Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger retires after 35 seasons at six schools
Longtime college basketball coach Lon Kruger is done coaching.
Oklahoma announced Friday that Kruger would retire. The Sooners (16-11) lost to Gonzaga in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Monday after beating Missouri in the first round.
Congratulations and happy retirement to Lon Kruger - a man who demonstrated leadership and class on and off the court. Your legacy will live on at OU.
Thank you, Coach Kruger! #BoomerSooner pic.twitter.com/E9JMp1ZMft— Univ. of Oklahoma (@UofOklahoma) March 25, 2021
Kruger, 69, has been at Oklahoma since the 2011-12 season. The Sooners went to the NCAA tournament in seven of his nine seasons with the team and appeared in the 2016 Final Four.
Kruger is one of the winningest coaches in college basketball history. He’s currently tied with Ralph Miller for 27th on the all-time wins list at 674.
Kruger got his start in 1983
Kruger’s college career spanned six schools and 35 seasons. He got his first job at Texas-Rio Grande Valley and moved to his alma mater Kansas State after four seasons. He took the Wildcats to the NCAA tournament in each of his four seasons at KSU and was hired at Florida ahead of the 1990-91 season.
He was with the Gators for six seasons and UF went to the 1994 Final Four. After a 12-16 season in 1995-96, Kruger moved to Illinois for four seasons.
Kruger then had a brief stint in the NBA. He was the coach of the Atlanta Hawks from 2000-03. The Hawks never finished above .500 in any of his two-plus seasons with the team and he was fired 27 games into his third season.
Kruger returned to college coaching in 2004 at UNLV. He stayed with the Rebels for seven seasons and took the school to four NCAA tournaments before going to Oklahoma. His retirement comes days after his son Kevin was named the head coach at UNLV.
Oklahoma looking for two basketball coaches
Kruger's retirement means that Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione is looking for two new basketball coaches. Longtime women's coach Sherri Coale announced her retirement last week. Oklahoma went to nine NCAA tournaments under Coale since she was hired in 1996.
More from Yahoo Sports:
