20 Coaches Who Surprisingly Used to Be Pro Athletes
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A professional athlete almost always seeks a cushy job after their playing career is done. Some go on to be analysts; others become owners and the rest become coaches in their respective sports. These current coaches were once athletes. Read on to find out who they are.
20. Brian Shaw
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20. Brian Shaw
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Denver Nuggets head coach Brian Shaw played 14 years in the NBA. He played guard for the Celtics, Heat, Magic, Warriors, 76ers, Blazers and Lakers. He retired as a player in 2003 and began his coaching career with the Lakers as an assistant in 2005. He has been the coach of the Nuggets since 2013.
19. Ron Roenicke
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19. Ron Roenicke
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Brewers manager Ron Roenicke spent eight seasons in MLB as an outfielder and first baseman. He bounced around the majors with the Dodgers, Mariners, Padres, Giants, Phillies and Reds. In his career, he hit just 17 home runs with a .238 batting average and 113 RBIs. He has managed the Brew crew since 2011.
18. Jason Garrett
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18. Jason Garrett
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Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett had an NFL playing career for well over a decade. He played for the Saints, Cowboys, Giants, Buccaneers and Dolphins. Unfortunately for him, he spent most of his career backing up established guys like Troy Aikman, so he saw limited playing time. He has coached the Cowboys full-time since 2011.
17. Rick Renteria
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17. Rick Renteria
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Cubs manager Rick Renteria floated around MLB for five seasons. He played for the Pirates, Mariners and Marlins. In his career, he played in just 184 games with 422 at-bats. He hit four career home runs with 41 RBIs and finished with a .237 career batting average. Renteria is fresh onto the managerial scene, managing for the first time ever for the Cubs in 2014.
16. Jeff Fisher
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16. Jeff Fisher
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Rams head coach Jeff Fisher played five years in the NFL before deciding to coach. He played his short career as a defensive back and returner for the Bears. Unfortunately for him, he played in just 49 career games after injuries limited his playing time. His most notable injuries were a broken leg suffered on a punt return and an ankle injury that forced him to retire early. He has coached the Rams since 2012.
15. Clint Hurdle
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15. Clint Hurdle
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Before becoming the manager of the Pirates, Clint Hurdle played in MLB for 10 years in the outfield. He played for the Royals, Reds, Mets and Cardinals. His career as a player never amounted to all that much, as he only hit 32 home runs with a batting average of .259 and 193 RBIs. He has managed the Pirates since 2011.
14. Ken Whisenhunt
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14. Ken Whisenhunt
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Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt was also a player before he became a coach. He played tight end in the NFL for eight seasons with the Falcons, Redskins and Jets. In his career, he had 62 catches for 596 yards and five touchdowns. He is now the brand new head coach of the Titans, having been hired this offseason.
13. Walt Weiss
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13. Walt Weiss
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Rockies manager Walt Weiss had a career as a shortstop in MLB that spanned 13 years. He played for the Athletics, Marlins, Rockies and Braves. He won AL Rookie of the Year in 1988, the World Series in 1989 and he made his first and only All-Star team in 1998. He's managed the Rockies since 2013.
12. Bruce Bochy
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12. Bruce Bochy
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Giants manager Bruce Bochy played eight seasons as a catcher for the Astros, Mets and Padres. He never made much of a dent as a player. However, he has won two World Series championships as manager for the Giants. He hit just .239 with 26 home runs and 93 RBIs in his career. He has managed the Giants since 2007.
11. Ron Rivera
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11. Ron Rivera
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Before he was the head coach of the Carolina Panthers, Ron Rivera played Linebacker for the Bears for nine years. He was the first Puerto Rican Player to play on a Super Bowl winning team, winning SB XX with the famous 1985 team. He had 7.5 sacks and nine interceptions in his career, despite only starting three years for the Bears. He has been the head coach of the Panthers since 2011.
10. Mike Matheny
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10. Mike Matheny
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Cardinals manager Mike Matheny played 13 MLB seasons. He was known for his defensive skills behind the plate. This is evidenced by his four Gold Glove awards, but he wasn't the best hitter. He played for the Brewers, Blue Jays, Cardinals and Giants in his career. He hit .239 with 67 home runs and 443 RBIs in his playing days. He has managed the Cardinals since the 2012 season.
9. Scott Brooks
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9. Scott Brooks
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Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Scott Brooks played in the NBA for 10 years. He played guard for the 76ers, Timberwolves, Rockets, Mavericks, Knicks and Cavaliers. As a player, he wasn't half bad, scoring 3,317 Points with 685 Rebounds and 1,608 Assists. He also won an NBA title in 1994. He has been coaching the Thunder since 2008.
8. Doc Rivers
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8. Doc Rivers
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Clippers head coach Doc Rivers was known for his defensive Prowess in the NBA. His 14-year playing career as a point guard included one All-Star game appearance, and a J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. On the court, he had a total of 9,377 Points, 4,889 Assists and 1,563 Steals. He has coached the Clippers since 2013.
7. Jim Harbaugh
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7. Jim Harbaugh
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Jim Harbaugh played for 14 years in the NFL as a quarterback. He played for the Bears, Colts, Ravens, Chargers, Lions and Panthers. He made one Pro Bowl in his career. He passed for 26,288 yards with 129 TDs, 117 INTs and a passer rating of 77.6 in his career.
6. Don Mattingly
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6. Don Mattingly
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Don Mattingly played for the Yankees for his entire 14-year career. He made six All-Star teams, won one MVP award, nine Gold Gloves, three Silver Slugger Awards, one AL batting title and RBI champion. He also had his No. 23 retired by the Yankees. He has a lifetime .307 batting average with 222 home runs and 1,099 RBIs. He has managed the Dodgers since 2011.
5. Matt Williams
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5. Matt Williams
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Nationals Manager Matt Williams played third base for the Giants, Indians and Managers back in the day. He was a very productive player, making five All-Star teams, winning four gold gloves and a World Series title. He finished his career with a .268 batting average, 378 home runs and 1,218 RBIs. The 2014 campaign is his first season managing the Nationals.
4. Bud Black
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4. Bud Black
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Bud Black had a 15-year MLB career prior to becoming the Padres' manager. He pitched for the Mariners, Royals, Indians, Blue Jays, Giants and Indians. He had a record of 121-116 with an ERA of 3.84 and 1039 strikeouts. He also won two World Series titles, one with the Royals as a player and the other with the Angels as a pitching coach. He has been managing the Padres since 2007.
3. Jason Kidd
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3. Jason Kidd
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Milwaukee Bucks head coach Jason Kidd had an illustrious career as an NBA player. He played point guard for the Mavericks, Suns, Nets and Knicks. He was a 10-time All-Star, led the NBA in assists five times, had his number retired by the Nets and won an NBA title in 2011 with the Mavericks. He had 17,529 points scored, 12,091 assists, and 8,725 rebounds in his playing career. He will make his coaching debut in 2014 with the Bucks.
2. Kevin McHale
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2. Kevin McHale
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Rockets head coach and NBA HOF Kevin McHale played 14 years. He was a PF-C center who played his entire career with the Boston Celtics. He won three NBA titles, made seven All-Star teams, his No. 32 is retired by the Celtics and his No. 44 is retired by his former college team, the University of Minnesota. In his career, he scored 17,335 points with 7,122 rebounds and 1689 blocks. He has coached the Rockets since 2011.
1. Derek Fisher
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1. Derek Fisher
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Knicks head coach Derek Fisher was a fantastic NBA player. He played 18 seasons with the Lakers, Warriors, Jazz, Thunder and Mavericks. He won a whopping five NBA titles with the Lakers and holds the NBA playoff record for games played and won. He also ranks third in career three-pointers made in the NBA finals. After his playing career ended, Fisher decided to try his hand at coaching. He will make his debut with the Knicks this season.
Will Gellman is a New England Patriots writer forwww.RantSports.com. Follow him onTwitter, “Like” himonFacebookor add him to your network onGoogle.
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