Dennis Felton

Last updated
Dennis Felton
Current position
TitleAssistant coach
Team Providence
Conference Big East
Biographical details
Born (1963-06-21) June 21, 1963 (age 60)
Tokyo, Japan
Playing career
1981–1983 Prince George's CC
1983–1985 Howard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1984 Oxon Hill HS (assistant)
1985–1986 Charles County CC (assistant)
1986–1990 Delaware (assistant)
1990–1991 Tulane (assistant)
1991–1992 Saint Joseph's (assistant)
1992–1994 Providence (assistant)
1994–1998 Clemson (assistant)
1998–2003 Western Kentucky
2003–2009 Georgia
2014–2017 Tulsa (assistant)
2017–2019 Cleveland State
2019–2021 Fordham (assistant)
2021–2023 George Mason (associate HC)
2023–present Providence (assistant)
Head coaching record
Overall206–189
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
3 Sun Belt regular season (2001–2003)
3 Sun Belt tournament (2001–2003)
SEC tournament (2008)

Dennis Alan Felton (born June 21, 1963) is an American basketball coach who is an assistant coach at Providence College. His previous positions included a stint as the associate head coach at George Mason University under then-head coach Kim English, and an assistant role at Fordham University. He is also the former head men's basketball coach at the University of Georgia, Western Kentucky University, and Cleveland State, and also served as a player personnel assistant for the National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs.

Contents

Felton was born in Tokyo, Japan [1] and spent his early years living in and visiting a variety of locales around the world, due to his father's career in the United States Air Force. His family eventually moved to Clinton, Maryland, a suburban town in the Washington, D.C., area, a short distance from Andrews Air Force Base. Felton graduated from Surrattsville High School in 1981 and went on to Prince George's Community College.[ citation needed ] He completed his athletic and academic careers at Howard University in 1985, where he was a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference All-Academic selection.

College coaching

Felton got his start in the coaching profession as an assistant basketball coach at Oxon Hill High School in 1984. He then became an assistant coach at Charles County Community College, for one season (1985–86) before moving on to University of Delaware as an assistant coach for four seasons (1986–90). Felton continued his collegiate career with one season each at Tulane University and St. Joseph's University. In 1992, he took an assistant's post at Providence College under Rick Barnes. That season began a 6-year apprenticeship with Barnes that included two with the Friars and four at Clemson University (1994–98). The six teams that Barnes and Felton coached together all posted winning seasons (including three 20-win campaigns), all played in the postseason (four NCAA berths, two in the NIT) and went 114–71, averaging 19 wins per year.

Western Kentucky

In the spring of 1998, just before Barnes left Clemson for Texas, Felton was named the head coach at Western Kentucky University. His first two Hilltopper squads went a combined 24–34. The 1999 team advanced to the Sun Belt Tournament title game. His Hilltopper teams won the Sun Belt Conference tournament titles in 2001, 2002, and 2003.

Georgia

In April 2003 Felton was hired as the head coach at the University of Georgia. Felton also took assistant coaches Bert Tucker and Ken McDonald as well as associate head coach Pete Herrmann with him to Athens.

In his first four seasons at Georgia, Felton had compiled a 58–63 record with two NIT appearances while attempting to lead Georgia back from the severe disadvantages that previous coach Jim Harrick dealt the program. Despite having only 9 scholarship players in 2007–2008, Felton's Bulldogs completed a successful run in SEC tournament championship history. Entering the 2008 SEC men's basketball tournament as the lowest seed, Georgia won 4 games in 3 days to capture the conference tournament crown and the corresponding automatic berth in the 2008 NCAA men's basketball tournament. In their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002, the Bulldogs were defeated by Xavier University in the first round in Washington, D.C.

On January 29, 2009, Dennis Felton was fired as head coach of the UGA Men's Basketball team. [2] This came with a losing streak that left the team with a 9–11 record in mid-season. He finished his career as the coach of UGA Men's Basketball team with an 84–91 record. Associate head coach Pete Herrmann finished the 2008–2009 season as the interim head coach. [3]

Tulsa

Felton returned to college coaching after stints in the NBA, as an assistant coach on Frank Haith's staff at Tulsa. [4]

Cleveland State

On March 24, 2017, Felton was hired as the head coach of Cleveland State University. On March 27, 2017 Felton was officially introduced as head coach. [5] Felton's contract was for five years. [6] On July 12, 2019, he was fired, along with his entire coaching staff. [7]

Fordham

In 2019, Felton was hired as an assistant coach at Fordham University.

George Mason

In 2021, Felton was hired by Kim English to be the associate head coach at George Mason University. The Patriots went 34-29 in their two years on the staff.

Providence (second stint)

Felton, who coached at Providence College from 1992-94, returned to the Friars' coaching staff as an assistant in 2023, following English when he was named Providence's head coach in March. [8]

NBA coaching career

During the 2009–2010 NBA season, Felton served on the scouting staff for the Phoenix Suns, mainly observing NCAA games in the Southeast. He was also a part of the Suns' war room during the NBA draft in June 2010, led by General Manager Steve Kerr and head coach Alvin Gentry.

On June 28, 2010, the New Jersey Nets announced that Felton would be an assistant coach for their Summer League team. [9]

Prior to the start of the 2010–2011 NBA season, he was hired by the San Antonio Spurs as Director of Pro Player Personnel, a position he held through 2013. [10]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (Sun Belt Conference)(1998–2003)
1998–99 Western Kentucky 13–167–7T–3rd
1999–00 Western Kentucky 11–188–85th
2000–01 Western Kentucky 24–714–21st (East) NCAA Division I Round of 64
2001–02 Western Kentucky 28–413–11st (East) NCAA Division I Round of 64
2002–03 Western Kentucky 24–912–21st (East) NCAA Division I Round of 64
Western Kentucky:100–54 (.649)54–20 (.730)
Georgia Bulldogs (Southeastern Conference)(2003–2009)
2003–04 Georgia 16–147–9T–8th NIT First Round
2004–05 Georgia 8–202–1412th
2005–06 Georgia 15–155–1110th
2006–07 Georgia 19–148–8T–5th NIT Second Round
2007–08 Georgia 17–174–1211th NCAA Division I Round of 64
2008–09 Georgia 9–110–5
Georgia:84–91 (.480)26–59 (.306)
Cleveland State Vikings (Horizon League)(2017–2019)
2017–18 Cleveland State 12–236–12T–8th
2018–19 Cleveland State 10–215–139th
Cleveland State:22–44 (.333)11–25 (.306)
Total:206–189 (.522)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Personal

Felton is married to the former Melanie Smith, who is also a Howard alumna. The couple reside in Milton, Georgia with their two sons, Jazz and Nile. Jazz and Nile are both basketball players. Jazz was a part of Milton High School's state championship team as a freshman in 2009–2010. [11] Jazz will attend WKU and will serve on Ray Harper's coaching staff.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Price</span> American basketball player and coach (born 1964)

William Mark Price is an American former basketball player and coach. He was most recently the head coach of the Charlotte 49ers. As a player, he played for 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), from 1986 to 1998. Spending the majority of his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, his last three years consisted of one season each with the Washington Bullets, Golden State Warriors, and Orlando Magic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny Manning</span> American basketball player and coach

Daniel Ricardo Manning is an American college basketball coach and former professional player who is the Associate Head Mens Basketball Coach at the University of Louisville. Manning played high school basketball at Walter Hines Page High School in Greensboro, North Carolina, as well as Lawrence High School in Lawrence, Kansas. He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks, and played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 years. After retiring from professional basketball Manning became an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Kansas. He won the national championship with the Jayhawks in 1988 as a player, and again as an assistant in 2008. He is the all-time leading scorer in Kansas basketball history with 2,951 points. The next closest player to his point total is Nick Collison, who is 854 points behind Manning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tubby Smith</span> American college basketball coach

Orlando Henry "Tubby" Smith is an American college basketball coach who last coached the men's basketball team at High Point University, his alma mater. Smith previously served in the same role at the University of Tulsa, the University of Georgia, the University of Kentucky, the University of Minnesota, Texas Tech University, and the University of Memphis. With Kentucky, he coached the Wildcats to the 1998 NCAA championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Igor Kokoškov</span> Serbian basketball player and coach

Igor Stefan Kokoškov is a Serbian professional basketball coach who is an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Anderson (basketball, born 1959)</span> American college basketball coach

Michael Andre Anderson is an American basketball coach, most recently the head coach of the St. John's Red Storm. He came to St. John's after previously serving as head coach at UAB, Missouri and Arkansas. He also served as an assistant/associate head coach under Nolan Richardson at Arkansas for 17 years. Over his 20 seasons as a head coach, Anderson has compiled a 414–235 record, 11 20-win campaigns, 9 NCAA Tournament appearances, two Sweet 16 berths and a run to the 2009 Elite Eight. Anderson is one of just 3 current Division I head coaches with 15+ years of experience and no losing seasons, along with Mark Few and Tom Izzo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buzz Peterson</span> American basketball executive

Robert Bower "Buzz" Peterson Jr. is an American basketball executive who is the assistant general manager for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has also coached college basketball, most recently as the head coach of the UNC Wilmington Seahawks men's basketball team. He was fired by UNC Wilmington at the conclusion of the 2014 season. Peterson was the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers basketball team for four years before being fired in 2005. He previously coached a second stint at Appalachian State—he coached the 2009–10 Mountaineers, as well as the 1996 to 2000 squads. Previously, he was the men's basketball head coach at the University of Tulsa and at Coastal Carolina University, a position he held until mid-2007, when he left the program to be executive with the Charlotte Bobcats of the NBA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Haith</span> American basketball coach (born 1965)

Frank James Haith Jr. is an American men's basketball coach, currently serving as an assistant coach for the University of Texas. He previously served as head coach of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane from 2014 to 2022, and prior to that he served as the head coach at the University of Miami and the University of Missouri, leaving both programs in the midst of NCAA investigations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tulsa Golden Hurricane men's basketball</span> Mens college basketball team

The Tulsa Golden Hurricane men's basketball team represents the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The team participates in the American Athletic Conference. The Golden Hurricane are led by head coach Eric Konkol, hired from Louisiana Tech on March 21, 2022 to replace Frank Haith who had resigned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Lanier</span> American basketball coach (born 1968)

Robert A. Lanier is an American college basketball coach for the SMU Mustangs. He previously served as the head coach at Georgia State from 2019 to 2022 and Siena from 2001 to 2005.

Kenneth Michael McDonald is an American professional basketball coach, currently working as the Director of Student-Athlete Development at the University of Tennessee. He previously served as a head coach with the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League and at Western Kentucky University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Providence Friars men's basketball</span> Basketball team that represents Providence College

The Providence Friars men's basketball team represents Providence College in NCAA Division I competition. They were a founding member of the original Big East Conference from 1979 until 2013, and are now a member of the current Big East Conference. They play their home games at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim English (basketball)</span> American basketball head coach

Kim David English Jr. is an American former professional basketball player, former head basketball coach of the George Mason Patriots and current head basketball coach for the Providence Friars. He played college basketball for the University of Missouri before being selected by the Detroit Pistons with the 44th overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft.

The 2014–15 Missouri Tigers men's basketball team represented the University of Missouri in the 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their head coach was Kim Anderson, who was in his first year as the head coach at Missouri. The team played its home games at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Missouri, and played its third season in the Southeastern Conference. They finished the season 9–23, 3–15 in SEC play to finish in last place. They lost in the first round of the SEC tournament to South Carolina.

Dražen Zlovarić is a Serbian professional basketball coach and former player who played as a power forward. He currently works as an assistant coach for the Arizona State Sun Devils.

The 2016–17 Cleveland State Vikings men's basketball team represented Cleveland State University in the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were coached by Gary Waters who was in his eleventh season. The Vikings played their home games at the Wolstein Center with two games at Quicken Loans Arena and were members of the Horizon League. It was the 86th season of Cleveland State basketball. They finished the season 9–22, 5–13 in Horizon League play to finish in a tie for eighth place. In the Horizon League tournament, they lost to Youngstown State in the first round.

The 2017–18 Cleveland State Vikings men's basketball team represented Cleveland State University in the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were coached by first-year head coach Dennis Felton. The Vikings played their home games at the Wolstein Center as members of the Horizon League. They finished the season 12–23, 6–12 in Horizon League play to finish in a tie for eighth place. As the No. 8 seed at the Horizon League tournament, they defeated Youngstown State and upset No. 1 seed Northern Kentucky and No. 4 seed Oakland to advance to the championship game where they lost to Wright State.

Dennis Gates is an American college basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Missouri Tigers men's basketball team.

Desmond L. Oliver is an American college basketball coach who most recently served as the head coach at East Tennessee State University.

Dave Bliss is an American professional basketball coach who serves as an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was previously a player development coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder and the New York Knicks, an assistant coach for the German senior men's national team, a graduate assistant for Virginia Commonwealth University, and a volunteer assistant for the University of Georgia.

Michael Schwartz is an American basketball coach and head coach of the East Carolina Pirates men's basketball team.

References

  1. ↑ "Dennis Felton Georgia Bulldogs profile". University of Georgia. Archived from the original on March 28, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Georgia fires men's basketball coach Dennis Felton". Athens, Georgia: USA Today. January 29, 2009. Archived from the original on March 28, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Paper reports Felton out at Georgia". USA Today. 2010-09-25. Archived from the original on February 2, 2009.
  4. ↑ "TULSA'S HAITH NAMES THREE FORMER HEAD COACHES TO COACHING STAFF". Tulsa, Oklahoma: University of Tulsa. April 23, 2014. Archived from the original on March 28, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Dennis Felton Introduced as CSU Men's Basketball Coach". Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland State University. March 27, 2017. Archived from the original on March 29, 2017. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
  6. ↑ Pluto, Terry (March 27, 2017). "New Cleveland State basketball coach Dennis Felton must hire a local assistant". Cleveland, Ohio: The Plain Dealer. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Cleveland State dismisses men's basketball coach Dennis Felton after two seasons". cleveland.com. Associated Press. July 12, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Three takeaways from Kim English's introductory press conference". 30 March 2023.
  9. ↑ Sugiura, Ken (March 9, 2011). "Recalling the tornado of 2008 SEC tournament". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on March 12, 2011. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Dennis Felton Tulsa profile". University of Tulsa. Archived from the original on March 28, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Five-Star Basketball - Milton roster, schedule, highlights, news". March 26, 2012. Archived from the original on March 26, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.