Rod Strickland, the head coach at Long Island University (LIU), has guided the team to the NCAA tournament. When Strickland was hired in 2022, his goal was to change the culture at a programme that he felt was struggling. He wanted to “raise the bar, change the environment and help the culture develop and grow”.
Strickland’s Path to LIU
Strickland’s journey to becoming a head coach involved a considerable amount of work. Prior to LIU, he spent four years as the director of the professional path programme in the NBA G League. He also served as the director of basketball operations at the University of Memphis, worked as an administrator in the basketball programme at Kentucky, and was an assistant coach at the University of South Florida.
Strickland said that his ability to lead the LIU Sharks to the NCAA tournament is down to the knowledge he gained from legendary coaches. These include Rick Pitino, Larry Brown, Rick Adelman, Pat Riley and John Calipari.
Early Challenges and Recent Success
Strickland’s first two years at LIU presented challenges. The Sharks only managed to win 10 games, with a 3-26 record in his first season. However, Strickland has since achieved back-to-back winning seasons and was named NEC Coach of the Year this season.
LIU’s Tournament Berth
LIU is making its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2012. They secured an automatic bid from the Northeast Conference (NEC). Their record stands at 24-10, with a 15-3 conference record, placing them first in the regular season.
- Conference: Northeast Conference (NEC), Automatic bid
- Record: 24-10, (15-3 conference, first in the regular season)
- Making its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2012
LIU are scheduled to face No. 2 Arizona in San Diego on Friday.