The college basketball season has recently ended and a former NBA player, Byron Scott, is interested in becoming a college coach after watching March Madness. Scott, who was a star player for the Los Angeles Lakers during the ‘Showtime’ era in the 1980s, expressed his desire to coach again and mentioned that he would be interested in coaching at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU).
In an interview with TMZ Sports, Scott said that watching the NCAA Tournament in recent years has reignited his passion to return to the sidelines.
I got that bug watching the last couple years of March Madness. The passion and love that I have for this game I know I can definitely help a university or an HBCU in the right direction. It’s just something that I love to do. I love teaching, I love mentorship, I love the game of basketball and I know that I still have a lot to give. College is something that I’ve been thinking about the last couple of years and I’d love to have that opportunity,” Scott said.
Scott has had a long career in the NBA, coaching for a total of 17 years – two as an assistant coach and 15 as a head coach. During this time, he served as the head coach for several teams including the New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Los Angeles Lakers. His last coaching job was with the Lakers during the 2015-16 season. In 2007-2008, Scott was named the NBA coach of the year for his impressive coaching of Chris Paul in New Orleans.
BYRON SCOTT HAS COACHED SEVERAL NBA SUPERSTARS
Other notable players he’s coached include Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd, Chris Webber, and Kyrie Irving. But Scott says at 63 years old, he’s ready to give back to the college game. And he seems to have a game plan in place.
“I think the first thing you got to do at the collegiate level, is get a strong assistant crew. You got to have great recruiters as well. Your job as a head coach is to go in there and close the deal. It’s something I can get used to. I’m a people’s person. It’s not a problem for me to go in and talk to parents about their sons and what I think they could possibly achieve at the collegiate level. It’s something that I’m looking forward to and I hope I get the chance to do that,” Scott said.
He left a strong message to any athletic directors who might be listening or reading.
“You’ll be getting a coach that is very passionate about what he does. He’s passionate about the young people and he’s a teacher. He’s driven. So whatever your goals are as an university you might as well up them a little bit because I plan on coming in there and turning the program around.”
Byron Scott began his NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1983, playing in LA until the 1992-93 season. He then played two years for the Indiana Pacers and one with the Vancouver Grizzlies, before returning to the Lakers for his final season in 1996-97. Scott played with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal that year and would later coach Bryant.