Former All-NBA point guard and New York City Basketball Hall of Famer Rod Strickland was hired as head coach of the LIU men’s basketball program back in the summer of 2022.
A native of the Bronx, N.Y., Strickland arrived at the Steinberg Wellness Center with a wealth of experience following his 17-year NBA career. After briefly serving as DOBO at Memphis, he worked as an assistant coach and in an administrative role under John Calipari at Kentucky before moving to USF from 2014-17.
However, all that experience didn’t necessarily translate to instant success in Strickland’s first head coaching opportunity with the Sharks finishing 3-26 in his first season and just 7-22 the next.
“With myself being a new coach and a new staff of guys who weren’t in college basketball, I think there was a growing or learning period” Strickland said. “After the first two-years, I kind of knew what I needed, who I was and what our strengths and weaknesses were. The culture has gotten better with each year. I think this year, it’s right where it needs to be for us to keep improving.”
Learning from the early struggles, Strickland has helped LIU back into contention in the Northeast Conference with just a short turnaround period. After a six-game win streak to open conference play, the Sharks currently sit second in its standings with an 8-4 record and a spot already booked for the 2025 NEC Championship.
According to Strickland, even this season hasn’t been without adversity though as the Sharks battled through the non-conference portion with just four wins.
The challenges faced provide valuable lessons for a young team that’s ranked 310th in returning minutes and ultimately, that growth has allowed LIU to thrive in the NEC.
“In the non-conference, we had some struggles, but I think we showed that we were able to compete,” Strickland said. “I felt like we should have won some more of those games but I always looked at that as we were learning and learning how to win. Once conference started, that all came to fruition, and we’ve done a great job of playing hard defensively which has been our bread and butter.”
Ranking top-100 nationally in several advanced analytical categories including effective field goal defense, 3-point defense and turnover percentage, Strickland’s cultivated a scrappy defensive identity.
LIU has only had seven losses this season by double-digit margins and just one in conference as the Sharks currently lead the NEC…
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