University of Richmond Athletics
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Atkinson '90 Named NBA Coach of the Year
05/05/2025 | Men's Basketball
RICHMOND, Va. — Former Spiders point guard Ken Atkinson has been named the NBA Coach of the Year, the league announced Monday evening. In his first year as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Atkinson led the team to a 64-18 record and the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland finished the regular season with the second-best record in franchise history as Atkinson became the third Cavaliers coach to win the award, joining Bill Fitch (1975-76) and Mike Brown (2008-09).
Atkinson joined the Cavaliers following three seasons as an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors, winning an NBA championship with the franchise in 2022. Last summer, Atkinson served as an assistant coach of the French Olympic Team, leading the squad to a silver medal in Paris. Atkinson is in his second NBA head coaching stint after serving as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets from 2016 to 2020.
At Richmond, Atkinson earned a pair of All-CAA First Team selections and was named the conference's Rookie of the Year as he led the Spiders to four winning seasons and a pair of trips to the NCAA Tournament. In 1988, Atkinson and the Spiders became the first Richmond team to reach the Sweet 16 after they defeated Indiana, the defending national champion, and Georgia Tech in the first two rounds.
A four-year starter at UR, Atkinson remains fifth on Richmond's career assists list with 464. His 1,549 career points rank 15th in program history.
Atkinson and the Cavaliers are currently taking on the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Atkinson joined the Cavaliers following three seasons as an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors, winning an NBA championship with the franchise in 2022. Last summer, Atkinson served as an assistant coach of the French Olympic Team, leading the squad to a silver medal in Paris. Atkinson is in his second NBA head coaching stint after serving as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets from 2016 to 2020.
At Richmond, Atkinson earned a pair of All-CAA First Team selections and was named the conference's Rookie of the Year as he led the Spiders to four winning seasons and a pair of trips to the NCAA Tournament. In 1988, Atkinson and the Spiders became the first Richmond team to reach the Sweet 16 after they defeated Indiana, the defending national champion, and Georgia Tech in the first two rounds.
A four-year starter at UR, Atkinson remains fifth on Richmond's career assists list with 464. His 1,549 career points rank 15th in program history.
Atkinson and the Cavaliers are currently taking on the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
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