Taj Finger, a former Stanford University post player who has coached in the NBA G-League, has joined the Loyola University Maryland men’s basketball staff as an assistant coach, the Greyhounds’ head coach, Tavaras Hardy, announced today.
Finger has spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Blue, the G-League team of the NBA’s Thunder. He also spent a season as a graduate assistant coach at Georgia Tech, following a post-collegiate career in which he played five seasons in Europe and Asia.
“A prerequisite for our staff is a full commitment to player development, and Taj’s experiences as a professional basketball player and his on-court work with the Oklahoma City Thunder organization make him the perfect addition,” Hardy said. “As a former student-athlete at Stanford, Taj embodies the journey to greatness we stress to our men. Having worked with him at Georgia Tech, I’m beyond confident his passion, integrity and work ethic will allow him to hit the ground running; we are thrilled to welcome Taj to our Loyola Basketball Family.”
The Westchester County, New York, native was a three-time Pac-10 All-Academic Team honoree for the Cardinal. Finger played in 126 games, starting 32 during his time at Stanford; he wrapped up his career with more than 500 points and nearly 400 rebounds.
Finger was a standout defender in the post, as well, for the Cardinal, earning the team’s Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2006. He also was rewarded with the Stanford athletics’ Jake Gimbel Best Competitive Attitude Award following his senior season in 2008.
“I feel extremely fortunate that I have the opportunity to be joining the Greyhound family,” said Finger. “Having worked with Coach Hardy at Georgia Tech, I know the high standards he sets for himself, and the high expectations he has for his staff in working to pursue the continued growth and improvement of the basketball program. From the returning players, to the coaching staff, to the new recruiting class coming in, the future looks very bright. I couldn’t be more excited to get to work to help ensure that bright future for Loyola Maryland Men’s Basketball.”
This season, Finger helped the Blue to a 34-16 record and a tie for first in the G League’s Western Conference. In addition to his assistant coaching responsibilities in the G-League, Finger also assisted the Thunder staff on-court during practices, as well as scouted collegiate players during pre-draft camps and workouts.
Finger spent the 2016-17 season as a graduate assistant coach at Georgia Tech, a staff on which Hardy was an assistant.
After graduating from Stanford with a Bachelor of Arts in communication with a focus in marketing and media studies, Finger played five professional seasons in Norway, Germany and Japan.
https://loyolagreyhounds.com/news/2019/6/3/taj-finger-named-mens-basketball-assistant-coach.aspx
