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Jeff Hornacek
Hornacek in March 2013
Utah Jazz
PositionCoaching consultant
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (1963-05-03) May 3, 1963 (age 61)
Elmhurst, Illinois, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High schoolLyons Township (La Grange, Illinois)
CollegeIowa State (1982–1986)
NBA draft1986: 2nd round, 46th overall pick
Selected by the Phoenix Suns
Playing career1986–2000
PositionShooting guard / point guard
Number14
Coaching career2011–Present
Career history
As player:
1986–1992Phoenix Suns
1992–1994Philadelphia 76ers
1994–2000Utah Jazz
As coach:
2011–2013Utah Jazz (assistant)
2013–2016Phoenix Suns
2016–2018New York Knicks
2020–2022Houston Rockets (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points15,659 (14.5 ppg)
Rebounds3,646 (3.4 rpg)
Assists5,281 (4.9 apg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Jeffrey John Hornacek (/ˈhɔːrnəsɛk/; born May 3, 1963) is an American professional basketball coach and a former player who is a coaching consultant for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously was the head coach for both the Phoenix Suns (2013–2016) and the New York Knicks (2016–2018). He was also an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets. He played shooting guard in the NBA from 1986 through 2000 and played collegiately at Iowa State University.

Elementary and high school

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He attended Komarek Elementary School in North Riverside, Illinois, and Gurrie Middle School and Lyons Township High School in La Grange, Cook County, Illinois.

College

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Hornacek redshirted at Iowa State University (ISU) in 1981; he was a team walk-on who played from 1982 to 1986.[1] The son of a high school basketball coach, he became an all-conference player in the Big Eight Conference, playing for coach Johnny Orr. As a point guard he guided the Cyclones to the Sweet Sixteen of the 1986 NCAA tournament. His shining moment came at the Metrodome in Minneapolis when, after first hitting a shot to tie the game and send it to overtime, Hornacek hit the game winning shot in overtime, a 26-foot jumper at the buzzer, to give ISU its first NCAA tournament victory since 1944, beating Miami University, March 14, 1986, 81–79. Two days later, he led the Cyclones to the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen, in a 72–69 upset of second seed Michigan. Orr, who had previously left Michigan to coach at Iowa State, called it the greatest victory of his career. Hornacek left ISU with a Big-8 record of 665 career assists and 1,313 career points. He was the fourth player in Cyclone basketball history to have his number retired when his No. 14 jersey was hung from the rafters of Hilton Coliseum in 1991.

NBA career

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Phoenix Suns

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Hornacek in 1987

He was the 22nd pick in the second round (46th overall) of the 1986 NBA draft, by the Phoenix Suns. The 2nd round draft pick that was used to select him was traded three times before finally ending up with the Suns. First, the Los Angeles Lakers packaged it in the deal to acquire Byron Scott from the San Diego Clippers before the 1983–84 season. A week later, the Clippers sent the pick to the Detroit Pistons in a deal to acquire Ricky Pierce, and on that same day, the Pistons dealt the pick to the Suns for David Thirdkill.

The Suns struggled in Hornacek's first two seasons, but after hiring Cotton Fitzsimmons as a coach and acquiring free agent Tom Chambers, the Suns went from 28 wins in 1987–88 to 55 in 1988–89. Hornacek was a "third option" on offense after Chambers and Kevin Johnson. This trio led the Suns to four straight NBA playoff appearances, including two Western Conference Finals. In the 1991–92 season, he led the Suns in scoring average (20.1 points per game) and earned an All-Star appearance. Hornacek won NBA Player of the Month honors in December 1991.[2]

Philadelphia 76ers

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In 1992, Hornacek was traded (along with Andrew Lang and Tim Perry) to the Philadelphia 76ers for Charles Barkley. With Hersey Hawkins, the Sixers' leading scorer, in the shooting guard position, Hornacek was assigned point guard responsibilities. Although he had a career high 6.9 assists per game in his only complete season with the Sixers (1992–93 season), his stint as a point guard was not a success (26 wins, 56 losses). Midway through the 1993–94 season (February 24) he was traded to the Utah Jazz (for Jeff Malone) where he could return to his natural shooting guard position alongside John Stockton.

Utah Jazz

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Like in Phoenix, Hornacek was a complementary "third option" to Karl Malone and Stockton. He was an instrumental part of the Jazz's drive to the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998, where the Jazz lost to the Chicago Bulls both times. He remained with the Jazz until knee problems forced his retirement in 2000. It was revealed that he has no left meniscus due to wear and tear on his body, so bad that he could have needed knee reconstruction because it also is arthritic.[3]

On November 23, 1994, he set a then-NBA record with eight consecutive three-pointers in a single game against the Seattle SuperSonics. That same season, he also tied an NBA record 11 consecutive three-pointers, from December 30, 1994, through January 11, 1995. One of the best free throw shooters in the league, once making 67 in a row (November 12, 1999 – January 6, 2000), one of his most well-known mannerisms was stroking the side of his face three times before every free-throw attempt. That was his way of saying hello to his three children, Tyler, Ryan and Abigaile, during the game.[4] He holds a career free throw percentage of 87.7, 16th highest in NBA history.[5]

Hornacek won the NBA three-point competition twice, and along with Natalie Williams, star of the Utah Starzz, won the All-Star 2-Ball Challenge.

After the 1999–2000 season, Hornacek retired from basketball to spend more time with his family.[6] Hornacek's No. 14 jersey was retired by the Utah Jazz, for whom he played from 1994 to 2000, and helped get them to the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998. Coach Jerry Sloan and Jazz announcer "Hot Rod" Hundley referred to Hornacek affectionately as "Horny".[7] All in all, Hornacek enjoyed a 14-year NBA playing career including 1,077 career games played.

NBA career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 *  Led the league

Regular season

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1986–87 Phoenix 80 3 19.5 .454 .279 .777 2.3 4.5 .9 .1 5.3
1987–88 Phoenix 82 49 27.4 .506 .293 .822 3.2 6.6 1.3 .1 9.5
1988–89 Phoenix 78 73 31.9 .495 .333 .826 3.4 6.0 1.7 .1 13.5
1989–90 Phoenix 67 60 34.0 .536 .408 .856 4.7 5.0 1.7 .2 17.6
1990–91 Phoenix 80 77 34.2 .518 .418 .897 4.0 5.1 1.4 .2 16.9
1991–92 Phoenix 81 81 38.0 .512 .439 .886 5.0 5.1 2.0 .4 20.1
1992–93 Philadelphia 79 78 36.2 .470 .390 .865 4.3 6.9 1.7 .3 19.1
1993–94 Philadelphia 53 53 37.6 .455 .313 .873 4.0 5.9 1.8 .2 16.6
1993–94 Utah 27 9 30.6 .509 .429 .891 2.5 3.9 1.2 .1 14.6
1994–95 Utah 81 81 33.3 .514 .406 .882 2.6 4.3 1.6 .2 16.5
1995–96 Utah 82 59 31.6 .502 .466 .893 2.5 4.1 1.3 .2 15.2
1996–97 Utah 82 82* 31.6 .482 .369 .899 2.9 4.4 1.5 .3 14.5
1997–98 Utah 80 80 30.8 .482 .441 .885 3.4 4.4 1.4 .2 14.2
1998–99 Utah 48 48 29.9 .477 .420 .893 3.3 4.0 1.1 .3 12.2
1999–00 Utah 77 77 27.7 .492 .478 .950 2.4 2.6 .9 .2 12.4
Career 1,077 910 31.5 .496 .403 .877 3.4 4.9 1.4 .2 14.5
All-Star 1 0 24.0 .714 .500 – 2.0 3.0 1.0 .0 11.0

Playoffs

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1989 Phoenix 12 12 31.2 .497 .000 .840 5.8 5.2 1.3 .3 14.1
1990 Phoenix 16 16 36.4 .511 .250 .932 3.9 4.6 1.5 .0 18.6
1991 Phoenix 4 4 36.3 .431 .500 .929 6.3 2.0 .8 .5 18.3
1992 Phoenix 8 8 42.9 .484 .471 .912 6.4 5.3 1.8 .3 20.4
1994 Utah 16 16 34.9 .475 .441 .912 2.4 4.0 1.5 .4 15.4
1995 Utah 5 5 35.6 .510 .538 .786 1.2 4.0 1.6 .2 14.0
1996 Utah 18 18 35.8 .502 .586 .890 3.6 3.3 1.1 .2 17.5
1997 Utah 20 20 35.2 .433 .358 .876 4.5 3.7 1.1 .2 14.6
1998 Utah 20 20 31.8 .416 .467 .846 2.5 3.2 1.0 .2 10.9
1999 Utah 11 11 27.6 .462 .389 .879 3.7 2.4 1.0 .0 12.2
2000 Utah 10 10 29.7 .422 .409 .833 3.0 3.3 1.0 .0 11.5
Career 140 140 34.0 .470 .433 .886 3.8 3.8 1.2 .2 14.9

Coaching career

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He was hired for the 2007–08 season by the Jazz as a special assistant coach and to help Andrei Kirilenko and others with their shooting.[8][9] In May 2008 Hornacek interviewed for a coaching position with the Chicago Bulls, meeting with general manager John Paxson. He put off seeking a coaching position until his children were older so the extensive travel would not put excess pressure on his family.[9] After the departure of Jerry Sloan and Phil Johnson in February 2011, Jeff Hornacek became a full assistant coach with the Utah Jazz.[10]

During 2013, Hornacek was considered a head coach candidate for two of his former teams, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Phoenix Suns, as well as the Charlotte Bobcats. On May 28, 2013, he was named the head coach of the Phoenix Suns.[11] Hornacek has stated that his coaching style is reminiscent to that of Cotton Fitzsimmons and Sloan, who both coached him back when he played for the coaches' respective teams. Hornacek also coached the Suns' Summer League team during the 2013 season in Las Vegas. In his first game as head coach at the Summer League, he helped lead the team to an 82–69 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. The Suns went on a six-game winning streak before ultimately losing in the inaugural championship round to the Golden State Warriors 91–77. Hornacek was 5–2 in pre-season and he started the 2013–14 NBA season with a 104–91 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers and an 87–84 victory over the Utah Jazz, both times at home. Hornacek also became the team's first ever head coach to start out his coaching stint with a 4–0 record at home games.[citation needed]

Hornacek won the NBA Coach of the Month award in December 2013, his first coaching honor, after leading the Suns to a 10–3 record during the month. Hornacek also became the third former NBA player to win both Player of the Month and Coach of the Month awards (after Larry Bird and Larry Drew), and the first coach to receive both awards with the same team.[2] For the season, the Suns improved by 23 victories upon the previous season's record, which led to a 48–34 record in Hornacek's first season as a head coach. This accomplishment led to the Phoenix Suns becoming the most improved team during the 2013–14 NBA season. Despite this improvement, the Suns still missed the playoffs. Hornacek was the runner-up coach in the NBA Coach of the Year Award receiving 37 1st place votes. He lost to three-time winner Gregg Popovich.[12]

On February 1, 2016, Hornacek was fired as head coach of the Phoenix Suns after two-and-a-half seasons in the position.[13] On June 2, 2016, the New York Knicks officially announced Hornacek as their new head coach.[14] His first season in New York held a promising enough start, to the point where the team had a 16–13 record early on. However, malcontent surrounding the Knicks between the front office and some of their players resulted in Hornacek having a 31–51 record by the end of the season. On April 12, 2018, the Knicks fired Hornacek after a 29–53 season.[15] On November 30, 2020, Hornacek was hired by the Houston Rockets as an assistant coach.[16]

On September 15, 2022, Hornacek was hired by the Utah Jazz as a coaching consultant.[17]

Head coaching record

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Legend
Regular season G Games coached W Games won L Games lost W–L % Win–loss %
Playoffs PG Playoff games PW Playoff wins PL Playoff losses PW–L % Playoff win–loss %
Team Year G W L W–L% Finish PG PW PL PW–L% Result
Phoenix 2013–14 82 48 34 .585 3rd in Pacific — — — — Missed playoffs
Phoenix 2014–15 82 39 43 .476 3rd in Pacific — — — — Missed playoffs
Phoenix 2015–16 49 14 35 .286 (fired) — — — — —
New York 2016–17 82 31 51 .378 3rd in Atlantic — — — — Missed playoffs
New York 2017–18 82 29 53 .354 4th in Atlantic — — — — Missed playoffs
Career 277 161 216 .427 — — — —

Stats

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Iowa State University records:

  • Career steals: 211
  • Career complete games: 30
  • Season assists: 219 (1985–1986; 2nd w/198 1983–1984)
  • Season, assists per-game average: 6.83 (1984; 2nd w/6.63 – 1986)

NBA totals:

  • Games: 1,077
  • Minutes played: 33,959
  • Points: 15,659 (14.5 per game)
  • Assists: 5,281 (4.9 per game)
  • Steals: 1,536 (1.43 per game)

Personal life

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Hornacek is of Czech descent.[18] He is the brother-in-law of Phoenix Suns athletic trainer Aaron Nelson.[19] When Joe Proski was the Suns' head athletic trainer, Hornacek recommended Nelson as an assistant for him.[20] Nelson would be his assistant in 1993 before being the head athletic trainer in 2000 onward. Hornacek's father, John, was a high school coach for basketball and baseball at St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois.[21] Hornacek considers his father, alongside Cotton Fitzsimmons and Jerry Sloan, as an influence towards his coaching career.

Hornacek married his wife Stacy on June 7, 1986.[22] Jeff and Stacy have three children: Ryan (born 1989), Tyler (born 1990) and Abby (born 1994).[23] Abby became a digital host for the online 120 Sports network in 2016,[24] and joined Fox Nation in 2019.[25] Jeff has two brothers, one named John,[26] who played his senior season at Lyons Township High School in 1990.[27]

Hornacek was an active member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Salt Lake City in 2002.[28]

Hornacek is represented by Steve A. Kauffman and Spencer Breecker of Kauffman Sports Management Group.[29]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Jeff Hornacek bio". NBA. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
  2. ^ a b "Hornacek named Western Conference Coach of Month". brightsideofthesun.com. January 2, 2014. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  3. ^ "Jeff Hornacek: Battle on Wounded Knee". Deseret News. April 21, 2000. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  4. ^ "Changing teams: Hornacek will trade NBA for family". – CNN/Sports Illustrated. – (CNNSI.com). – Wednesday, April 26, 2000.
  5. ^ "Career Leaders and Records for Free Throw %". – Basketball-Reference. – Retrieved on August 23, 2007
  6. ^ Robinson, Doug (May 18, 2000). "Gone, but never forgotten: Jeff Hornacek opens new chapter as full-time husband, dad". Deseret News. Archived from the original on July 24, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
  7. ^ Jeff Hornacek Archived May 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. – NBA.
  8. ^ "Kirilenko plays best game of the season: Hornacek credited for big improvement in shooting prowess". – Deseret Morning News. – January 26, 2008. – Retrieved: June 16, 2008
  9. ^ a b Hanley, Brian. – "Hornacek was 'player-coach'" Archived August 1, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. – Chicago Sun-Times. – May 26, 2008. – Retrieved: June 16, 2008
  10. ^ Brian T. Smith "Jazz's Hornacek officially joins Corbin's staff," Salt Lake Tribune February 14, 2011.
  11. ^ "Suns Name Jeff Hornacek As Head Coach". NBA.com. May 28, 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
  12. ^ "Spurs' Gregg Popovich named 2013–14 Coach of the Year". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 22, 2014. Archived from the original on April 26, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  13. ^ "Suns Relieve Jeff Hornacek of Head Coaching Duties". NBA.com. February 1, 2016. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  14. ^ "Knicks Name Jeff Hornacek Head Coach". NBA.com. June 2, 2016. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
  15. ^ "Jeff Hornacek Relieved of Head Coaching Duties". NBA.com. April 12, 2018. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  16. ^ "Rockets Announce Additions to Coaching Staff". NBA.com. November 30, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  17. ^ "Utah Jazz Finalize Coaching Staff". NBA.com. September 15, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  18. ^ Joan O'Brien. "Home court advantage". Salt Lake Tribune. May 25, 1997. J1.
  19. ^ Coro, Paul (May 17, 2013). "Hornacek agrees to terms, will be Suns new coach | Insiders". Azcentral.com. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
  20. ^ "Coach Jeff Hornacek brings history back to Phoenix Suns franchise after team loses touch".
  21. ^ "Jeff Hornacek talks about his journey from La Grange to the NBA". Archived from the original on May 23, 2013.
  22. ^ "Abby Hornacek on Instagram: "26 years and still crazy about each other! Happy Anniversary to the best parents ever!"". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  23. ^ February 1, Caroline John-Published; August 16, 2019 at 11:58 am | Last Updated; Am, 2019 at 2:14 (February 1, 2019). "Abby Hornacek Wiki: 3 Facts about Jeff Hornacek's Daughter". Earn The Necklace. Retrieved August 16, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  24. ^ "120 Sports adding Abby Hornacek as digital host". Awful Announcing. August 10, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  25. ^ "Abby Hornacek Introduced as Newest Addition to Fox Nation Roster". February 2019.
  26. ^ Berman, Marc (May 19, 2016). "Jeff Hornacek is motivated as hell after Suns firing: brother". New York Post. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  27. ^ Sullivan, Paul (March 7, 1990). "Lyons' math adds up to sectional title game vs. Bloom". Chicago Tribune. ProQuest 1444419213. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  28. ^ "Utah faiths unite in thanks-giving". Deseret News. November 25, 2002. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  29. ^ "Jeff Hornacek – Booking Agent, Speaker, Agency, Representative". www.kauffmansports.com. Archived from the original on August 6, 2016. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
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