Lorenzo Romar

Lorenzo Romar (born November 13, 1958) is an American basketball coach and former player. He is the head men's basketball coach at Pepperdine University, a position he held from 1996 to 1999 and resumed in 2018. Romar also served as the head men's basketball coach at Saint Louis University from 1999 to 2002 and the University of Washington from 2002 to 2017.

Lorenzo Romar
Romar celebrates Washington's 2011 Pac-10 tournament championship.
Pepperdine Waves
PositionHead coach
LeagueWest Coast Conference
Personal information
Born (1958-11-13) November 13, 1958
South Gate, California, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight171 lb (78 kg)
Career information
High schoolSaint Pius X (Downey, California)
College
NBA draft1980: 7th round, 141st overall pick
Selected by the Golden State Warriors
Playing career1980–1985
PositionPoint guard
Number18, 5, 14
Coaching career1992–present
Career history
As player:
1980–1983Golden State Warriors
1983–1984Milwaukee Bucks
1985Detroit Pistons
As coach:
1992–1996UCLA (assistant)
1996–1999Pepperdine
1999–2002Saint Louis
2002–2017Washington
2017–2018Arizona (associate HC)
2018–presentPepperdine
Career highlights and awards
As coach:
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com

Playing career

Romar played college basketball at Cerritos College from 1976–78 and then for Washington from 1978 to 1980. After college, he was drafted by the Golden State Warriors and spent five years playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Regular season
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1980–81 Golden State 53-13.7.412.333.6831.12.60.50.14.1
1981–82 Golden State 791115.9.504.200.8231.22.90.80.26.2
1982–83 Golden State 826426.0.465.303.7431.75.51.20.17.6
1983–84 Golden State 305.0.400.000.5000.30.30.00.02.0
1983–84 Milwaukee 65915.5.460.125.7221.43.00.80.16.0
1984–85 Milwaukee 404.0.125.000.0000.00.50.00.00.5
1984–85 Detroit 507.0.250.0001.0000.02.00.80.01.8
Career 2918417.8.464.211.7491.33.50.80.15.9
Playoffs
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1983–84 Milwaukee 13-5.2.450.000.6360.21.20.00.01.9
Career 13-5.2.450.000.6360.21.20.00.01.9

College
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1978–79 Washington 27-19.8.508-.7211.4---6.0
1979–80 Washington 28-26.9.489-.7631.93.51.00.19.3
Career 55-23.4.496-.7451.63.51.00.17.7

Coaching career

Early years

After the NBA, Romar played and coached for Athletes in Action. Romar was then hired as an assistant coach at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) under head coach Jim Harrick from 1992 to 1996, and was credited with recruiting many of the players on the 1995 national championship team.[1] Romar became the head coach at Pepperdine University and then at Saint Louis University before taking the job at Washington in 2002.

Washington

Romar was credited for turning around the University of Washington basketball program and generating new enthusiasm for the program. In 2004, Washington qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time in five years. In 2005, Washington won the Pac-10 tournament and received a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The Huskies made their way to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1998, but were ousted by Louisville. In 2006, Washington earned a third consecutive NCAA tournament appearance and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the second consecutive year.

After failing to make the NCAA Tournament the next two years, Romar was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year for leading the Huskies to their first outright conference title since 1953. They earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament, but lost in the Second Round. The Huskies returned to the Sweet Sixteen the following year, but again lost. In 2011, the Huskies earned their third consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament. The trip marked the Huskies' last trip to the Tournament under Romar.[2]

With a season-opening win over South Carolina State on November 14, 2014, Romar passed Marv Harshman to become the second-winningest coach in UW history.[3]

After four years of near .500 seasons and five years without an NCAA Tournament appearance, Romar recruited his long-time friend Michael Porter Sr. to join the Huskies as an assistant coach in 2016.[4] Michael Porter Sr. was expected to bring his two sons, Michael Porter Jr. and Jontay Porter, as commits to Washington. Michael Porter Jr. was widely considered the No. 1 recruit in the 2017 class.[5] However, on March 15, 2017 following a dismal 9–22 season with future #1 pick Markelle Fultz leading the team, Romar was fired as head coach at Washington after 15 years.[6] Romar ended his tenure at Washington with a record of 298–195. He made six NCAA Tournaments and three NITs, but had not made the NCAA Tournament in six straight years prior to his firing.[7]

Arizona assistant coach

On April 16, 2017, it was announced that Romar had joined Sean Miller's staff at Arizona as associate head coach.[8] On February 24, 2018, Romar was the interim head coach for one game after news broke the previous day that the FBI had reportedly intercepted phone conversations about Miller talking about paying Deandre Ayton to come to Arizona.[9] Ayton would be the second straight #1 pick to be coached by Romar for at least one game.

Pepperdine (second stint)

Romar was announced as the new head men's basketball coach at Pepperdine on March 12, 2018, returning for his second stint with the school.[10] On March 24, 2021, Romar's Waves beat Coastal Carolina 84-61 to win the 2021 College Basketball Invitational, securing the program's first-ever postseason championship.[11]

Coaching style

Romar is known by his fellow coaches as one of the top basketball recruiters in the country. Additionally, he is respected as a genuine and optimistic person and was once voted "the opposing coach players would most like to play for" in a Pac-10 poll.[12] In March 2006, Romar was given the prestigious Coach Wooden "Keys to Life" award for outstanding character.

Personal life

Romar is married to Leona Romar, with whom he has three daughters—Terra, Tavia and Taylor.[13] In 2006, Lorenzo Romar and his wife Leona founded the Lorenzo Romar Foundation for the prevention of domestic violence and educational assistance for disadvantaged youth as well as other charitable causes.[14]

Head coaching record
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Pepperdine Waves (West Coast Conference) (1996–1999)
1996–97 Pepperdine 6–214–10T–6th
1997–98 Pepperdine 17–109–52nd
1998–99 Pepperdine 19–139–5T–2ndNIT first round
Saint Louis Billikens (Conference USA) (1999–2002)
1999–00 Saint Louis 19–147–9T–7thNCAA Division I Round of 64
2000–01 Saint Louis 17–148–87th
2001–02 Saint Louis 15–169–75th
Saint Louis: 51–44 (.537)24–24 (.500)
Washington Huskies (Pacific-10/Pac-12 Conference) (2002–2017)
2002–03 Washington 10–175–139th
2003–04 Washington 19–1212–62ndNCAA Division I Round of 64
2004–05 Washington 29–614–42ndNCAA Division I Sweet 16
2005–06 Washington 26–713–52ndNCAA Division I Sweet 16
2006–07 Washington 19–138–107th
2007–08 Washington 16–177–118thCBI first round
2008–09 Washington 26–914–41stNCAA Division I Round of 32
2009–10 Washington 26–1011–73rdNCAA Division I Sweet 16
2010–11 Washington 24–1111–73rdNCAA Division I Round of 32
2011–12 Washington 24–1114–41stNIT semifinal
2012–13 Washington 18–169–9T–6thNIT first round
2013–14 Washington 17–159–9T–8th
2014–15 Washington 16–155–1311th
2015–16 Washington 19–159–9T–6thNIT second round
2016–17 Washington 9–222–1611th
Washington: 298–195 (.604)143–127 (.530)
Pepperdine Waves (West Coast Conference) (2018–present)
2018–19 Pepperdine 16–186–108th
2019–20 Pepperdine 16–168–86th
2020–21 Pepperdine 15–127–64thCBI champions
2021–22 Pepperdine 7–251–1510th
2022–23 Pepperdine 9–212–1410th
Pepperdine: 105–136 (.436)46–73 (.387)
Total:454–376 (.547)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Awards and honors

References
  1. "Pepperdine officials welcome back Lorenzo Romar for 2nd stint as coach". www.seattletimes.com. The Seattle Times. March 12, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  2. Allen, Percy (April 19, 2010). "Washington's Lorenzo Romar agrees to 10-year contract extension". www.seattletimes.com. The Seattle Times. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  3. Pascoe, Bruce (February 3, 2018). "Seen and heard at Hec Ed Pavilion: Lorenzo Romar's standing O, Dawg Pack poetry, Washington is 'Tougher Together'". tucson.com. Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  4. "Top basketball recruit Michael Porter Jr.'s father lands assistant job at Washington". The Seattle Times. May 6, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  5. "ESPN Basketball Recruiting - Player Rankings". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  6. "Washington fires Romar after 9-22 season". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  7. Kolloen, Seth (March 15, 2017). "The Rise and Fall of Lorenzo Romar". www.seattleweekly.com. Seattle Weekly and Sound Publishing, Inc. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  8. "Lorenzo Romar hired as Arizona associate head coach". CoachesDatabase.com. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
  9. "Sean Miller won't coach Arizona's game Saturday vs. Oregon". www.espn.com. ESPN. February 24, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  10. "Lorenzo Romar to Return as Basketball Coach". www.pepperdinewaves.com. Pepperdine Athletics. March 12, 2018. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  11. "Polk carries Pepperdine over Coastal Carolina for CBI title". www.espn.com. ESPN. March 24, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  12. "Lorenzo Romar to Return as Pepperdine Men's Basketball Coach". www.pepperdine.edu. Pepperdine University. March 12, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  13. "Lorenzo Romar Bio". www.gohuskies.com. University of Washington Athletics. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  14. Hansen, Greg (April 8, 2017). "Three ways Lorenzo Romar could help Sean Miller, Arizona Wildcats improve". tucson.com. Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
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