David Hobbs (basketball coach)
Encyclopedia
David A. Hobbs is an American
basketball
coach
. He was head men's coach at the University of Alabama
from 1992 to 1998 and also was an assistant coach at Alabama, the University of Kentucky
and Virginia Commonwealth University
.
. He lettered his junior and senior seasons (1970–71) at VCU
, where he earned an Education
bachelor's degree in (1972) after spending his first two seasons playing at Virginia
's Ferrum Junior College
.
.
His coaching career began in the prep ranks at Lee-Davis High School
in Mechanicsville, Virginia
for eight seasons, the last three as head coach.
, where he served as an assistant coach with Tubby Smith
on J. D. Barnett
's staff. Hobbs spent six years (1980–85) coaching on the Rams' staff.
in 1985 and spent seven years as an assistant in Tuscaloosa
helping the Crimson Tide win one SEC
Championship and four SEC Tournament crowns while the Tide made four appearances in the NCAA Tournament
's Sweet 16. As an assistant, he had the opportunity to coach such All-SEC performers as Robert Horry
, James "Hollywood" Robinson
and Latrell Sprewell
.
When Sanderson left Alabama following the 1992 season, Hobbs was named head coach. In his first season, the Tide finished 16–13 and advanced to the NIT
. In 1994 and 1995, Alabama recorded 20-win seasons and advanced to the NCAA Tournament behind the play of NBA
All-Star Antonio McDyess
. In 1996, Hobbs led UA to a 19–13 mark and a berth in the NIT Final Four. He resigned his post following the 1998 season after compiling a 110–76 (59.4%) career record and producing nine All-SEC players.
, including five as assistant head coach. He was not retained by the university when Smith left in 2007.
for the NBA
's Charlotte Bobcats
for two years, followed by a short stint as coach of Japan's national basketball team
. He was terminated from that job after being on a medical leave.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach
Coach (basketball)
Basketball coaching is the act of directing and strategizing the behaviour of a basketball team or individual basketball player. Basketball coaching typically encompasses the improvement of individual and team offensive and defensive skills, as well as overall physical conditioning.Coaching is...
. He was head men's coach at the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
from 1992 to 1998 and also was an assistant coach at Alabama, the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
and Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
.
Early years
Hobbs was born in Lynchburg, VirginiaLynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
. He lettered his junior and senior seasons (1970–71) at VCU
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
, where he earned an Education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
bachelor's degree in (1972) after spending his first two seasons playing at Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
's Ferrum Junior College
Ferrum College
Ferrum College is a private college in Ferrum, Virginia, USA, in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest Virginia. Ferrum College has the second-oldest environmental science program in the nation and was ranked 41st by US News and World Report in Comprehensive Colleges–Bachelor's for 2006....
.
Coaching career
Throughout his career, Hobbs has coached teams to more than 400 victories and 18 postseason tournament appearances, including 16 in the NCAA TournamentNCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
.
His coaching career began in the prep ranks at Lee-Davis High School
Lee-Davis High School
Lee-Davis High School is located in Mechanicsville, Virginia, United States, a suburb of Richmond. It currently has about 1700 students enrolled for the 2009-2010 school year. LDHS offers a wide range of academic and extracurricular activities for its students. It is the school that is fed by...
in Mechanicsville, Virginia
Mechanicsville, Virginia
Mechanicsville is the name of four places in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States of America:*Mechanicsville, Hanover County, Virginia*Mechanicsville, Loudoun County, Virginia*Mechanicsville, Rockbridge County, Virginia...
for eight seasons, the last three as head coach.
Virginia Commonwealth
His first job in college coaching came at Virginia CommonwealthVirginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
, where he served as an assistant coach with Tubby Smith
Tubby Smith
Orlando "Tubby" Smith is an American college basketball coach. He is currently the men's basketball head coach at the University of Minnesota...
on J. D. Barnett
J. D. Barnett
J.D. Barnett is a former head basketball coach at several Division I institutions, the most high-profile being Virginia Commonwealth University, where his most notable win consisted of a buzzer-beater NCAA Tournament win over Jim Calhoun's Northeastern Huskies...
's staff. Hobbs spent six years (1980–85) coaching on the Rams' staff.
Alabama
Hobbs was hired at Alabama as an assistant coach for Wimp SandersonWinfrey Sanderson
Winfrey "Wimp" Sanderson is a retired American college basketball coach. He coached at the University of Alabama from 1981 to 1992 and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock from 1994 to 1999....
in 1985 and spent seven years as an assistant in Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
helping the Crimson Tide win one SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
Championship and four SEC Tournament crowns while the Tide made four appearances in the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
's Sweet 16. As an assistant, he had the opportunity to coach such All-SEC performers as Robert Horry
Robert Horry
Robert Keith Horry Jr. is a retired American basketball player and current sports commentator. He played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association , winning seven championships, the most of any player not to have played on the 1960s Boston Celtics...
, James "Hollywood" Robinson
James Robinson (basketball)
James "Hollywood" Robinson is a former American professional basketball player, most notably in the NBA....
and Latrell Sprewell
Latrell Sprewell
Latrell Fontaine Sprewell is a former American professional basketball player. During his time as a professional, Sprewell was named to the NBA All-Star game during four seasons, and played for the Golden State Warriors, the New York Knicks, and the Minnesota Timberwolves...
.
When Sanderson left Alabama following the 1992 season, Hobbs was named head coach. In his first season, the Tide finished 16–13 and advanced to the NIT
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
. In 1994 and 1995, Alabama recorded 20-win seasons and advanced to the NCAA Tournament behind the play of NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
All-Star Antonio McDyess
Antonio McDyess
Antonio Keithflen McDyess is an American professional basketball player. McDyess is listed at 6'9" , 245 lb. and is a power forward/center. In 2009 he signed a 3-year contract with the San Antonio Spurs....
. In 1996, Hobbs led UA to a 19–13 mark and a berth in the NIT Final Four. He resigned his post following the 1998 season after compiling a 110–76 (59.4%) career record and producing nine All-SEC players.
Kentucky
David Hobbs joined the UK staff in 2000 and served seven years as an assistant coach under Tubby SmithTubby Smith
Orlando "Tubby" Smith is an American college basketball coach. He is currently the men's basketball head coach at the University of Minnesota...
, including five as assistant head coach. He was not retained by the university when Smith left in 2007.
After departure from Kentucky
After leaving Kentucky, Hobbs was a scoutScout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
for the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's Charlotte Bobcats
Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA...
for two years, followed by a short stint as coach of Japan's national basketball team
Japan national basketball team
The Japanese national basketball team represents Japan in international basketball competitions. It is governed by the Japan Basketball Association . Japan is the second leading nation in qualifications to the Asian Basketball Championships...
. He was terminated from that job after being on a medical leave.