Former NBA star Jeff Teague returns home to Pike as new boys basketball coach
Jeff Teague is returning to his roots.
The former Pike High School star was approved as the new boys basketball coach at his alma mater Thursday. Teague, 34, has been working as a regional scout for the Atlanta Hawks since his 12-year NBA playing career ended with a championship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021.
The 2007 Pike graduate takes over a tradition-rich program that won Class 4A state championships in 1998, 2001 and 2003, but has claimed just one sectional championship since 2020. Bill Zych, 67, announced his retirement last month after leading Pike to a 214-110 record in 13 seasons, including six sectional championships and a 4A state finals appearance in 2012.
More: Teagues helping community, themselves at The Factory, the family's training facility
Teague’s father, Shawn, was an assistant on Zych’s coaching staff at Pike and figures to be part of Jeff’s staff moving forward.
Jeff was an Indiana All-Star and rated by Rivals as the No. 57 prospect in the country and No. 9 point guard. The 6-3 Teague blossomed in college at Wake Forest, averaging 18.8 points and 3.5 assists as a sophomore to earn All-American honors and was selected No. 19 by the Hawks in the 2009 NBA draft.
Teague’s NBA career took off in his third season as he became a full-time starter for the Hawks. He went on to earn a spot as a reserve on the NBA All-Star team in 2015, helping Atlanta to an Eastern Conference finals appearance against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Teague was traded to the hometown Pacers for the 2016-17 season, starting all 82 games and averaging 15.3 points and 7.8 assists. He signed with Minnesota and played three seasons with the Timberwolves before playing another year with the Hawks in 2019-20 and splitting his final season in 2020-21 with Boston and Milwaukee.
The Teague family opened The Factory, a three-court basketball facility with space for strength and agility training, in 2017. In 2020, Jeff Teague told IndyStar it was “a dream come true” to see The Factory, which offers leagues for youth players, and training and programs for all ages, come to fruition.
“I enjoy see young guys and girls in here, helping to give them pointers,” Jeff said. “I’m going to do that. Why not share that knowledge? People did it for me along the way, so I’m going to try my best to do it for them.”
Now Teague gets to do that at Pike, where he played his high school basketball for Larry Bullington through his junior year and Billy Wright as a senior. Those Pike teams were a combined 63-12 for a three-year span from 2004-07, but ran into Mike Conley and Greg Oden’s Lawrence North teams in the regional in ’05 and ’06 and Eric Gordon and North Central in ’07.
Pike was 16-9 last year, losing to eventual Class 4A undefeated state champion Ben Davis in the sectional championship. The Red Devils return junior standout Cam Casky (13.8 ppg, 4.6 rebounds), sophomore Damon Howard (7.3 ppg, 3.6 assists) and junior Coryell Spates (6.4 ppg), among others.
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: NBA All-Star Jeff Teague back as Pike high school basketball coach
