St. John's University Athletics
Paul Pressey Joins St. John’s Staff as a Special Assistant to the Head Coach
5/31/2019 10:06:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Longtime NBA player and assistant joins the staff of his former college roommate, Mike Anderson
QUEENS, N.Y. – St. John's Men's Basketball Head Coach Mike Anderson has announced the appointment of longtime NBA player and assistant coach Paul Pressey to his staff as a special assistant to the head coach.
"Without a doubt, Paul Pressey will be an invaluable member of our basketball staff and vital to our future success," said Anderson. "Paul has an innovative mind for the game coupled with tremendous experience as both a coach and a player.
"As a former teammate, I can attest to Paul's commitment to success and achieving it the right way, through hard work and dedication. Paul has tremendous basketball insight and a passion to share his knowledge. We are fortunate to have him here at St. John's."
Pressey, a former teammate of Anderson's at Tulsa under legendary head coach Nolan Richardson, brings more than three decades of experience at the highest professional level with him to Queens. The 20th pick in the 1982 NBA Draft by the Bucks, Pressey played his first eight years with Milwaukee before undertaking a pair of seasons with the San Antonio Spurs and a brief stint with Golden State.
"I am really excited to begin this new chapter of my basketball career at St. John's and work alongside someone I have great admiration for as both a coach and a person," said Pressey. "Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to learn from some of the great minds in our sport. I look forward to sharing this knowledge and assisting our coaching staff in any way possible to help elevate the St. John's basketball program to new heights."
Widely regarded as one of pioneers of the "point-forward" position, the 6-foot-5 Pressey averaged 5.1 assists per game during his NBA career. He led the Bucks in that category for five consecutive seasons between 1984-89, including a career-best 7.8 assists per outing during the 1985-86 campaign. That season, Pressey ranked seventh in the league in assists with 623.
Pressey was also named to the NBA All-Defensive Team for three straight years between 1984-87, including a pair of first team selections in 1984-85 and 1985-86. In 1985-86, Pressey finished seventh in the NBA with 168 steals.
Pressey retired after the 1991-92 season only to be pulled into action during his first season as an assistant with Golden State when injuries wreaked havoc on the Warriors' lineup. Pressey played 18 games that season before being injured himself.
At Tulsa, Pressey earned Third Team All-America honors from the Associated Press in 1982 after leading the Golden Hurricane to an NCAA Tournament appearance alongside Anderson. The pair also won an NIT title together at Tulsa in 1981.
Pressey spent two seasons on staff at Golden State before moving to San Antonio, where he served six years as an assistant with the Spurs. During his tenure in San Antonio, Pressey helped the organization win its first NBA title in 1999 after playing a key role in the development of 1997 top draft pick Tim Duncan.
After his time in San Antonio, Pressey undertook stints with the Orlando Magic (2000-04), Boston Celtics (2004-06), New Orleans Hornets (2007-10) and Cleveland Cavaliers (2010-2013). Most recently, Pressey served as an assistant with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2014-16.
Each of his last three assistant coaching placements came on the staffs of 2008 NBA Coach of the Year Byron Scott. In Orlando and Boston, Pressey worked under 2000 NBA Coach of the Year and 2008 NBA Champion Doc Rivers.
"Without a doubt, Paul Pressey will be an invaluable member of our basketball staff and vital to our future success," said Anderson. "Paul has an innovative mind for the game coupled with tremendous experience as both a coach and a player.
"As a former teammate, I can attest to Paul's commitment to success and achieving it the right way, through hard work and dedication. Paul has tremendous basketball insight and a passion to share his knowledge. We are fortunate to have him here at St. John's."
Pressey, a former teammate of Anderson's at Tulsa under legendary head coach Nolan Richardson, brings more than three decades of experience at the highest professional level with him to Queens. The 20th pick in the 1982 NBA Draft by the Bucks, Pressey played his first eight years with Milwaukee before undertaking a pair of seasons with the San Antonio Spurs and a brief stint with Golden State.
"I am really excited to begin this new chapter of my basketball career at St. John's and work alongside someone I have great admiration for as both a coach and a person," said Pressey. "Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to learn from some of the great minds in our sport. I look forward to sharing this knowledge and assisting our coaching staff in any way possible to help elevate the St. John's basketball program to new heights."
Widely regarded as one of pioneers of the "point-forward" position, the 6-foot-5 Pressey averaged 5.1 assists per game during his NBA career. He led the Bucks in that category for five consecutive seasons between 1984-89, including a career-best 7.8 assists per outing during the 1985-86 campaign. That season, Pressey ranked seventh in the league in assists with 623.
Pressey was also named to the NBA All-Defensive Team for three straight years between 1984-87, including a pair of first team selections in 1984-85 and 1985-86. In 1985-86, Pressey finished seventh in the NBA with 168 steals.
Pressey retired after the 1991-92 season only to be pulled into action during his first season as an assistant with Golden State when injuries wreaked havoc on the Warriors' lineup. Pressey played 18 games that season before being injured himself.
At Tulsa, Pressey earned Third Team All-America honors from the Associated Press in 1982 after leading the Golden Hurricane to an NCAA Tournament appearance alongside Anderson. The pair also won an NIT title together at Tulsa in 1981.
Pressey spent two seasons on staff at Golden State before moving to San Antonio, where he served six years as an assistant with the Spurs. During his tenure in San Antonio, Pressey helped the organization win its first NBA title in 1999 after playing a key role in the development of 1997 top draft pick Tim Duncan.
After his time in San Antonio, Pressey undertook stints with the Orlando Magic (2000-04), Boston Celtics (2004-06), New Orleans Hornets (2007-10) and Cleveland Cavaliers (2010-2013). Most recently, Pressey served as an assistant with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2014-16.
Each of his last three assistant coaching placements came on the staffs of 2008 NBA Coach of the Year Byron Scott. In Orlando and Boston, Pressey worked under 2000 NBA Coach of the Year and 2008 NBA Champion Doc Rivers.
Pressey and his wife, Elizabeth, have four children. Both of the couple's sons, Phil and Matt, played for Anderson at Missouri. Phil was the no. 42 recruit in the high school class of 2010 according to ESPN and went on to finish as a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award. Pressey has two daughters, Ashley and Angie. Angie earned All-America honors in volleyball at UC Berkeley.
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