Head Coach Tommy Amaker
10/29/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
In three seasons as a college head coach, Tommy Amaker has spearheaded what has amounted to a renaissance of Seton Hall basketball, and has the program at a level where the future could not be brighter. Under Amaker's direction, the Pirates have played a tough, enthusiastic and hard-nosed brand of basketball that has rekindled excitement among the Seton Hall faithful, guiding the Pirates to their first NCAA berth in six years, with a magical run to the Sweet 16. In three seasons, he owns a 52-40 record, and a 27-25 record in conference play, with three consecutive post-season bids.
Though many were looking past the '99-00 campaign, as Amaker secured what many consider the best recruiting class in the country for 2000-01, the coach guided the 1999-00 Pirates on an unforgettable journey, ending in the Sweet 16. With a record of 20-9 entering Selection Sunday and his team having lost five of seven games, many pundits wondered if Seton Hall was deserving of an NCAA bid. Once his team was summoned to Buffalo, NY, as the No. 10 seed in the East Region, Amaker and his squad erased all doubts with two thrilling overtime upsets of Oregon and 5th-ranked Temple. The Pirates' run ended with a loss to 14th-ranked Oklahoma State in the NCAA East Regionals at Syracuse. His team's 22-10 mark represented the most wins at Seton Hall since 1992-93 while the 10-6 BIG EAST record ranked as the fourth-best in school history. For his efforts, Amaker was named the 2000 Metropolitan Coach of the Year.
The early part of the regular season was highlighted by a seven-game winning streak, which is the longest under Amaker. The Pirates upset 18th-ranked St. John's in January to give the coach his second career victory over ranked teams. Then, in what proved to be one of the biggest weeks in Seton Hall basketball history, the Pirates won five games in a stretch of 10 days, including an upset of previously-unbeaten and fourth-ranked Syracuse in the Carrier Dome. That effort vaulted Seton Hall into the national rankings for the first time since March of 1993, as the Pirates were ranked 23rd by Associated Press and 25th by USA Today.
Amaker's 1998-99 squad put together an early-season seven-game winning streak which included a win over then-#12 Syracuse at the Carrier Dome. A string of injuries and illnesses weakened the Pirates in the latter part of the year, but Seton Hall rebounded to win three of its last four regular season contests. In the BIG EAST Tournament, Seton Hall defeated Notre Dame in the first round, and fell just short, 57-56, in its upset bid of Connecticut in the quarterfinals. In their final two meetings with the eventual NCAA Champion Huskies, the Pirates lost by a combined total of six points. Seton Hall then closed out the year with its second consecutive appearance in the NIT, losing to Old Dominion, but finishing with a 15-15 record for the second time.
In his first season, 1997-98, the Pirates made the transition to Amaker's style as the season evolved, and by the end of the campaign, proved to be a dangerous team for opponents. Seton Hall won three of its final four games to conclude the regular season with 15 wins, the highest victory total in three years. The Pirates also were 9-9, finished third in the BIG EAST 7 and were rewarded for their efforts with a bid to the prestigious National Invitation Tournament, concluding the year with a 15-15 record.
But Amaker's early success as a head coach is not surprising to those who follow college basketball. Throughout his career as a player and a coach, Amaker has been a winner.
Amaker was named the 16th head coach in Seton Hall history on March 19, 1997. At the time of his appointment, Amaker was the youngest head coach ever (32) in the BIG EAST Conference.
Amaker took over the Seton Hall program after serving for nine years as an assistant basketball coach at his alma mater, Duke University. In his final two seasons at Duke, he had taken on the added responsibilities as associate head coach of the Blue Devils program under Mike Krzyzewski.
Amaker began his coaching career at Duke in 1988 as a graduate assistant, and then assumed the role of full-time assistant coach in 1989. In his nine years as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Duke compiled a 230-80 record, making eight NCAA Tournament appearances with five Final Four berths and two national titles (1991 and 1992).
Amaker had an outstanding playing career at Duke, as a four-year starter at point guard (1984-87) for the Blue Devils' teams which earned four bids to the NCAA Tournament. In his junior year, Duke reached the NCAA Championship game while setting the school record for wins with a 37-3 record. In Amaker's four seasons, the Blue Devils compiled a 108-30 record for the best four-year mark in school history.
He captained the Duke team as a senior and earned All-America honors in 1987. Amaker, who holds the Blue Devils' single-game, season and career assist records, was also a superb defensive player, winning the Henry Iba Corinthian Award as the nation's best defensive player in 1987.
A native of Falls Church, VA, Amaker also excelled in international play, helping the U.S. to the gold medal in the 1986 World Championships and playing on the 1985 U.S. Jones Cup Team.
Amaker has stayed active in international basketball as a member of the Board of Directors for USA Basketball. He is also a member of the Men's Collegiate Committee and Men's Senior National Committee with USA Basketball which selected the members of Dream Team III for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
Following graduation from Duke in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in economics, he was drafted by the NBA's Seattle Supersonics. In 1987 he returned to Duke as a management intern with the university administration for one year before enrolling in the Fuqua School of Business. He served as a graduate assistant on Krzyzewski's staff while studying in the business school in 1988-89.
Amaker, the 1998 recipient of the prestigious Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Award, presented by the North Ward Center in Newark, is married to Stephanie Pinder-Amaker, Ph.D., a 1982 Duke graduate. Dr. Pinder-Amaker is a member of the Seton Hall faculty, teaching psychology.
THE AMAKER FILE
BORN: June 6, 1965HOMETOWN: Falls Church, VA
HIGH SCHOOL: W.T. Woodson (Fairfax, VA)
COLLEGE CAREER: Duke, 1983-87
COLLEGE HONORS: Team Captain 1986-87; National Defensive Player of the Year 1986-87; All-America 1986-87; All-Final Four 1986
COLLEGE DEGREE: B.A. in Economics, 1987
COACHING HONORS: 2000 Metropolitan Coach of the Year
FAMILY: Wife - Dr. Stephanie Pinder-Amaker
Coaching Career
1988-89 Duke (Assistant Coach) 28-8 NCAA Final Four 1989-90 Duke (Assistant Coach) 29-9 NCAA Final Four 1990-91 Duke (Assistant Coach) 32-7 NCAA Champions 1991-92 Duke (Assistant Coach) 34-2 NCAA Champions 1992-93 Duke (Assistant Coach) 24-8 NCAA Tournament 1993-94 Duke (Assistant Coach) 28-6 NCAA Final Four 1994-95 Duke (Assistant Coach) 13-18 1995-96 Duke (Associate Head Coach) 18-13 NCAA Tournament 1996-97 Duke (Associate Head Coach) 24-9 NCAA Tournament 1997-98 Seton Hall (Head Coach) 15-15 NIT (9-9 BIG EAST) 1998-99 Seton Hall (Head Coach) 15-15 NIT (8-10 BIG EAST) 1999-00 Seton Hall (Head Coach) 22-10 NCAA Sweet Sixteen (10-6 BIG EAST) Head Coaching Record (3 yrs.) 52-40 (27-25 BIG EAST)
