Former NBA star Gary Payton Sr. is the new head coach of the College of Alameda men’s basketball team, the school announced Saturday.
“Gary Payton is the right choice for the College Of Alameda for a number of reasons,” athletic director Remaundo Vaughn said. “Gary has always been a leader and winner. We know that Coach Payton will hold our athletes accountable on the court, in the classroom and in the community. During the interview process, he spoke about having our student-athletes in the community, giving back. The energy and passion that he brings along with his genuine love for the East Bay is unmatched. The opportunity for our players to learn from one of the all-time NBA greats and Olympic gold medalist is one that we knew we could not afford to pass up.”
Payton, a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, was the head coach at the financially strapped NAIA Lincoln University in Oakland, California, the past three seasons before taking over at Alameda, the nearby junior college on an island.
Payton, an Oakland native, inherits a program that went 7-21 last season while playing in the Bay Valley Conference.
The 56-year-old Payton also has been coaching in the Big 3 since its inception in 2017, and this past season led Bivouac to a title while being named the league’s coach of the year.
During 17 seasons in the NBA, Payton won a championship in 2006 with the Miami Heat. “The Glove” was known for his stifling defense and was the first point guard to win NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
The nine-time All-Star’s son, Gary Payton II, plays for the Golden State Warriors.