Long Island University hired Rod Strickland as its new coach Thursday to replace the fired Derek Kellogg after five seasons.
There is no mention of Kellogg in LIU’s release on the hiring of Strickland.
Kellogg went 74-74 in five seasons, including a 49-41 mark in the Northeast Conference. The Sharks were coming off a third-place finish in the NEC in 2021-22. Under Kellogg’s guidance, LIU went to the NCAA Tournament in 2018 and never finished below .500 in league play.
The curious timing comes as the deadline has passed for players to enter the transfer portal and be eligible immediately to play next season.
Strickland has served as the program director for NBA G League Ignite, mentoring high school prospects for a pro career. Strickland had been with the G League since 2018.
“Rod Strickland has a demonstrated eye for recruiting and developing student-athletes and we are confident he will elevate Long Island University’s winning tradition to even greater heights,” Long Island University President Kimberly R. Cline said in the release.
Strickland, 55, was a first-round pick of the New York Knicks in 1988 and went on to play 17 seasons in the NBA, averaging 13.2 points per game with nine different teams. He has never been a head coach but had stints as an assistant at South Florida, Memphis and Kentucky.
“Developing young players on and off the court has always aligned with my passion while I was playing and after retiring from the NBA,” Strickland said. “I am appreciative to Long Island University for the opportunity to become a head coach at home, in New York City. The Sharks are going to be a competing program for top athletes who not only want to take their game to the next level but prepare for success.”
Kellogg, 49, is 229-211 in 14 seasons with UMass (2008-17) and LIU.
–Field Level Media