The Syracuse men’s basketball team hired Allen Griffin as an assistant coach, Syracuse University athletics announced on Thursday. A spot opened on SU’s staff after former assistant head coach Mike Hopkins left to become the head coach [9] at the University of Washington late last month.
Griffin played for the Orange under head coach Jim Boeheim [10] from 1997-01, appearing in 133 games and starting 68. After a brief professional career in Europe, Griffin returned to Syracuse in 2003, serving as the director of basketball operations, before leaving in 2005 to coach elsewhere. He spent the last six seasons as an assistant under Archie Miller at Dayton, before Miller left to take the head coaching job at Indiana.
"I can't express how excited I am to be back at Syracuse," Griffin said in a press release. "It was a real honor to play for a Hall of Fame coach in Coach Boeheim and I feel the same way about being a member of his staff."
Griffin primarily played point guard during his four years at Syracuse. As a senior, he averaged 10.8 points and 6.5 assists per contest. Griffin has experience coaching all three position groups, but will primarily work with centers, according to a press release.
"We are fortunate to be able to add someone of Allen's caliber to our program," Boeheim said in a press release. "In addition to the great familiarity he has with Syracuse basketball, he owns valuable experience gained coaching with other programs."
Griffin [11] served as an assistant coach at St. Francis, Providence and Hofstra before being hired by Miller. While at Dayton, the Flyers advanced to four NCAA Tournaments and registered a 139-63 record.
"I love Syracuse," Griffin said in a press release. “I've enjoyed the places and people I've worked with in the past but I've always hoped I'd get the opportunity to come back. It's like home to me."
