Lonnie Duane Kruger was born on August 19,1952 and is an American former college and professional basketball coach who was most recently the men's basketball head coach of the University of Oklahoma.
18 Facts About Lon Kruger
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Lon Kruger's teams participated in 21 NCAA Tournaments, including two Final Fours.
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Lon Kruger was named the Big Eight Player of the Year in 1973 and 1974, after being named the Big Eight Sophomore of the Year in 1972.
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Lon Kruger was a shortstop on the Kansas State baseball team.
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Lon Kruger was a ninth-round pick of the Atlanta Hawks in the 1974 NBA draft.
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Lon Kruger tried out with the Detroit Pistons, and played professionally in Israel.
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Lon Kruger played a season of minor league baseball in the St Louis Cardinals organization and was invited to training camp with the Dallas Cowboys as a quarterback.
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Lon Kruger started his career coaching at the University of Texas Pan American.
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From Kansas State, Lon Kruger moved south to the University of Florida, taking over a program that had limited success not only nationally, but in the Southeastern Conference.
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Lon Kruger was named SEC coach of the year in 1992 and 1994.
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Lon Kruger left the University to accept the head coaching job for the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA in 2000.
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In 2007, Lon Kruger led the Runnin' Rebels to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament, which was the team's first trip there since Jerry Tarkanian led it in 1991.
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On March 17,2013, Lon Kruger became the only head coach in Division I history to lead five programs to the NCAA tournament when the Sooners were named a No 10 seed in the South region.
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On March 20,2015, Lon Kruger became the only head coach in Division I history to win an NCAA tournament game with five programs.
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Lon Kruger is one of four active coaches who have had three teams in the Elite Eight.
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Lon Kruger reached his second career Final Four, this time with Oklahoma, in 2016.
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Lon Kruger rescinded an offer made to Mark Calaway while coaching UT Pan America.
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Lon Kruger was an assistant coach under Rudy Tomjanovich for the US national team in the 1998 FIBA World Championship, winning the bronze medal.