| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Dodge County (Eastman, Georgia) |
| College |
|
| Playing career | 1996–2007 |
| Position | Forward |
| Coaching career | 2007–present |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1999–2000 | Magic City Snowbears (IBA) |
| 2006–2007 | Boston Frenzy (ABA) |
| 2007 | Quad City River Hawks (ABA) |
Coaching | |
| 2007–2008 | T. C. Williams HS (asst.) |
| 2008–2014 | T. C. Williams HS |
| 2014–2015 | Saint John Mill Rats (Canada) |
Julian King is an American retired professionalbasketball player who most recently was the head coach for theSaint John Mill Rats of theNational Basketball League of Canada (NBL). He played at the collegiate level withTemple andCoppin State after graduatingDodge County High School. As a pro player, King has experience competing in variousminor leagues across the United States, multipleNBA camps, and in countries such as Mexico, Germany, Switzerland, Paraguay, and Argentina.[1] He is currently a trainer based inBethesda, Maryland.
King attendedDodge County High School inEastman, Georgia, where he played basketball as awing forward. In his senior season, he averaged 20 points and 8 rebounds. King chose to playcollege basketball forTemple University inPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania after meeting the academic requirements.[2]
King played with theTemple Owls men's basketball team underHall of Fame head coachJohn Chaney for his first two seasons. He transferred toCoppin State as a junior and remained there for his final year. In 1997, King and David Houston, who went on to become the head coach ofWest Potomac High School, powered the Eagles to second round appearance at theNCAA Tournament.[3] At Coppin State, King was coached byFang Mitchell, who he considered to be a future Hall of Famer.[4]
King competed with theMagic City Snowbears of theInternational Basketball Association (IBA) from 1999 to 2000. He played under head coachRob Spon, whom he would later cross paths with in his own coaching career.[1] From 2006 to 2007, he served as a player-coach with the Boston Frenzy of theAmerican Basketball Association (ABA).[5] In early February 2007, King signed with theQuad City Riverhawks, who also played in the ABA.[6] However, he was waived just over a week later after suffering a broken finger. The move eventually ended King's playing career.[7]
Following his retirement from playing basketball, King decided to return to the court as a coach, so that he could mentor young players and pass on his own knowledge. He also approached the idea because it provided him with a "mental challenge."[4] King was initially aphysical education teacher at a private school inWashington, D.C. However, he landed an assistant coaching job atT. C. Williams High School inAlexandria, Virginia in 2007. While on the Titans' staff in his first season, King's team won theVirginia AAA state championship. In July 2008, head coach Ivan Thomas announced his resignation and King began assuming his position. He inherited a high school basketball program that went 78–11 overall and a perfect 52–0 in thePatriot District in Thomas's final three years at its helm.[3] The former coach said, "Are you really feeling the pressure of winning back-to-back? The thing he has to do is be Julian King, not Ivan Thomas. He'll be fine, regardless of what people say...I think Julian will do a great job here."[3] King would spend six seasons at T. C Williams, leading the school to 3 district titles, 2Northern Region championships and 2 appearances at the state tournament. In his final year, the Titans finished with a 4–16 record. In mid-March 2014, he resigned as the team's head coach. Athletics director Steve Colantuoni said, "Julian's been very successful here, so it did kind of take me aback when he resigned. But we’re grateful for all he's done"[8] Over that summer, King was an advance scout with theConnecticut Sun of theWomen's National Basketball Association (WNBA).[1]
On August 12, 2014, King was announced as the head coach of theSaint John Mill Rats, a professional team from theNational Basketball League of Canada (NBL). The former coach, Rob Spon, joined theRochester Razorsharks of the PBL. Spon considered hiring King as an assistant coach with the Razorsharks if he was not approached by the Mill Rats.[1] By the end of the season, King led Saint John to a 17–15 regular season record and a semifinals appearance in the playoffs.[9] On May 7, 2015, King was replaced by Spon, who returned to the Mill Rats organization after leading Rochester to a PBL championship and an undefeated season.[10]
Following his departure from the Saint John Mill Rats, King became a basketball instructor at E-Train University, which is based inBethesda, Maryland. Other members of the program included formerClemson college player Dave Potter, ex-Richmond Spider Eric Poole, andBoston Celtics draft pick and playerJunior Burrough.[11]