Jerry Sichting

Jerry Sichting

File:Jerry Sichting in 2013.jpg Sichting in 2013 as Washington Wizards assistant coach.
Personal information
Born	(1956-11-29) November 29, 1956 Martinsville, Indiana
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight	168 lb (76 kg)
Career information
High school	Martinsville (Martinsville, Indiana)
College	Purdue (1975–1979)
NBA draft	1979 / Round: 4 / Pick: 82nd overall
Selected by the Golden State Warriors
Playing career	1980–1990
Position	Point guard
Number	14, 12
Coaching career	1995–present
Career history
As player:
1980–1985	Indiana Pacers
1985–1988	Boston Celtics
1988–1989	Portland Trail Blazers
1989–1990	Charlotte Hornets
1990	Milwaukee Bucks
As coach:
1995–2005	Minnesota Timberwolves (assistant)
2005–2008	Marquette (assistant)
2008–2010	Minnesota Timberwolves (assistant)
2010–2011	Golden State Warriors (assistant)
2012–2013	Washington Wizards (assistant)
2013–2015	Phoenix Suns (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
NBA champion (1986) Big Ten champion (1979)
Career statistics
Points	4,141 (6.9 ppg)
Rebounds	817 (1.4 rpg)
Assists	1,962 (3.3 apg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Jerry Lee Sichting (born November 29, 1956) is an American basketball coach and retired player who is a former assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He and fellow aide Mike Longabardi were fired on Monday, Dec. 28, 2015, in a shakeup of Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek's coaching staff after their dismal start.

High school career

Jerry Sichting, the 6'1", 175 lb guard from Martinsville, Indiana, attended Martinsville High School. In his junior year, he led the Artesians to a IHSAA Sectional title. He had an excellent senior season, leading his school to a 21-2 record and another IHSAA Sectional title; he averaged 21 points, while shooting 53 percent from the field and 83 percent at the line in three seasons. Chosen as a 1975 Indiana All-Star, the team toured Europe and Russia.

He also played football at the quarterback position, where he led his team to an undefeated 10-0 season in 1974 and earned 10 letters in basketball, football and baseball.

On February 14, 2012, Sichting volunteered to be the interim coach for the Martinsville High School varsity boys' basketball team. He volunteered after Timothy Wolf, former head coach, retired.

College career

After playing basketball at Martinsville High School under head coach Sam Alford, Jerry attended Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, to play for head coach Fred Schaus. In his freshman season, Jerry boasted a 54.5 field goal and 81.6 free throw percentage. Playing under Lee Rose during his Senior season and alongside All-American Joe Barry Carroll, he helped lead the Boilermakers to a Big Ten Conference title tie with the Earvin Johnson-led Michigan State team. After losing the spot to be invited to the NCAA Tournament, Sichting led the Boilers to an NIT Finals appearance, losing to in-state conference rival, Indiana. Named a First Team All-Big Ten selection his Senior year, he currently holds the school career free-throw percentage record with .867 accuracy. He also left Purdue with the school record for consecutive free throws made with 34, which was broken three decades later by Robbie Hummel's 36.

Professional career

Indiana Pacers

Sichting was selected in the fourth round of the 1979 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors, although he did not play a game for the Warriors; after being waived, he spent time as a member of the CBA's Maine Lumberjacks. He was signed for the 1980–81 season by the Indiana Pacers, after completing their free agent training camp; he spent 5 seasons with the Pacers. His best season in his career came in the 1983–84 season, where he averaged 11.5 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 5.7 assists a game, while holding a .532 field goal percentage.

Boston Celtics

After five seasons with the Pacers, Sichting was traded to the Boston Celtics to start the 1985–86 season. Sichting and fellow Indiana native Larry Bird were the only two Celtics players that season to play in all 82 games. Jerry became a role player off the bench for the Celtics' 1985–86 championship team. He is known for being involved in a fight with Houston Rockets center Ralph Sampson during Game 5 of the 1986 NBA Finals, resulting in Sampson's ejection.

Portland Trail Blazers, Charlotte Hornets, Milwaukee Bucks

Jerry played on the Portland Trail Blazers during the 1988–89 season and then was traded to the Charlotte Hornets for his last full season. He retired in 1990 after playing one game with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Broadcasting career

After he retired, he returned to Boston, Massachusetts, where he ran his Jerry Sichting Basketball Camp for five years and served as a Boston Celtics analyst on radio broadcasts. He also did broadcasts for pregame shows for his alma mater, Purdue University, and various Indiana high school games as well as a fill-in for Bobby Leonard on the Pacers' television broadcasts alongside Jerry Baker.

Coaching career

Minnesota Timberwolves

In 1995, Sichting became the Minnesota Timberwolves' director of scouting and development. During that year he also became an assistant on the Wolves' bench, a position he held until the 2004–05 season. He returned to Minnesota as an assistant once again under head coach and former Celtics teammate Kevin McHale for the 2008–2009 and 2009–2010 seasons.

Marquette

Jerry Sichting served as an assistant coach at Marquette University, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. For the three seasons he assisted under head coach Tom Crean, where he helped the Golden Eagles to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

Golden State Warriors

On September 27, 2010, Sichting was hired by the Golden State Warriors as an assistant coach to Keith Smart.

Martinsville High School

On February 14, 2012 Sichting was hired by the Martinsville High School Artesians as head coach of the boys varsity team, after their coach abruptly resigned. His record as the Artesians head coach was 4-1, they finished their season with a loss in the IHSAA Sectional.

Washington Wizards

In August 2012, Sichting became an assistant coach with the Washington Wizards.

Phoenix Suns

After a year of being an assistant coach for the Wizards, Sichting decided to be an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns under their newest head coach, Jeff Hornacek. He was also joined under the job by Mike Longabardi, Kenny Gattison, and Mark West during their first two seasons.

Personal

Sichting is a member of the Beta Mu Chapter of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity at Purdue University. Everyone in Sichting's family has a name starting with the letter J, including Jerry himself, his wife Joni, his three sons Jared, Jason and Jordan and his daughter Jenna. His son Jared was a walk-on on the Marquette University basketball team that reached the Final Four in 2003.

External links

• NBA stats @ basketballreference.com
• Houston Rockets Official Site: 1986 Finals