Former ODU Player Kenny Gattison Named to National NBA Coaching Staff

New Orleans Hornets assistant coach Kenny Gattison has been named as one of five National Basketball Association assistants to work with the 2009 National Team at a minicamp July 22-25 in Las Vegas.

The minicamp will serve as a trial for players to be considered for inclusion in future international competition.

Gattison, a 1986 Old Dominion University graduate, has been an assistant coach with the Hornets since 2003. He played nine years in the NBA, including two seasons with the Phoenix Suns, six with the Charlotte Hornets and one with the Vancouver Grizzlies.

Since retiring from the NBA as a player following the 1995-96 season, Gattison has built an impressive resume as a coach. He spent the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons as an assistant under Blaine Taylor at ODU and was also on the New Jersey Nets' bench as an assistant coach under John Calipari from 1996-98. In addition, Gattison has served as head coach for the Hornets' entry in the Vegas Summer League the past three seasons.

His USA Basketball experience includes playing for three USA teams. He was a member of the 1985 USA R. William Jones Cup Team that finished 8-1 to claim the silver medal. He also played on the 1983 USA Junior World Championship Team that won gold and was a member of the 1983 U.S. Olympic Festival East Team that captured the silver medal.

Gattison capped his collegiate career at ODU by being named the 1986 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and garnered All-Sun Belt honors twice (1985, 1986). He finished his career as the conference's all-time leading rebounder (963) and currently stands second in league history. In the ODU record books, he ranks 11th in career scoring (1,623), fifth in career rebounding and seventh in career blocked shots. He averaged 13.3 points per game and 7.9 rebounds per game during his four-year career and was named to the Sun Belt Conference All-Decade Team.