Mike Rice Jr.
Mike Rice Jr. (born February 13, 1969)
Teams coached: Robert Morris Colonials, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Robert Morris record: 73-31 (.702)
Rutgers record: 44-51 (.463)
Overall record: 117-82 (.588)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 2 (2009, 2010)
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 0
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 1 (2008)
- NEC Regular Season Champion: 3 (2008, 2009, 2010)
- NEC Tournament Champion: 2 (2009, 2010)
Awards:
- NEC Coach of the Year: 2 (2008, 2009)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 2010-2013 | Rutgers |
| 2007-2010 | Robert Morris |
| 2006-2007 | Pittsburgh (asst) |
| 2004-2006 | Saint Joseph’s (asst) |
| 1998-2001 | Chicago State (asst) |
| 1997-1998 | Niagara (asst) |
| 1994-1997 | Marquette (asst) |
| 1991-1994 | Fordham (asst) |
Mike Rice Jr. Facts
- Michael Thomas Rice Jr.
- Born February 13, 1969
- Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Alma Mater: Fordham University (BA, 1991)
- Son of Mike Rice Sr., former coach at Duquesne and Youngstown State and a longtime broadcaster for the Portland Trail Blazers
- Was a three-year starter at Fordham, playing for head coach Nick Macarchuk; served as team captain as a senior in 1990-91
- Started his coaching career right away, spending four seasons as one of Macarchuk‘s assistants at alma mater Fordham
- Spent three years as an assistant at Marquette under Mike Deane, one year on Jack Armstrong‘s staff at Niagara and three seasons working under Bo Ellis at Chicago State
- Served as the director of the Hoop Group Eastern Invitational Basketball Camp from 2001-2004
- Hired in 2004 to be one of Phil Martelli‘s assistants at Saint Joseph’s in Philadelphia, then returned to hometown Pittsburgh in 2006 to work for Pitt under head coach Jamie Dixon
- Became a head coach for the first time in 2007, hired at NEC program Robert Morris in Moon Township, PA
- Won NEC titles in each of his three seasons there, going to two NCAA Tournaments (by way of two NEC Tournament crowns) and one NIT with the Colonials
- Hired in 2010 to take over as head coach at Rutgers, then members of the Big East
- Was 44-51 through three seasons, but did not reach the postseason
- Tenure ended in controversy after ESPN aired footage (on 4/2/13) of Rice’s abusive behavior towards players in practice
- AD Tim Pernetti had previously seen the footage, suspending Rice for three games in December 2012 but ultimately deciding that firing Rice was not necessary
- Public outcry from the video footage was loud and immediate; Pernetti changed course and fired Rice days later
- Rice was out of coaching for several years before spending two years (2015-2017) as the head coach at The Patrick School (NJ)
- In 2024, Rice was hired as the new head boys’ basketball coach at Linden HS (NJ)
Mike Rice Jr. Coaching Tree
- David Cox (Rhode Island)
- Josh Loeffler (Loyola MD, Johns Hopkins)
- Andrew Toole (Robert Morris)