Randy Ayers
Randy Ayers (born April 16, 1956)
Teams coached: Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State record: 126-106 (.543)
Overall record^: 126-106 (.543)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 2 (1991, 1992)
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 2 (1991, 1992)
- NCAA Tournament Final Four: 0
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 1 (1993)
- Big Ten Regular Season Champion: 2 (1991, 1992)
Awards:
- AP Coach of the Year: 1 (1991)
- Naismith Coach of the Year: 1 (1991)
- Henry Iba Award: 1 (1991)
- Big Ten Coach of the Year: 2 (1991, 1992)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 2022-2023 | Phoenix Suns (consultant) |
| 2019-2022 | Phoenix Suns (asst) |
| 2010-2015 | New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans (asst) |
| 2009-2010 | Philadelphia 76ers (asst) |
| 2007-2009 | Washington Wizards (asst) |
| 2005-2007 | Orlando Magic (asst) |
| 2003-2004 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1997-2003 | Philadelphia 76ers (asst) |
| 1989-1997 | Ohio State |
| 1984-1989 | Ohio State (asst) |
| 1982-1984 | Army (asst) |
| 1978-1982 | Miami (OH) (asst) |
Randy Ayers Facts
- Randall Duane Ayers
- Born April 16, 1956
- Hometown: Springfield, Ohio
- Alma Mater: Miami University (BA, 1978 & M.Ed, 1981)
- After a stellar career at North HS (OH), including Class AAA POY honors in 1974, played for Darrell Hedric at Miami (OH)
- Drafted in the 3rd round (53rd overall) of the 1978 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls, but did not play in the league
- Spent one season playing for the Reno Bighorns of the WBA, where his head coach was Bill Musselman
- In 2013, Ayers was inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame
- Started his coaching career as an assistant at Miami (OH) under Hedric while also earning his masters degree
- Spent two years an as assistant at Army under Les Wothke and then five assisting Eldon Miller and Gary Williams at Ohio State
- Took over at OSU in 1989 and by his second year, the Buckeyes were Big Ten champs and made a run to the Sweet Sixteen
- The team was led for Ayers’ first three seasons by two-time Big Ten POY Jim Jackson
- Ayers was given numerous national coaching awards after the 1990-91 season
- Buckeyes returned to the NCAA Tournament a year later, making it to the Elite Eight, but did not win more than 15 games in any of the remaining five seasons of Ayers’ tenure
- Made the jump to the NBA in 1997, joining Larry Brown‘s staff with the Philadelphia 76ers
- Ayers would serve as the head coach of the Sixers for most of one season following Brown’s departure in 2003, accruing a 21-31 record before being let go
- Since then, Ayers has been an NBA assistant in Orlando, Washington, Philadelphia and most recently in New Orleans
- He has worked for head coaches Brian Hill, Eddie Jordan, Ed Tapscott and Monty Williams
- In 2019, after several years out of coaching, Ayers was hired by Monty Williams to be an assistant with the Phoenix Suns
- After spending the 2022-23 as a consultant with the Suns, Ayers retired from the profession at age 67
Randy Ayers Coaching Tree
- Willie Green (New Orleans Pelicans)
- Chris Jent (Bakersfield Jam)
- Aaron McKie (Temple)
^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA Division I level only