Lorenzo Romar (born November 13, 1958) is an American college basketball coach who is currently the head coach at Pepperdine University and the former head men's basketball coach at the University of Washington from 2002 to 2017. Romar also played basketball for Washington from 1978 to 1980. After college, Romar was drafted by the Golden State Warriors and spent five years in the NBA.
Video Lorenzo Romar
Coaching career
After the NBA, Romar played and coached for Athletes in Action. Romar was then hired as an assistant coach at UCLA under coach Jim Harrick from 1992 to 1996, and was credited with recruiting many of the players on the 1995 national championship team. Romar became the head coach at Pepperdine University and then at Saint Louis University before taking the job at Washington in 2002.
Romar is credited for turning around the sagging fortunes of the University of Washington basketball program and generating new enthusiasm for the program. In 2004, Washington qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years. In 2005, Washington won the Pac-10 Tournament and received a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies made their way to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1998, but were ousted by Louisville. In 2006, Washington earned a third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the second consecutive year.
After failing to make the NCAA Tournament the next two years, Romar was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year for leading the Huskies to their first outright conference title since 1953. They earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but lost in the Second Round. The Huskies returned to the Sweet Sixteen the following year, but again lost. In 2011, the Huskies earned their third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. The trip marked the Huskies' last trip to the Tournament under Romar.
With a season-opening win over South Carolina State on November 14, 2014, Romar passed Marv Harshman to become the second-winningest coach in UW history.
After four years of near .500 seasons and five years without an NCAA Tournament appearance, Romar's luck seemed to be turning around. In 2016, Coach Romar recruited his long-time friend Michael Porter Sr. to join the Huskies as an assistant coach. Michael Porter Sr. was expected to bring his two sons, Michael Porter Jr. and Jontay Porter, as commits to Washington. Michael Porter Jr. is widely considered the No. 1 recruit in the 2017 class. However, on March 15, 2017 following a dismal 9-22 season, Romar was fired as head coach at Washington after 15 years. Romar's record at Washington finished at 298-195. He made six NCAA Tournaments and three NITs, but had not made the NCAA Tournament in six straight years.
On April 16, 2017, it was announced that Romar had joined Sean Miller's staff at Arizona as associate head coach. On February 24, 2018, Romar was the interim head coach for one game after news broke the previously day that the FBI had reportedly intercepted phone conversations about Miller talking about paying Deandre Ayton to come to Arizona.
Romar was announced as the new head men's basketball coach at Pepperdine on March 12, 2018, returning for his second stint with the school.
Maps Lorenzo Romar
Coaching style
Romar is known by his fellow coaches as one of the top basketball recruiters in the country. Additionally, he is respected as a genuine and optimistic person and was once voted "the opposing coach players would most like to play for" in a Pac-10 poll. In March 2006, Romar was given the prestigious Coach Wooden "Keys to Life" award for outstanding character.
Personal life
Romar is married to Leona Romar, with whom he has three daughters--Terra, Tavia and Taylor. In 2006, Lorenzo Romar and his wife Leona founded the Lorenzo Romar Foundation for the prevention of domestic violence and educational assistance for disadvantaged youth as well as other charitable causes.
NBA players coached
St. Louis
Washington
Head coaching record
Awards and honors
- NCAA champion (1995, as assistant coach)
- John Wooden "Keys to Life" Award (2006)
- Pac-10/12 John R. Wooden Coach of the Year (2005, 2009, 2012)
References
External links
- Arizona profile
Source of article : Wikipedia
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