Jeffrey George Ruland was born on December 16,1958 and is an American former professional basketball player and coach, best known for his tenure as a player in the NBA which saw him selected to two All-Star games.
13 Facts About Jeff Ruland
1.
2.
Jeff Ruland was named to the inaugural McDonald's All-American team, which played in the 1977 Capital Classic.
3.
Jeff Ruland attended Iona College on a basketball scholarship and played for coach Jim Valvano before Valvano left for North Carolina State University.
4.
However, Jeff Ruland was found in violation of NCAA rules by hiring an agent, Paul Corvino, at International Management Inc and was ruled ineligible to play his senior year at Iona.
5.
Jeff Ruland was selected by the Golden State Warriors in the 1980 NBA draft with the 25th overall pick but was traded to the Washington Bullets for a second round pick in the 1981 NBA draft.
6.
Jeff Ruland remained among the rebounding and shooting leaders, but suffered a broken bone in his foot and played just 37 games.
7.
Jeff Ruland played through the pain in the playoffs, but the Bullets lost to the Philadelphia 76ers to end a disappointing season.
8.
Jeff Ruland added 14 points and five assists per game off the bench, but the Bullets fell to Philadelphia for the second consecutive season.
9.
Jeff Ruland managed to play an additional 11 games with the Detroit Pistons the following season before retiring for good in January 1993.
10.
In 1979, Jeff Ruland played for the United States national team at the 1979 Summer Spartakiad games.
11.
Jeff Ruland then returned to coach at his alma mater.
12.
On July 16,2007, Jeff Ruland was hired to replace Michael Cooper as the head coach of the NBA D-League's Albuquerque Thunderbirds.
13.
In 2015, Jeff Ruland was hired as an advance scout for the Washington Wizards.