Michael Claxton

Michael Brandon Claxton (born December 10, 1976) is an American professional basketball coach and former professional player. He is currently serving as head coach of BC Prievidza in Slovakia's top-flight SBL.

Playing career

Claxton played college basketball at Montana State University–Northern in the NAIA. Following graduation in 2001, he embarked on a professional career, which included stints with a number of lower-league clubs in Germany (TuS Iserlohn, TV Langen, BG Zehlendorf, Krefeld Panthers, SC Rist Wedel, MTV Stuttgart and UBC Hannover) as well as stints in the International Basketball League (Tacoma Thunder, Tacoma Jazz and Tacoma Tide).[1]

Coaching career

In 2006, Claxton joined the Seattle Academy, serving as PE teacher and as the Head Boys’ Varsity Basketball coach. Under his guidance, the team won four Emerald City League titles including the school’s first ever boys’ basketball league title in 2009.[2] In 2011, Claxton earned Emerald City League Coach of the Year honors.[3] In the summer of 2013, he served as head coach at the Jamal Crawford Summer Pro-Am Basketball League.[4]

He left Seattle Academy in 2014 and was named head coach of SC Rist Wedel of the German ProB league. In the 2014-15 season, he led the Wedel team to the ProB finals, where they fell short to Oldenburg. Claxton’s silver winning team included Diante Watkins who garnered ProB Player of the Year honors (by eurobasket.com) that year.[5] In his second season at the helm (2015-16), his Wedel team found itself in a fight to stay in the ProB, Claxton guided the team to the top spot in the relegation round.

Prior to the 2016-17 season, he was appointed assistant for Turów Zgorzelec of the PLK, Poland’s top flight of professional basketball.[6] Claxton was promoted to head coach in November 2017, after the position was vacated by Mathias Fischer who left for German club Walter Tigers Tübingen.[7] He guided the Zgorzelec team to the PLK playoffs, his contract expired at the conclusion of the 2017-18 season and was not renewed.[8]

In July 2018, Claxton was named head coach of BC Prievidza of the Slovak Basketball League.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Coach Profile". www.eurobasket.com. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
  2. ↑ "SAAS Says Goodbye to Coach Claxton: Mentor and Role-Model". The Cardinal. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
  3. ↑ "Claxton Named ECL Coach of the Year; Brandon MVP". www.seattleacademy.info. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
  4. ↑ "JCSPA Basketball League is Here!". Retrieved 2017-12-30.
  5. ↑ "PROB_2014-2015 Basketball League GERMANY - eurobasket". www.eurobasket.com. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
  6. ↑ Bajda, Michał. "Fischer wybrał asystenta - PGE Turów Zgorzelec" (in Polish). Retrieved 2017-12-30.
  7. ↑ "EUROBASKET NEWS". www.eurobasket.com. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
  8. ↑ Seń, Bartosz. "Dziękujemy Mike! - PGE Turów Zgorzelec" (in Polish). Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  9. ↑ Trubač, Ing. Ľubomír. "Novým trénerom BC Prievidza Michael Claxton :: PDBASKET.com". www.pdbasket.com. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
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