Kenneth Wayne Natt (born October 5, 1958) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player and ex-interim head coach for the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

.Theus becomes 6th NBA coach fired this season
, updated December 15, 2008 He was a 6'3"

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...

and played collegiately at Northeast Louisiana University (now the University of Louisiana-Monroe) and had a three-year NBA playing career. After serving as an assistant with the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...

from 2004 to 2007, Natt was named to the coaching staff of newly appointed Kings head coach and former

Kansas City Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

teammate

Reggie Theus Reginald Wayne Theus (born October 13, 1957) is an American basketball coach and former player. He played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he was a two-time NBA All-Star. He is currently the men's basketball head co ...

in 2007.Kings hire Kenny Natt as assistant coach
updated July 7, 2007 He was subsequently named interim head coach on the firing of Theus, but he himself was fired on April 24, 2009, after the Kings finished with an NBA season-low 17 wins.

Professional playing career

Natt was selected with the 7th pick of the second round (30th overall) in the

1980 NBA draft The 1980 NBA draft was the 34th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on June 10, 1980, at the Sheraton Centre Hotel & Towers, before the 1980–81 season. In this draft, 23 NBA teams took turns selectin ...

by the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

. He played for three different teams until the 1984–85 season. Outside of his NBA career, he played for sevenAn exciting time for Natt
By MARQ MITCHAM June 5, 2007 total teams in the

Continental Basketball Association The Continental Basketball Association (CBA), originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association, was a men's professional basketball m ...

(CBA) and the

World Basketball League World Basketball League (WBL) was a minor professional basketball league in the United States and Canada which operated from 1988 to 1992. It was founded as the International Basketball Association in November 1987, before changing its name prior ...

(WBL). He was selected to the All-CBA First Team in 1982 and Second Team in 1987.

Coaching career

Natt began his coaching career in 1994 as an assistant coach at

Youngstown State University Youngstown State University (YSU or Youngstown State) is a public university in Youngstown, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1908 and is the easternmost member of the University System of Ohio. The university is composed of six undergrad ...

. Natt then worked as a scout for the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...

for one season under

Jerry Sloan Gerald Eugene Sloan (March 28, 1942 – May 22, 2020) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) before beginning a 30-year coaching career, 23 of which were spent ...

before being an assistant on Sloan's staff from 1996 to 2004. After that, Natt joined the

' coaching staff in 2004. He has also coached in the CBA and the Canadian NBL with the Cape Breton Breakers, and worked as an assistant coach at

and as a player scout for the Jazz and for the WBL. In 2011, he became the head coach of the India national basketball team.I'm here to create a superstar, says India's NBA coach Kenny Natt
/ref> Since 2012, Natt has been director of basketball at the

IMG Academy IMG Academy is a University-preparatory school, preparatory boarding school and sports training destination in Bradenton, Florida, United States. The organization is set across over 600 acres (243 ha) and features programs consisting of sport ca ...

. In 2003, Kenny Natt was inducted into the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM) Hall of Fame. He is the younger brother of former

NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Traditionally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of ...

Calvin Natt.

Head coaching record

, - , style="text-align:left;",

Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...

, style="text-align:left;", , 58, , 11, , 47, , , , style="text-align:center;", 5th in Pacific, , —, , —, , —, , — , style="text-align:center;", — , - class="sortbottom" , align="center" colspan="2", Career , 58, , 11, , 47, , , , , , —, , —, , —, , —

References

External links

Kenny Natt coaching profile
at NBA.com * {{DEFAULTSORT:Natt, Kenny 1958 births Living people 20th-century African-American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportsmen African-American basketball coaches Albany Patroons players Alberta Dusters players Albuquerque Silvers players American expatriate basketball people in Canada American expatriate basketball people in India American men's basketball players Basketball coaches from Louisiana Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coaches Continental Basketball Association coaches Indiana Pacers draft picks Indiana Pacers players Kansas City Kings players Lancaster Lightning players Las Vegas Silvers players Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks men's basketball players Point guards Rockford Lightning players Sacramento Kings assistant coaches Sacramento Kings head coaches Shooting guards Basketball players from Monroe, Louisiana Utah Jazz assistant coaches Utah Jazz players Wyoming Wildcatters players Youngstown State Penguins men's basketball coaches