Tyrone Corbin

Tyrone Kennedy Corbin (born December 31, 1962) is an American former professional basketball player who last worked as an assistant coach for the Charlotte Hornets. He was first appointed the assistant coach of the Phoenix Suns, then was named the Utah Jazz’s head coach, on February 10, 2011, following the resignation of longtime coach Jerry Sloan. He was also the brief interim head coach of the Sacramento Kings in the 2014–15 season before being replaced by George Karl. Prior to that, Corbin played 16 seasons in the NBA.

College career Corbin played collegiately at DePaul University from 1981 to 1985. He played in 120 games for the Blue Demons, increasing his scoring average and field goal and free throw percentage in each of his four seasons. Corbin posted averages of 11.5 points (on .504 FG and .764 FT), 7.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steal and 2.3 turnovers in 31.1 minutes per game. He finished seventh on DePaul's career scoring list and was a two-time honorable mention AP All-America selection, as well as an All-NIT choice in 1983, and he was invited to the 1984 Olympic trials.

He graduated with a degree in computer science, before becoming a second-round pick of the San Antonio Spurs in the 1985 NBA draft. He was a team captain in his junior and senior years; the former was Ray Meyer's last as head coach, the latter was Joey Meyer's first. He was inducted into the DePaul University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005.

NBA career Corbin played in the NBA at small forward from 1985 to 2000. His first two seasons were with the San Antonio Spurs, as he was their selection in the second round (35th pick overall) of the 1985 NBA Draft. After signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers in January 1987, he was part of the trade by the Cavs which sent Kevin Johnson, Mark West, 1988 first-round and second-round draft picks and a 1989 second-round draft pick to the Phoenix Suns for Larry Nance, Mike Sanders and a 1988 first-round draft choice in February 1988.

After being selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the expansion draft in 1989, he led the team and established career-highs in 1989–90 in rebounds (7.4) and steals (2.13). Corbin also recorded the first triple-double in Timberwolves history, with 10 points, 13 rebounds and a career-high 10 assists, against the Dallas Mavericks on January 2, 1991.

His stint with the Jazz came by a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves for Thurl Bailey early in the 1991–92 season, enabling him to help the team reach the NBA Western Conference Finals twice. He averaged 9.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in 233 games for the Jazz from 1991 to 1994. Corbin was waived the next day, never again to be on an NBA team as a player.

Wearing No. 23 and No. 33 throughout his playing career, Afterwards he became an assistant coach of the Sacramento Kings and on December 15, 2014, he was promoted to interim head coach after Michael Malone was fired. On February 12, 2015, he was relieved of his head coaching duties by the Kings, choosing to continue working with the organization as an advisor to the front office.

On June 25, 2016, two days after the 2016 NBA draft ended, the Phoenix Suns announced that Corbin would return to the Phoenix Suns as an assistant coach under Earl Watson's newest coaching staff. Watson was a previous player under Corbin's tenure during his last season coaching the Jazz, and was also a mentor for Watson as he began his transition into coaching in the NBA. He'd also be reunited later on with Mehmet Okur, another former player he coached that would join the Suns' coaching staff as a player development coach. After a 2 season stint in Phoenix, Corbin and the Suns parted ways.

On June 26, 2018, Corbin was hired by the Orlando Magic as assistant coach.

On August 2, 2022, Corbin was hired by the Charlotte Hornets as an assistant coach.

Career playing statistics

NBA Source

Regular season

Playoffs

Head coaching record

Personal life Corbin has two children, Tyjha, and Tyrell with his wife, high school sweetheart, Dante. He went on to play for the UC Davis Aggies men's basketball team, a Division I school competing in the Big West Conference and coached by Jim Les, his father's Atlanta Hawks teammate from the 1994–95 NBA season. Tyrell Corbin most recently played for Mega Tbilisi in the Georgian Superliga in 2022.