Steve Alford

During his tenure, he became Indiana’s all-time leading scorer and earned recognition as a two-time consensus first-team All-American in 1986 and 1987, alongside being named Big Ten MVP in 1987. His exceptional playing career also included earning Indiana Mr. Basketball honors in 1983 and a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic team in 1984.

Following his collegiate success, Alford was selected 26th overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1987 NBA Draft, embarking on a four-year professional career with both the Mavericks and the Golden State Warriors. Later, as head coach for the University of Iowa, Alford secured two Big Ten Tournament Championships in 2001 and 2006, establishing a pattern of sustained success. Alford’s leadership continued at the University of New Mexico, where he achieved remarkable success with four MWC Regular Season Championships (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013) and two MWC Tournament Championships (2012, 2013), earning him MWC Coach of the Year honors three times (2009, 2010, 2013). Moving to UCLA, he led the Bruins to a Pac-12 Tournament Championship in 2014 and was instrumental in developing talent, overseeing 11 NBA Draft selections during his tenure.

Throughout his Division I coaching career, Alford has consistently guided teams to postseason play, accumulating over 600 career wins. Since becoming the head coach for the Nevada Wolf Pack in 2019, Alford has continued to build on his distinguished record. Further cementing his legacy in 2024, Alford became only the second Division I coach in history to record at least 100 wins at four separate institutions. His coaching philosophy consistently emphasizes player development and team success, ensuring his influence extends beyond the court.