Mike Woodson
A defensive stalwart for over a decade as a player, he later molded the Knicks' identity with a hard-nosed, defensive philosophy.
Born 1958 (age 68)·American basketball player and coach·Birthday: March 24·Baby Boomers
Biography
Mike Woodson's basketball life is a testament to the value of grit and defensive intelligence. As a player, the Indiana University star was a first-round NBA draft pick who carved out an 11-year career not with flashy scoring, but with relentless on-ball defense and a dependable mid-range jumper. He played for six teams, earning respect as a consummate professional who understood the game's nuances. That understanding became his coaching currency. After paying his dues as an assistant, he got his first head coaching chance with the Atlanta Hawks, where he steadily built a perennial playoff team. His defining chapter came with the New York Knicks, first as an assistant and then as head coach. In 2012-13, he instilled a tough, defensive-minded system that propelled the Knicks to 54 wins and their first Atlantic Division title in nearly two decades, earning Coach of the Month honors multiple times. Though his head coaching tenure had ups and downs, Woodson's reputation as a developer of talent and a defensive tactician has made him a valued veteran presence on benches across the league.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Mike was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Mike Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Mike's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led the New York Knicks to a 54-28 record and the Atlantic Division title in the 2012-13 season.
- As head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, guided the team to three consecutive playoff appearances from 2008 to 2010.
- Played 11 seasons in the NBA as a defensive-minded guard/forward after being the 12th overall pick in the 1980 draft.
- Was a key assistant coach for the 2004 NBA champion Detroit Pistons under Larry Brown.
Did You Know?
He was a teammate of Isiah Thomas on the 1981 NBA champion Indiana Hoosiers in college.
Woodson and his wife have twins named Alexis and Arielle.
He is one of the few people to have both played for and head-coached the New York Knicks.
He served as an assistant coach for the USA Basketball men's national team in 2021.
“Defense is about effort and concentration. It's a mindset you have to bring every night.”
