John Welch (born February 17, 1963) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played professionally in New Zealand where in 1988, he earned Most Outstanding Guard and All-Star Five honors playing for Waitemata. Throughout his coaching career, he has worked with or worked under various notable basketball people, including Jerry Tarkanian, Jerry West, Hubie Brown, George Karl and Tim Grgurich.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1963-02-17) February 17, 1963 (age 59) Portland, Maine |
| Nationality | American |
| Career information | |
| High school | Rancho (North Las Vegas, Nevada) |
| College | Nevada (1982–1984) UNLV (1985–1986) |
| NBA draft | 1986 / Undrafted |
| Position | Guard |
| Coaching career | 1986–present |
| Career history | |
| As coach: | |
| 1986–1989 | UNLV (graduate assistant) |
| 1993–1995 | Long Beach State (assistant) |
| 1995–2002 | Fresno State (assistant) |
| 2002–2005 | Memphis Grizzlies (assistant) |
| 2005–2013 | Denver Nuggets (assistant) |
| 2013–2015 | Brooklyn Nets (assistant) |
| 2015–2016 | Sacramento Kings (assistant) |
| 2016–2020 | Los Angeles Clippers (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As assistant coach:
| |
Born in Portland, Maine, Welch attended Rancho High School in North Las Vegas, Nevada and was an All-State selection. He later played college basketball for Nevada and UNLV before starting a successful coaching career.
At Fresno State, Welch worked under head coach Jerry Tarkanian, a 2013 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach inductee.
Welch worked under George Karl during his tenure with the Denver Nuggets.[1] Karl expressed his appreciation towards Welch, saying, "he's got great passion ... [and] tries something every day that we can get better at."[2]
Welch began his tenure with the Nets in 2013, the first season Jason Kidd was head coach.[3]
On July 31, 2015, Welch was hired by the Sacramento Kings to be an assistant coach.[4]
On September 23, 2016, Welch was hired as an assistant coach by the Los Angeles Clippers,[5] and served in the position until November 16, 2020.[6]
New Zealand NBL Most Outstanding Guard Award | |
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