Speedy Claxton named new Hofstra basketball coach
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (BVM) — The men’s basketball team at Hofstra University is about to get some major help from a very familiar face. On April 7, Hofstra President Stuart Rabinowitz announced that Speedy Claxton, former assistant coach and alum, was to become the new head coach of the Pride, the 13th coach in the school’s history.
Claxton is a former Hofstra basketball star who played from 1996 to 2000. In his four-year collegiate career, Claxton became Hofstra’s all-time leader in steals (228) and assists (660) under the tutelage of Jay Wright, the current head coach for Villanova University. His further accolades include being the America East Conference Player of the Year twice and leading the Flying Dutchmen, as they were previously called, to the America East Championship, where he defeated the University of Delaware.
His achievements on the basketball court led to his induction into the Hofstra Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010, with his number, 10, being retired the following year.
His successful college career culminated into the 20th selection in the 2000 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers and a storied basketball career that spanned for almost a decade.
For nine years, Claxton was a sublime point guard and role player for NBA teams like the Golden State Warriors, New Orleans Hornets, and the Atlanta Hawks. His most fruitful year would come in 2003 after he won a championship with the San Antonio Spurs as the backup point guard to Tony Parker. He retired in 2009, averaging 9.3 points, 4.3 assists and 2.5 rebounds.
Following his retirement from the NBA, Claxton became a scout for his former team, the Golden State Warriors, for three years before returning to Hofstra in 2012 as an assistant coach for the men’s basketball team. During his tenure, the Pride have experienced great success, such that has not been seen since Claxton’s time as a player.
In the 2018-2019 season, Hofstra won the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) title with its record-setting 27 wins, an accolade that the Pride had yet to achieve since the 2000-2001 season. The next season, the Pride would have similar success with a second-straight regular season title with 26 wins, being only the sixth team in conference history to win back-to-back titles. This culminated in a victory at the CAA Championship against Northwestern University and a berth in the NCAA Tournament, Hofstra’s first since 2001. It is because of Hofstra’s recent success that Claxton has been promoted to head coach.
News of Claxton’s hire has been well-received by the NBA coaching sphere. Gregg Popovich, head coach and president of the San Antonio Spurs with whom Claxton has won his NBA championship, had nothing but praise for Claxton’s game.
“He was wonderful with us and it wasn’t just that he was a basketball player,” Popovich told Hofstra Athletics. “He was significant in helping us win a championship but his energy, his love of the game, his understanding of the game, and what a great teammate he was.”
Claxton’s former head coach during his time with the Sixers, Hall of Famer Larry Brown, also lauded Claxton’s experience, believing it will be beneficial for his players.
‘Kids will love playing for him because of what he’s accomplished and the type of person he is,” Brown said.
