John Hammond Named Associate Head Coach
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
June 18, 1999
Columbia, Mo. - Men's Basketball Coach Quin Snyder announced today that JOHN HAMMOND has accepted an associate head coaching position with the men's basketball program at the University of Missouri.
Hammond, who has 23 years of coaching and administrative experience (10 professional, 10 collegiate), comes to Missouri after spending the past six seasons with the NBA's Detroit Pistons, including the last four as an assistant coach. He was the Piston's top assistant for the past season-and-a-half for Head Coach Alvin Gentry, and spent the previous two-and-a-half seasons as an assistant coach under Doug Collins. He helped guide the Pistons to playoff berths in three of the last four years, and joined Collins, Grant Hill and Joe Dumars on the winning Eastern Conference squad at the 1997 NBA All-Star Game. Prior to the 1995-96 season, Hammond had served two seasons as the team's scouting coordinator.
Prior to Detroit, Hammond worked for three seasons as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers (1990-93), working under head coaches Mike Schuler (one season) and Larry Brown (two seasons). Hammond and Quin Snyder worked as assistant coaches together for the 1992-93 season in Los Angeles. Before joining the Clippers, he was an assistant with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the club's inaugural season in the NBA (1989-90).
Hammond, 44, began his NBA career with Minnesota as an assistant coach and scout after working for six seasons at Southwest Missouri State (1983-89), where he helped the school to four postseason berths (1986, '87, '88, '89). He also coached two years at Houston Baptist (1981-83), two years at Nebraska (1979-81) and three years at the high school level in the state of Nebraska.
The Zion, Ill. native attended Greenville (Ill.) College, lettering twice and serving as a student assistant coach. He went on to earn his master's degree in Physical Education from Nebraska. Hammond's wife, Marsha, is a native of Springfield, Mo., and they are the parents of a eight-year old daughter, Lauryn Shay.
"For me to have the chance to be associated with Quin Snyder and Missouri - I feel that's a can't miss opportunity," said Hammond. "I think Quin is one of the bright, young coaches in the game, and I know he's going to do a great job at MU. I consider Missouri to be my home away from home. My wife was born and raised in Springfield, and I spent six great years in the state, myself. That gives me a great base to work from. There were a lot of personal and professional reasons to make this move, and I couldn't be happier," he said.
