Announced on Oct. 11, 2018, an assistant coach for the USA Basketball Men's National Team, Lloyd Pierce assisted USA and San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich with the 2019 USA National Team that competed in the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China, and was part of Popovich's gold medalalist coaching staff at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
“It's an honor to receive this opportunity to represent our country and to work with such great coaches and staff,” said Pierce. “My family and I are excited about and committed to enjoying this journey.”
Named an assistant coach with the Indiana Pacers on July 16, 2021, Pierce also recently served as the 13th full-time head coach in the Atlanta Hawks history.
Pierce, who was named as the Atlanta Hawks 13th full-time head coach on May 11, 2018, served as the Hawks head coach for two-and-a-half seasons (2018-19 - 2020-21) and compiled an overall 63-120 record as the Hawks went through a rebuilding process.
Completing in 2018-19 his first season as an NBA head coach, Pierce led the club to a five win improvement over 2017-18, and he and his staff were instrumental in the development of All-Rookie team members Kevin Huerter and Trae Young, with Young earning unanimous First Team honors.
Following the All-Star break, Atlanta was second in the NBA in points per game (119.9), three- pointers (366) and three-pointers per game (15.3), fifth in rebounds per game (48.8), seventh in steals per game (7.96), rebounds (1,172) and assists (639), and 10th in steals (191). For the season, the Hawks led the NBA in pace (104.56) and set a franchise record, knocking down 1,067 3-pointers.
Pierce, came to the Hawks following five years as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers, who finished the 2017-18 season third in the Eastern Conference with a 52-30 mark and advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Under Pierce’s guidance that year, the Sixers’ defense led the NBA in field goal percentage defense (.434), ranked second in 3-point percentage allowed (.342) and was third in defensive rating (102.0). Two Philadelphia players, Robert Covington (First Team) and Joel Embiid (Second Team), earned NBA All-Defensive Selections.
Pierce joined the Sixers after two seasons with Memphis, where he was assistant coach- player development, helping lead the Grizzlies to back-to-back playoff appearances and the Western Conference Finals in 2013.
He spent the 2010-11 season as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors after three years as assistant coach-player development with Cleveland (2007-10), where the Cavaliers made three playoff appearances and a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2009.
Prior to his NBA coaching career, Pierce was an assistant coach at his alma mater, Santa Clara University, from 2002-07.
The San Jose, California native played four seasons for the Santa Clara Broncos, where he teamed with two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash and current Atlanta assistant coach, Marlon Garnett. While a member of the Santa Clara team, Pierce helped his team advance to the NCAA Sweet 16 twice in three NCAA tournaments. Named All-West Coast Conference honorable mention, he averaged 7.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steal a game during his college career. Pierce graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Management in 1998 and he played professionally for four seasons in Mexico, Australia, Germany, and Turkey.
In 2020, Pierce established himself as one of the leading voices in professional sports, advocating for racial justice, education and positive societal changes. Pierce was the inaugural chairman of the Coaches for Racial Justice, an initiative within the National Basketball Coaches Association that focuses on truth-telling and education, raising awareness of and teaching the history of racial injustice, impacting non-partisan policy reform, and working with local grassroots organizations to create change in every NBA market. He was also one of two coaches (Doc Rivers) on the 12-person NBA Social Justice Coalition Board. Pierce was added to the Board of the Lowery Institute in October 2020.
To mark Wrongful Conviction Day in 2020, Pierce and his wife, Melissa, pledged a match of up to $15,000 to the Georgia Innocence Project, an organization he’s been active with during his time in Atlanta. The Pierce family also launched The ATL Pledge during 2020, matching every dollar up to $25,000 given to the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Hope Through Soap.
He and his wife have a daughter and a son.
