Spurs Hire Felton as Director of College Player Personnel

[Kori Ellis]

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they have named George Felton their director of college player personnel.

“George Felton brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our scouting staff,” said Spurs General Manager RC Buford. “For many, many years he has been one of the most respected basketball resources in both college and the NBA. We are very excited about what he will contribute to our staff and to the Spurs organization.”

Felton has spent the past five seasons with the Indiana Pacers as a scout. Prior to joining the Pacers he spent four seasons at Kentucky as an assistant coach, his final year as associate head coach.

Felton was the head coach at the University of South Carolina from 1986-91. Under his leadership the Gamecocks never had a losing season, compiling an 87-62 record. In 1988-89, South Carolina finished 19-11 overall and earned the school’s first berth in the NCAA Tournament in 15 seasons. Felton left South Carolina following the 1990-91 season after the Gamecocks posted a 20-13 record and earned an appearance in the National Invitational Tournament.

After leaving South Carolina, the 48-year-old native of the Bronx, New York, returned for one season to serve as an assistant coach at Georgia Tech, where he had previously served an assistant and an associate head coach under Bobby Cremins from 1981-86. From 1992-95, he served as an assistant at St. John’s before leaving the Red Storm for Oregon State to serve in the same capacity.

Felton began his coaching career in 1976 as an assistant coach at Appalachian State while earning his master’s degree.

[Kori Ellis]

Spurs are actually going to draft college players???

[Dex]

....do they have colleges overseas?

[ShoogarBear]

Spurs are actually going to draft college players???Really. Not only that what's Felton's job actually going to be? Go to Austin and Houston and start directing college players?

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Oden and Durant and we got the future of the Spurs.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Not that I expect it.

[Solid D]

Excellent basketball man. He's coached in some great systems with some of basketball's greatest minds, including some great talent recruiters. According to one Louisville, KY basketball publication ranking several years ago, Felton was not only rated as one of the top Assistant Coaches in College Basketball, he was rated as the #2 recruiter in the US among Assistant Coaches.
( http://www.hoopscooponline.com/members/coach.htm )

Pop and RC have added another excellent staff member.

I'm sure he has better instincts about talent as it pertains to basketball than Lance Blanks had during his tenure in San Antonio.

[Solid D]

In reading a few different articles, it looks like George Felton has been serving as a coach and front row talent evaluator at some ABCD camps the past few years. Camps and teams which have included players like Jackie Butler and Greg Oden.

[Louis]

It's about time the Sprs rae trying to draft americans...

Damn! I don't understand your infatuation with aliens.

[Solid D]

It's about time the Sprs rae trying to draft americans...

I don't understand your infatuation with aliens.

:spin Yao-sers.


http://www.yaomingfanclub.com/images/gallery/yao_40_lg.jpg

[reydawg]

Did anybody have this job before?

[Solid D]

Did anybody have this job before?

[Opinion from an outsider who follows things like this]

Good question, reydawg. No, not exactly. My sense of things is that the Spurs have handled college scouting through a combination of scouts and Dir. of Player Personnel. Dell Demps last season was working primarily as an NBA and minor league player personnel man, attending to Free Agent availability, the minor leagues (NBADL, etc.) and salaries associated with them. From what I've heard and read, Dell did a little bit of scouting other areas including college. Prior to Demps' arrival, Lance Blanks did pro and college scout work, but I think he spent less time with the college and H.S. talent. Of course, several of the staff spend time scouting throughout the year, including Sam Presti and R.C. Buford.

If I read the announcement correctly on Felton's role, his primary role will be college scouting, including H.S. up-and-comers. I would guess Felton will continue to attend and even coach at the ABCD "shoe" camps.

There appears to be a clear segmentation now. Dell is the Dir. of Pro Player Personnel. Felton Dir. of College Player Personnel.

He's got some great credentials. He had Tubby Smith on his staff at South Carolina, then Tubby ended up having Felton on his staff at Kentucky as their top recruiter and top assistant coach.

Bobby Cremins has said he'd love to have Felton as his lead assistant even today, so the guy knows talent and he knows how to coach that talent. From a coaching perspective (as opposed to front office) he's like having another PJ, if Pop needed options like that in the future.

[reydawg]

Thanks, Solid D. Great breakdown of the (apparent) scouting staff organization. We need an org chart for all this.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

What FWD said, or this is the ultimate rope-a-dope with respect to our Euro scouting :lol