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 | Graduated: 1986 |
Kenny Gattison, the 1986 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, and member of theOld Dominion University Sports Hall of Fame (1991). He served as an assistant coach with the Monarchs basketball staff from 2001-2003.
Prior to coming to his return to Old Dominion as an assistant coach, Gattison served as anassistant coach on John Calipari's staff with the NBA New Jersey Nets from 1996-98.
Gattison played nine years in the NBA averaging 8.0 points and 4.7 rebounds. A six-yearmember of the Charlotte hornets, Gattison led the team in field goal percentage in four ofhis six years, shooting better than 50 percent from the field five times. He enjoyed hisbest season as a pro in 1991-92, finishing fifth on the Hornets in scoring with a career high 12.7average.
While at Old Dominion, Gattison earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors twice, being namedfirst team in 1985 and 1986. He still holds the league career rebound record of 963 whichranks him fourth all-time at Old Dominion. As a senior, Gattison set the school's field goal percentage mark of .637.
As a junior, Gattison scored a career high 31 points in a win over Rutgers in Madison SquareGarden in December of 1984. He also hauled in a career high 18 rebounds in a gameagainst Virginia Commonwealth, and is currently tenth all-time scorer (1623) and the school'sfourth all-time rebounder. Gattison was a two-time Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American.
On Feb. 18, 1985, Gattison went over the 1,000 career point mark against William and Mary.He broke double figures 87 times, performed 34 double-doubles, and grabbed ten or morerebounds 29 times. He was selected the ODU Alumni Association's Male Athlete of the Year in 1986. In 2002, Gattison was honored by the CAA as thetournament as an ODU legend.
Kenny served as an NBA assistant coach with the New Jersey Nets (1996-1999), New Orleans Hornets (2003-2009) and the Atlanta Hawks (2010-2012).
In 1992 his #44 jersey at ODU was retired. He was selected to the Sun Belt Conference All-Decade, Team. In 2004 the Kenny Gattison Court was named for him at New Hanover High School. In 2008 he was the Assistant Coach for the All-Star Game Western Conference and in 2009 the Assistant Coach of Team USA. Kenny currently is the President and Managing Partner of The Gattison Group; Strategic Positioning and Management Consultants.
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, and Grant.