2, 1967 and a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, he and his wife, Ayrica, have a daughter, Ava (9) and a son, Mason (6).
Elie has spent nine seasons as an assistant coach in the NBA, most recently with Brooklyn for two seasons (2011-13). Before joining the Nets, he spent two seasons as an assistant coach with Sacramento (2009-11). Elie also served as an assistant coach with Dallas (2007-09), Golden State (2004-06) and San Antonio (2003-04).
Originally selected in the seventh round (160th overall) of the 1985 NBA Draft by Milwaukee, Elie played professionally in Portugal, Argentina, Ireland, the USBL, the WBL and the CBA, before making his NBA debut with Philadelphia in December 1990. After finally breaking through, he enjoyed a successful 11-year career in the NBA. Elie played in 732 career regular season NBA games (395 starts) with Philadelphia, Golden State, Portland, Houston, San Antonio and Phoenix, averaging 8.6 ppg., 2.8 rpg. and 2.6 apg. in 25.5 minpg., while shooting .365 (574-1,572) from three-point range. He also appeared in 116 career playoff outings (57 starts), averaging 8.5 ppg., 2.9 rpg. and 2.3 apg. in 26.3 minpg., while shooting .367 (90-245) from three-point range.
Elie won three NBA Championships during his career, two with Houston (1993-94, 1994-95) and one with San Antonio (1998-99). During Game #7 of the 1995 Western Conference Semifinals at Phoenix, he hit a memorable, go-ahead three-pointer with 7.1 seconds left, helping the Rockets overcome a 3-1 series deficit to defeat the Suns. Elie started all four games of the 1995 NBA Finals against Orlando, averaging 16.3 ppg., 4.3 rpg., 3.3 apg. and 2.00 stlpg. in 40.3 minpg. In 1998, he was named to the Rockets “30-Year Team” as one of the top ten players in club history.
Born on November 26, 1963 and a native of New York City, Elie played collegiately at American International College, a Division II school located in Springfield, Massachusetts. He earned a degree in human relations, speaks Spanish, Portuguese and French. Elie also worked as a pre- and postgame host for the Rockets’ FOX Sports Net telecasts during the 1996-97 campaign. He and his wife, Gina Gaston, are the parents of triplets – sons Gaston and Glenn, and daughter Lauren. Gina is the lead news anchor for KTRK-TV in Houston and has also worked as a national correspondent for MSNBC.
Henry spent the last two seasons (2013-15) as head coach of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League, compiling a regular season record of 62-38 (.620). During his first year with the Mad Ants (2013-14), he guided them to a league-best 34-16 regular season record and was named the Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year. Fort Wayne would proceed to sweep through the postseason and capture the 2013-14 NBA D-League Championship. Last season (2014-15), the Mad Ants returned to the D-League Finals, but fell to Santa Cruz.
Prior to joining Fort Wayne, Henry served as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League for two seasons (2011-13). He spent four years in the Australian Basketball League, serving as an assistant coach for the Perth Wildcats (2006-08), before becoming head coach in 2008-09. Henry then joined the Sydney Kings in 2010-11 as an assistant coach.
Originally selected in the fourth round (89th overall) of the 1986 NBA Draft by Houston, Henry played in 93 career regular season NBA games with Houston, Boston, Milwaukee and Sacramento, averaging 3.3 ppg. and 1.1 apg. in 8.1 minpg. He went on to play with Rapid City and Yakima of the CBA, where he enjoyed tremendous success. Henry was voted the CBA Player of the Year and CBA All-Star Game MVP in 1990. He was named CBA All-Star Game MVP for a second time in 1992. Henry also played professionally in Italy, Spain, France and Greece.
Born on July 21, 1963 and a native of Claremont, California, Henry played collegiately at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he scored 1,236 during his four-year career.