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Who is Mike Woodson?
Mike Woodson is a former basketball player in the NBA. Mike Woodson is currently the men’s basketball team’s head coach for the Indiana Hoosiers. He continued by saying that getting the chance to lead the Indiana Hoosiers was like a “dream come true.”
The Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons, and New York Knicks are just a few of the notable NBA clubs for which he has worked as an assistant coach.
Early Life, Family, And Education
Mike Woodson was born on March 24, 1958, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Chester and Odessa Woodson are his parents.
The player’s father was a member of the working class who had many jobs to support his family.
He mowed lawns, ran laundromats, and delivered pianos.
His mother was also a licensed nurse. They were both frail and generally in bad condition.
The ex-NBA player is one of 11 siblings.
Chester and Odessa, therefore, put in a lot of effort to provide for a family of 15.
For the majority of their lives, the entire family was confined to a two-bedroom home.
The coach experienced rough circumstances and financial hardship during his youth.
As a result, he comes from an extremely poor family.
Chester also passed away at the age of 13 after a heart attack.
The shooting guard stated in an interview that he “really truly believes that he worked himself to death” in reference to his father.
The Woodson siblings broke up when their father passed away to relieve Odessa, who had been working too hard herself.
Mike spent a year living with his older sister and her spouse before returning home.
All of the siblings then assisted their mother. Furthermore, Odessa used to receive half of the former NBA coach’s salary.
Unfortunately, the player’s mother passed away due to health issues when he was playing for the Clippers.
She was ecstatic about the life Mike had created.
Mike was disappointed that she couldn’t share in his NBA success, though.
But he was slightly pleased with himself because he had given Odessa her first home.
Education
Mike played high school basketball at Broad Ripple Magnet High School.
He decided to enroll at Indiana University because it was nearby once he graduated.
In addition, he was an Indiana Hoosiers basketball player in college.
Salary and Net Worth
Mike Woodson’s net worth is estimated to be $12 million.
Although the specifics of his pay are kept confidential, he will reportedly make millions of dollars with the Hoosiers.
Mike has landed a few endorsement opportunities as a result of his considerable popularity.
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Facts of Mike Woodson
Full Name | Michael Dean Woodson |
Birth Date | March 24, 1958 |
Birth Place | Indianapolis, Indiana, the United States |
Nick Name | Woody |
Religion | Christianity |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | African American |
Education | Indiana University |
Horoscope | Aries |
Father’s Name | Chester Woodson |
Mother’s Name | Odessa Woodson |
Siblings | 11 |
Age | 64 years old |
Height | 6’5″(1.96 m) |
Weight | 195 lb(88 kg) |
Hair Color | Black |
Eye Color | Brown |
Build | Athletic |
Profession | Former NBA Player, Coach |
Current Coaching Team | Indiana Hoosiers |
Position | Shooting Guard |
Active Years | 1980-1990 (As A Player), 1996 – Present (As A Coach) |
Marital Status | Married |
Wife | Terri Woodson |
Kids | Two: Mariah Woodson & Alexis Woodson |
Net Worth | Approx. $12 million |
Social Media | |
Merchandise | Autographed Basketball Card |
Jersey Number | 44, 42, 2 |
Last Updated | July 2022 |
High School and College Basketball Career
In Indianapolis, Indiana, Broad Ripple Magnet High School was where Mike attended. He additionally participated in high school basketball.
He was able to train both on and off the court with the incredibly gifted player as a result.
The basketball player loved representing Indiana State in general, therefore he decided to play for Indiana University.
At first, Ripple High School’s head coach suggested that he play for a different college. Woody, however, desired a location where his family wouldn’t have to travel far to visit him.
The former player was chosen to play college basketball for coach Bob Knights while playing for The Indiana Hoosiers.
He also rose to the position of leading scorer for the Hoosiers in his junior season.
The squad he coached also advanced to the 1979 NIT Tournament, which they won by defeating Purdue University. He and his colleagues captured the Big Ten title as sophomores.
Additionally, they would lose to Purdue in the regional semifinals of the competition, thus the triumph would come back to haunt them.
The shooting guard missed his junior year after this defeat in order to pursue the 1990 NBA Draft.
Early Career and Trades In Playing
He was selected by New York Kinks with the 12th overall pick in the draft.
Additionally, Woodson averaged 4.7 points per game in 81 games while playing just 11.7 minutes in his debut season off the bench.
Likewise, he was given the opportunity to kick off the game the following season.
As a consequence, despite starting 74 out of 83 games, the former athlete averaged 15.7 points, 2.7 assists, and 1.2 steals.
The Knicks traded him to the New Jersey Nets despite the fact that his offense would inevitably grow. He only played in seven games for the Nets before being dealt to the Kansas City Kings.
Woodson began the game and averaged 16.1 points for the Kings, making him the ideal match for the team. In addition, beginning with the next season, he switched to the second unit.
Furthermore, the Kings reached the playoffs twice during his NBA tenure. They were, however, eliminated both times in the opening round.
As a result, following the 1985–86 playoff loss, the shooting guard was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.
In addition, he played 387 games throughout the course of his five-year tenure with the Kings and averaged 16.3 points. He was a useful player for the Kings overall off the bench.
Retirement
Mike played two seasons as the Clippers’ backup shooting guard after the deal. In addition, he continued to play with the same explosiveness as he averaged 17.6 points over the course of two seasons.
The team nonetheless made the decision to exchange him for a few inexperienced players.
The Houston Rockets acquired him from the Clippers as a result, and he served as their backup shooting guard.
Additionally, Woody played for three years despite his offensive game being subpar. As a result, the Rockets sent him back to the Nets for the 1990–91 campaign.
He is traded to the Cavaliers after 15 games with the Nets. Thus, Woodson declares his retirement from professional basketball after only four games with the Cavaliers.
Additionally, he played his final game against the Nets, averaging 2 points in 7 minutes on the court.
Career in Coaching
The former NBA player joins the Milwaukee Bucks as their assistant coach after five years of retirement.
In addition, he becomes an assistant coach for the Cavaliers’ front office three years later.
As an assistant coach during the course of the following two seasons, he also switches between Philadelphia and Denver.
Not to mention, while serving as Denver’s assistant coach, he earned his first championship.
The Atlanta Hawks hired him as their head coach for the 2004–05 season after he won his first championship.
In addition, the Hawks failed to qualify for the playoffs in either of the first three seasons. Nevertheless, they were rising in the rankings year after year.
They finally qualified for the playoffs as the eighth seed in the 2007–2008 season. However, the Celtics in the first round ended their chances of making the playoffs in seven games.
The Hawks do, however, rise to the fourth seed the following year. They defeated the Heat to advance to the playoffs, where they will play the Cavaliers in the second round.
Additionally, in the second round, they were swept by LeBron James’ Cavaliers. The Atlanta squad secured a playoff spot the following year in a similar fashion.
They are eliminated in the second round once more, similar to the previous season.
He joined the Knicks as an assistant coach after the Hawks decided not to re-sign him as a result of this defeat.
Coach of the Knicks, the Clippers, and Indiana
Additionally, the Knicks sacked Mike D’Antoni and gave Woodson the job of head coach for the upcoming season.
He led the Knicks to the playoffs right away, but they were eliminated in the first round.
They similarly qualified for the playoffs a second time but were eliminated in the second round. He failed to advance the Knicks into the playoffs in his final season with the team.
He was not re-signed by the Knicks as a result, therefore he became an assistant coach for the Clippers.
In addition, from 2014 to 2018, he worked as an assistant coach for the Clippers for four years.
Wife, and Marriage
Terri Woodson is Mike Woodson’s wife. Numerous stories assert that the pair met while attending college, though this is uncertain.
Despite the couple’s lengthy marriage, their love still feels young and unadulterated.
Their other kids are Mariah and Alexis Woodson, who are both daughters.
Both of them play volleyball, unlike their father.
Age, Height, And Weight
Mike Woodson is 64 years old as of 2022. He is hence pretty fit for a man in his 60s.
Mike also stands at 6 feet 5 inches and weighs 195 lb or 88 kg.
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Social Media
The former NBA player is not very active on social media. He, therefore, lacks an Instagram account.
Despite this, he has 17,000 followers on Twitter and is highly active there. The former athlete primarily uses his social media account to document his life as a head coach.