Associate Coach Brendan Suhr
COACHES
Brendan Suhr Associate Coach • First Year at LSU A wealth of basketball knowledge and experience joined the LSU staff in August with the announcement by Coach Johnny Jones that Brendan Suhr would be Associate Coach for the 2015-16 LSU men’s basketball season. Suhr brings to LSU two NBA championships earned as an assistant coach and comes to Baton Rouge after serving as a part of the University of Central Florida basketball staff since 2010 where he has served as both an assistant coach and the Director of Program Development for the Knights. Suhr is also the founder and president of the speaking and consulting firm Off the Court, Inc., a business that features his skills as a keynote speaker, executive coach, author, and consultant for the last 25 years. The Gallup Organization has certified him as a “Master Strengths Coach”, one of only five people in the world that share this distinction. One of the most respected figures in basketball with more than 25 years as a coach and executive in the National Basketball Association, Suhr won a pair of NBA titles as an assistant in Detroit when the Pistons claimed back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990 under head coach Chuck Daly.
The Suhr File Name: Brendan Suhr Birthdate: April 28, 1951 Hometown: Fair Lawn, New Jersey Education: Montclair State (’73); Fairfield (’79, master’s) Wife: Brenda Children: BK, Christina College Coaching Experience 1973-74: Assistant Coach, Detroit 1974-79: Assistant Coach, Fairfield 2010-12: Director of Program Development, UCF 2012-13: Assistant Coach, UCF 2013-15: Director of Program Development, UCF July 2015-Present : Associate Coach, LSU Professional Coaching Experience 1979-88: Assistant Coach, Assistant GM, Atlanta Hawks 1988-92: Assistant Coach, Detroit Pistons 1992-94: Assistant Coach, New Jersey Nets 1995-97: Head Coach, Grand Rapid Hoops (CBA) 1997: Assistant Coach, Toronto Raptors 1997-99: Assistant Coach, Orlando Magic 2000-01: Assistant Coach, Detroit Pistons 2004-07: Assistant Coach, New York Knicks
While at UCF, Suhr helped the Knights record three 20-win seasons and earn two trips to postseason tournaments. Before joining the UCF staff and in addition to starting Off the Court, Inc., Suhr worked with Kevin Eastman to create and manage Coaching U, a leadership, learning and coaching development group. Additionally, he authored the book “Chuck Daly Coaching U.” He was also the head scout for the gold-medal United States “Dream Team” at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games and the assistant coach for two NBA All-Star Games (1988, 1990). During his time in the NBA, Suhr assisted Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame coaches Chuck Daly, Hubie Brown and Lenny Wilkens. He also coached Hall of Famers Adrian Dantley, Joe Dumars (a Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame member), Dennis Rodman, Isiah Thomas and Dominique Wilkens. Suhr coached in more than 2,500 NBA games, beginning in 1979 with a nine-year stint with the Atlanta Hawks. He assisted in Detroit from 1988-92, the New Jersey Nets for two seasons (1992-94), the Toronto Raptors (1997) and the Orlando Magic (1997-99). Suhr served as VP/Director of Player Personnel for Detroit in 1999-2000 and then
was an assistant coach the following season. His final NBA stop was from 2004-07 as Assistant Coach/Director of Player Personnel for the New York Knicks. For nine seasons, he served as the Vice President of the NBA Coaches Association. Suhr also has experience in the Continental Basketball Association, serving as president, general manager and head coach of the Grand Rapids Hoops from 1995-97. He also co-owned the franchise for three years. Suhr, who was recognized as the CBA’s Coach of the Year in 1995-96, worked as the league’s executive vice president of basketball operations and industry relations. Suhr began his coaching career in college as an assistant at the University of Detroit before moving to Fairfield University. He spent five seasons at Fairfield and earned his master’s degree in education administration in 1979. Suhr played at Montclair State, where he received his undergraduate degree in 1973. Suhr, a native of Fair Lawn, New Jersey, and his wife, Brenda, have two children, BK and Christina, an LSU graduate and now Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in Denver.
2015-16 MEN’S BASKETBALL MEDIA GUIDE
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