Talk about a Garden State Hardwood Classic!
NJ Advance Media’s Adam Zagoria reported Thursday “Saint Peter’s is targeting @RutgersMBB asst Brandin Knight to replace Shaheen Holloway, per sources.”
The Peacocks are looking for a new head coach because Holloway is heading to Seton Hall to replace Kevin Willard, who left to take the top job at Maryland.
Holloway is set to be introduced as the Pirates head coach in a press conference on Thursday at 1:30 p.m.
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So who is Knight? Here’s his bio from Rutgers PR:
- A New Jersey (East Orange) native with a reputation as one of college basketball’s rising coaches.
- Has spent six seasons as assistant coach under Steve Pikiell at Rutgers in 2021-22.
- Named to ‘40 under 40: Rising Stars’ list by The Athletic
- A 2003 Wooden All-American, 2002 Associated Press All-American and two-time All-Big East honoree, Knight’s No. 20 jersey was retired by Pittsburgh on March 4, 2009. He is a member of the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2020.
- Brother Brevin was a 12-year NBA veteran and a consensus All-America point guard at Stanford. The Knights represent one of only eight brother combinations in Division I history to earn All-America honors.
- Father Melvin, a former Seton Hall assistant coach and player, served as the athletic director at Essex County College (N.J.) prior to his retirement.
A New Jersey native with a reputation as one of college basketball’s rising coaches, he has advanced to 11 NCAA Tournaments as either a staffer (nine) or student-athlete (two), including four Sweet Sixteen appearances.
In addition to playing an instrumental role in recruiting, game planning and opponent scouting, Knight is key in the development of the Scarlet Knights’ backcourt and perimeter players. Rutgers has welcomed four-star signees from New Jersey in three consecutive classes, with Cliff Omoruyi (2020), Paul Mulcahy (2019) and Ron Harper, Jr. (2018) all electing to stay home, keyed by the recruiting presence of Knight. who was named to The Athletic’s 40 Under 40 Rising Stars list in the 2020 offseason.
Knight arrived “On the Banks” after an accomplished tenure at the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to being named assistant coach by Jamie Dixon in 2008, Knight served the 2007-08 and 2006-07 seasons as Director of Men’s Basketball Operations and Program Assistant/Video Coordinator, respectively. The Panthers compiled a 252-101 (.714) record and reached the postseason all 10 seasons with Knight on staff. Pitt won the 2008 Big East Championship, earned two NCAA Tournament No. 1 seeds (2009 & 2011) and captured the 2011 Big East regular season title.
Knight was instrumental in the development of All-America selection Sam Young, along with all-league guards Levance Fields, Ashton Gibbs and Tray Woodall.
A point guard from 1999-2003, Knight’s leadership was instrumental in Pitt’s basketball renaissance. He helped lead the Panthers to consecutive Big East regular season titles (2001-02 and 2002-03), two NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearances (2002 and 2003), the program’s first Big East Tournament title (2003), three consecutive appearances in the Big East Tournament final (2001, 2002, and 2003) and an 89-40 (.690) four-year record.
A 2003 Wooden All-American, 2002 Associated Press All-American and two-time All-Big East honoree, Knight concluded his career with 1,440 points, 785 assists, 492 rebounds and 298 steals. He earned the Big East’s co-Most Valuable Player and Most Improved Player awards in 2001-02. Knight still holds school records for career assists (785), career assist average (6.2), career steals (298), career 3-point field goal attempts (261), season minutes played (1,284 in 2001-02) and consecutive games played with at least one assist (91 from 2000-03).
Knight’s No. 20 jersey was retired by the Panthers on March 4, 2009 and he was recognized as a member of the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2020.
Following his collegiate career, Knight played two seasons with the NBDL’s Asheville Altitude. He helped lead the Altitude to back-to-back league titles in both 2003-04 and 2004-05. In 2005, he signed a contract with the Houston Rockets, but suffered a knee injury. Knight spent the following two years in Pittsburgh rehabbing the injury. During that span, he became involved with coaching. He directed several AAU teams, including a squad that captured the Under-16 Pittsburgh Jamfest title in 2006.
An East Orange native, Knight’s brother Brevin was a 12-year NBA veteran and a consensus All-America point guard at Stanford (1994-97). The Knights represent one of only eight brother combinations in NCAA Division I history to earn All-America honors. The son of Brenda and Melvin Knight, his father is a former Seton Hall assistant basketball coach (1978-82) and player (1968-71), who served as athletic director at Essex County College (N.J.) prior to his retirement.
Knight graduated with a History degree from Pitt in June, 2005. He and wife Michelle are proud parents of two children, daughter Kylah and son Brandin Jr.
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Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com.
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