Former Iowa basketball head coach Steve Alford to retire

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) - Former Hawkeye head coach Steve Alford says he plans to retire from coaching at the end of this basketball season, University of Nevada Athletics shared on Friday.

His career spans 36 seasons and six different NCAA programs, leading every one to the NCAA Tournament. He’s coached at Nevada since 2019.

Alford coached Iowa men’s basketball from 1999-2007. While at Iowa, Alford had a 152-106 record overall for the team.

His legacy in Iowa City is also steeped in controversy after he defended a player who later pleaded guilty to a sexual assault.

Alford played in college for the Indiana Hoosiers and went on to play in the NBA for the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks before retiring to become a coach in 1991.

“After 36 years, I feel like this is the right time to step away from the bench,” Alford said in a statement. “I want to thank the University of Nevada for the opportunity to lead this program, and I am looking forward to finishing this season the right way, with a team I believe in.”