July 29, 2010
ATLANTA, GA -- The Atlanta Hawks have named ODU Sports Hall of Famer Kenny Gattison ('86) as an assistant coach, according to Executive Vice President/General Manager Rick Sund. Per team policy, the terms were not disclosed.
"I'm excited about the opportunity to join Larry Drew's staff here in Atlanta," Gattison said. "They have a young and talented, yet experienced nucleus that won 53 games last year. I look forward to helping our players improve individually and collectively."
"Kenny brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our team," said Hawks head coach Larry Drew. "As a big man in this league, he was a blue-collar player with a great work ethic, and those skills have carried over into his coaching style. We're fortunate to add his voice to our staff."
Most recently an assistant coach with the New Orleans Hornets from 2003-09, Gattison has also spent time on the coaching staff of the New Jersey Nets (1996-98) and Old Dominion University (2001-03), his alma mater.
The Wilmington, NC., native became the Sun Belt Conference's all-time rebound leader with 963 career recoveries. He ranks fourth on the ODU all-time rebound list and 11th in career scoring with 1,623 points.
During his four-year tenure, the Monarchs were 80-42 with two NCAA and two NIT appearances. As a senior, Gattison helped lead the eighth seeded Monarchs to the second round of the NCAA tournament, beating West Virginia and then losing to national runner-up Duke.
In December of the 1984-85 season, Kenny Gattison earned All-Tournament honors in the ECAC Holiday Festival. In that two-day tournament he scored 48 points and grabbed 22 rebounds against the likes of St. John's, and Rutgers. From there on, Old Dominion's `G-Man' was in full force.
Gattison started 18 games as a freshman and averaged 8.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. As a sophomore, he averaged 11.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. During his junior season he earned All-Sun Belt and honorable mention All-American honors with a 16.1 point and 9.2 rebound performance.
As a senior, the Monarchs compiled a 23-8 record led by Gattison's 17.4 point and 7.8 rebound per game average. He was named the Sun Belt Player of the Year and again earned honorable mention All- America honors by the ASSOCIATED PRESS AND THE SPORTS NEWS.
Gattison's highs were many as he grabbed a career high 18 rebounds against Virginia Commonwealth on Feb. 25, 1985. He scored a career high 31 points against Rutgers in Madison Square Garden in 1984, and went over 1,000 career points against William and Mary on Feb. 18, 1985. Gattison also earned the Alumni Association's Male Athlete of the Year that same season.
He broke double figures 87 times, performed 34 double-doubles, and grabbed ten or more rebounds 37 times. He was selected by the Phoenix Suns in the third round of the 1986 draft.
Gattison graduated with a degree in distributive education in 1986. Gattison compete in the 1983 National Sports Festival in Colorado Springs for the East Squad. He also was selected to the U.S. Junior World Cup team in 1983.
Gattison played nine years in NBA for Phoenix, Charlotte and Vancouver. He retired as the Charlotte Hornets leading field goal shooter at .520 (1536-2956).
Gattison served as an assistant coach on John Calipari's staff with the NBA New Jersey Nets from 1996-98. He then returned to his alma mater in 2001 as an assistant coach until 2003 when he was named assistant coach with the New Orleans Hornets until 2009.
In 2002 Gattison was honored at the Colonial Athletic Association's tournament as an ODU basketball legend. He is a 1991 ODU Sports Hall of Fame inductee, and was named to the Sun Belt Conference's All-Time team. His jersey No. 44 is retired at ODU in 1992.
In the summer of 2009, Gattison assisted with the USA National Team. After leaving the New Orleans Hornets he served as Old Dominion's color announcer on the Monarchs men's basketball radio broadcasts during the 2009-10 season.
Gattison was selected by the Phoenix Suns in the third round of the 1986 draft. He graduated with a degree in distributive education in 1986. The Wilmington, NC native and has three sons, Kyle, Bryce ,Grant, and stepdaughter NatashaSmith with wife Harriet.