Hall of Fame
Lon Kruger coached legacy institution Pan American University (PAU) from 1982-86, recording a 20-8 (.714) record in his final season. The .714 winning percentage is the highest for the program since 1979-80 (also .714) and kicked off a span of five-straight seasons without a losing record (four winning seasons, one .500). Kruger's success at PAU propelled him to become the first and now one of only two coaches to ever lead five different programs (Kansas State, Florida, Illinois, UNLV and Oklahoma) to the NCAA Tournament. His teams have participated in 17 NCAA Tournaments and two Final Fours (2016 with Oklahoma and 1994 with Florida). His career collegiate head coaching record is 619-395 (.610). He was an assistant coach for Team USA at the 1998 FIBA World Championship, bringing home a bronze medal. He was also the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks (2000-03) and an assistant with the New York Knicks (2003-04). Kruger is a four-time Coach of the Year (SEC 1992, SEC 1994, MWC 2008, Big 12 2014).
He and his wife, Barbara, made the first six-figure donation in department history and remain active boosters of UTRGV Athletics.
"Barb and I are very honored by everyone who came out for us," Lon Kruger said. "To take a chance on a 29-year old at that point in time was very much appreciated. The biggest takeaway from our time here is the people. In recruiting, we don't talk about facilities or attendance, we talk about people. The Rio Grande Valley has people that treat you how you want to be treated, and we've always wanted to treat people the same way we were treated when we were here. We're delighted to be back and we check the scores every day. We're cheering for UTRGV."
