DETROIT (8/10/2016) -- Willie Green '03, who starred as a Titan from 1999-2003, is back in the NBA after a 12-year playing career as he was named an assistant coach/player development for the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday afternoon.
Golden State is coming off a season in which it made the NBA Finals for the second-straight year after winning the championship in 2015.
This past summer, Green worked with the Los Angeles Clippers NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in a player development role.
"I am extremely excited and happy to be joining a great organization," said Green. "I am joining a great team that has won a championship and I am excited to start the next journey of my career."
Green was a part of four winning seasons, including a pair of 20-win campaigns and postseason appearances as a player for the Titans. As a sophomore, Green helped Detroit Mercy reach the semifinals of the NIT knocking out Bradley, Connecticut and Dayton as the Titans made their way to Madison Square Garden. Detroit Mercy would end the year tying a school record with 25 wins. The following season, the Titans once again made the NIT.
"I'm so thrilled to see Willie join the coaching fraternity," said head Titan men's basketball coach
Bacari Alexander '99. "Willie always demonstrated a high basketball IQ during his time here at Detroit Mercy and we know it will serve him well at the NBA level. What a class act, person and rising future star in our profession."
Green is still fourth all-time in scoring with 1,779 points, which includes 678 points as a senior, ninth in the Titan record book. As a senior, he was an AP Honorable Mention All-American and the Horizon League Player of the Year after averaging a league-best 22.6 points per game, 12th in school history. During that offensive season, he netted 20 points in 10-straight games.
In his career, he was also tabbed to the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team as a freshman, and was Second Team All-League as a junior.
"I have had so many great people help me in my career, from my high school coaches at Cooley, my coaches, staff and teammates at Detroit Mercy and so many people in the NBA," said Green. "It has been a journey and I have been able to learn from some of the best teachers of the game and now its time to share everything that I have learned over the years."
Green was selected in the second round (41st pick overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics and was later traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. He would go on to play seven of his 12 NBA seasons with Philadelphia, averaging a career-high 12.4 points in 2007-08 and 11.3 points in 2006-07.
He also played for the New Orleans Hornets (2010-11), Atlanta Hawks (2011-12) Los Angeles Clippers (2012-14) and the Orlando Magic (2014-15).
He finished his NBA career playing in 731 games with 297 starts tallying 8.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists, while shooting 42.5 percent from the field, 34.6 percent from behind the arc and 76.5 percent at the free throw line.
