WIZARDS: Wizards Promote Mike O’Koren to Associate Head Coach

Wizards Promote Mike O’Koren to Associate Head Coach

October 26, 2006

Jordan and O'Koren share a laugh with the media Thursday at Verizon Center.
Eric Hernandez / Wizards Photos

Washington Wizards President of Basketball Operations Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has promoted Mike O’Koren to Associate Head Coach.

In his fourth season with the Wizards and his eighth season overall as an NBA assistant, O’Koren has served as Head Coach Eddie Jordan's lead assistant in each of the last three seasons; the last two of which resulted in trips to the NBA playoffs. Previously, Washington had not made consecutive playoff appearances in 18 seasons. The Wizards 2004-05 and 2005-06 campaigns yielded a combined mark of 87-77, while Washington's run to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2005 added to O'Koren's vast postseason experience.

Prior to his hire in Washington, O’Koren served as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Nets from 1999-2003 where he helped guide the Nets to back-to-back Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference Championships in 2002 and 2003.

“Having Mike as an Associate Head Coach is of great significance to me because we share the same philosophies when it comes to basketball,” said Wizards Head Coach Eddie Jordan.

“He has an outstanding work ethic, a great reputation with our players, a knack for player development, and a strong ability to conceptualize and implement a game plan. On top of that, he comes from a rich basketball tradition at North Carolina, and in the professional level, he’s been to two NBA Finals as an assistant. I have the utmost trust in Mike, and I’m thrilled to continue to work with him in his new role. His contribution is invaluable.”

As Jordan's lead assistant throughout their tenure in Washington, O'Koren has substituted for the Eastern Conference's longest tenured Head Coach on several occasions. In late November of 2004, O'Koren served as acting Head Coach for a pair of games and guided the Wizards through a pair of overtime contests. The Wizards were 1-1 in the two games with O’Koren at the helm on November 26 and November 28, 2004, and were also victorious with O’Koren coaching the second half of a game at Verizon Center on March 30, 2005. Most recently, coaching at the Dean Smith Center at his alma mater in Chapel Hill, NC, O'Koren substituted for Jordan again and presided over another Wizards' win.

With Jordan and assistants Phil Hubbard, Tom Young, Wes Unseld Jr. and Bill Berry, O’Koren helped Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison become first-time All-Stars in 2005, saw Arenas become a back-to-back All-Star and All-NBA performer in 2006. “He is a player’s coach,” Jamison said of O'Koren. “He knows how to get the best out of his players. He has confidence in himself, and we have confidence in him. He’s a natural and all of the guys have respect for him.”

After a standout college career at North Carolina where he was a three-time All-American and a four-year starter, O’Koren was drafted by the Nets with the sixth overall selection in the 1980 NBA Draft. He averaged 8.5 points in his seven NBA seasons with the Nets and enjoyed his best season during the 1981-82 campaign when he averaged a career-high 11.4 points per game. O’Koren appeared in 15 games with the Washington Bullets during the 1986-87 season.