Lon Kruger is retiring from Oklahoma after 10 seasons
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
After 10 years at Oklahoma and almost 45 in coaching, Lon Kruger is calling it quits. Multiple outlets are reporting that Kruger will announce this afternoon he is retiring from the profession at the age of 68.
Kruger is the only coach to win at least one NCAA Tournament game with five different programs: Kansas State (1986-90), Florida (1990-96), Illinois (1996-2000), UNLV (2004-11), and Oklahoma (2011-21). He took the Gators to the Final Four in 1994 and the Sooners in 2016. Kruger coached against Kentucky 16 times, only winning twice, both times as coach of the Gators (1992, 1994). He also worked in the NBA, coaching the Atlanta Hawks from 2000-03, and after being fired midway through the 2002-03 season, working as an assistant with the New York Knicks.
On Monday, Oklahoma lost to No. 1 Gonzaga in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Kruger’s son, Kevin, a former Oklahoma assistant, was recently named UNLV’s head coach. Watching your son follow in your footsteps while enjoying Sin City sounds like a nice retirement to me.
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