John Stockton Named Assistant Coach on Montana State's Women's Basketball Staff

NBA Hall of Famer John Stockton joined the Montana State women's basketball coaching staff as an assistant coach Tuesday, per the team's website.  

Head coach Tricia Binford spoke of his hiring, per the release:

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With the timing right before the start of the season, we were looking for someone that would offer us the smoothest transition, and John is someone who has been consistently around our program that we respect and trust. He's coached four of our current players; he's always working in a gym; and given his commitment to family and business, we're very appreciative that he's agreed to become a part of our program.

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Stockton previously coached his daughter, Lindsay, along with Hannah Caudill at Gonzaga Prep. He also coached Delany Junkermier and Lexi Dawkins for the Sandpipers AAU team.

Stockton, 53, played 19 years in the NBA—all with the Utah Jazz. He's the league's all-time leader in assists (15,806) and steals (3,265). He was selected to 10 All-Star Games, and he was elected to the NBA Hall of Fame in 2009.

At Montana State, he'll be replacing former assistant Kellee Barney, who left to enter private business and be closer to her family.

"I'm excited about the prospect of working with the kids," Stockton said, per the release. "I've enjoyed watching the team over the past three years. I had a chance to be around them and develop relationships during their trip to the Bahamas this spring. It will be a fun group to work with."

The Montana State team will benefit from Stockton's wealth of knowledge and experience in the game. He was one of the NBA's smartest, most consistent and durable players of his time, and his coaching input will carry great weight given his history as a player.