Mike Woodson Bio [2023 Update]: Net Worth & Coaching

Mike Woodson is a former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association(NBA). Currently, he serves as a head coach for the Indiana Hoosiers men’s basketball team. 

The former athlete actually attended Indiana University as a collegiate player. He was an exceptional player to the Hoosiers. 

Correspondingly, he added that it was like a “dream come true” to have the opportunity to coach the Indiana Hoosiers. The NBA coach feels like he’s come a full circle as he’s coaching the team he played for. 

Moreover, he has also served as an assistant coach to many well-known NBA teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons, and the New York Knicks.

Not to mention, Woodson was the 2004 NBA Championship with the Pistons.

Besides that, he was also the head coach of Atlanta Hawks from 2004 to 2010 and New York Knicks from 2012 to 2014. Furthermore, the coach started his playing career with the Knicks when they drafted him in the first round. 

Similarly, he has played for the New Jersey Nets, Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, and Cleveland Cavaliers. Mike served as a shooting guard in the NBA for 10 years before retiring in 1991. 

Aside from that, the former basketballer also represented the United States National Team in the 1979 Pan American Games held in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Subsequently, he won a gold medal in the team competition. 

Before getting into details about the former player turned coach’s life and career, here are some quick facts about him. 

Quick Facts

Mike Woodson | Early Life, Family, And Education

Mike Woodson was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, the United States. His parents are Chester Woodson and Odessa Woodson. 

The player’s father was a working-class man who worked multiple jobs to keep his family afloat. He delivered pianos, managed Laundromats, and mowed lawns.

Likewise, his mother was a registered nurse. Both of them were weak and had poor health most of the time. 

The former NBA player has 11 siblings. As a result, Chester and Odessa worked very hard to feed a family of 15. The entire family had to live in a two-bedroom house for most of their life. 

The coach’s childhood was filled with financial difficulty and trying times. Hence, he comes from a very struggling family. 

On top of that, Chester died of a heart attack when he was only 13 years old. In an interview, the shooting guard said about his father, “I just truly believe that he worked himself to death.”

Following the death of their father, the Woodson siblings split up to ease the load on Odessa, who had been overworking herself. So, Mike lived with his oldest sister and his husband for a year before moving back home. 

After that, all the siblings helped their mother out. Moreover, the former NBA coach used to give Odessa half of his paycheck.

Sadly, the player’s mom passed away from her health complications while playing for the Clippers. She was proud of the life Mike had built.

However, Mike was disappointed that she was unable to enjoy his NBA success. Nevertheless, he had bought Odessa her first house and was somewhat satisfied with himself. 

Education

The former NBA player had attended Broad Ripple Magnet High School, where he played high school basketball.

Following his graduation, he chose to attend Indiana University as it was close to home. Furthermore, he played collegiate basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers. 

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