The Sacramento Kings announced today that Mike Woodson has been named associate head coach. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Mike Woodson brings decades of coaching experience to this staff,” said head coach Doug Christie. “His impact will be extremely valuable, and I’m looking forward to getting to work with him.”

Woodson joins the Kings after more than 40 years in the NBA community. Woodson played 11 seasons in the NBA (1980-1991), before transitioning into coaching where he served as head coach of the Atlanta Hawks (2004-2010) and New York Knicks (2012-2014), leading both franchises to multiple playoff appearances. In 2021, he returned to his alma mater, Indiana University, as head coach of the men’s basketball team.

He began his coaching career as an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1996 and later held assistant roles with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Detroit Pistons, where he helped lead the team to the 2004 NBA Championship. In 2004, he was named head coach of the Atlanta Hawks. During his six-year tenure in Atlanta he led the Hawks to back-to-back 50-win seasons and three consecutive playoff appearances. 

During the 2012-13 season, he guided the New York Knicks to a 54-28 record, the franchise’s best mark in over a decade, and a second-place finish in the Eastern Conference standings. The Knicks completed the season ranked seventh in opponent points per game (95.7), first in three-point attempts (28.9), first in made three-pointers (10.9), third in offensive rating (111.1), and sixth in average margin of victory (4.23). He later returned to the Knicks as an assistant coach in 2020.

Woodson was selected 12th overall in the 1980 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks. He also spent time with the New Jersey Nets (1981-1982), Kansas City/Sacramento Kings (1982-1986), Los Angeles Clippers (1986-1988), Houston Rockets (1988-1990), and Cleveland Cavaliers (1990-1991). Woodson averaged 14.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game over 786 career appearances.

Before playing in the NBA, Woodson played collegiate basketball at Indiana University under coach Bob Knight. He was named Big Ten Player of the Year in 1980 and led the Hoosiers to a Sweet Sixteen appearance in the NCAA Tournament. A 6’5” guard/forward, Woodson scored over 2,000 points in his collegiate career and was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.

https://www.nba.com/kings/news/kings-name-mike-woodson-associate-head-coach