Grand Rapids Drive Name Coaching Staff Led By Head Coach Donnie Tyndall

COURTNEY ALEXANDER, CAM BLACK AND JACOB PORTER JOIN ORGANIZATION AS ASSISTANT COACHES

               DETROIT, Mich. – The Detroit Pistons announced today that Donnie Tyndall has been named the head coach for the Grand Rapids Drive, the team’s NBA G League affiliate, with Courtney Alexander, Cam Black and Jacob Porter rounding out his staff as assistant coaches. Per team policy, terms of the contracts were not disclosed.

               Tyndall takes over at the helm after spending last season as an assistant coach with the Drive. Tyndall has additional experience in the NBA G League as an assistant coach for Raptors 905 from 2016-18. Prior to his NBA experience, Tyndall served as the head coach at Tennessee (2014-15), Southern Mississippi (2012-14) and Morehead State (2006-12). While with Morehead State, he helped guide the Eagles to two NCAA Tournaments.

               Tyndall also spent time on the staffs for Middle Tennessee (2002-06) and Idaho (2001-02) as an associate head coach and was an assistant coach for Louisiana State (1997-01), St. Catharine College (1996-97) and Iowa Central Community College (1994-96). The Ravenna, Mich. native graduated from Morehead State in 1993.

Alexander remains with the Drive after serving as an assistant coach during the 2018-19 season. He was previously an assistant coach for the Erie BayHawks in the NBA G League in 2017-18 and has worked with the NBA and the NBA Players Association as a consultant on various player development affairs since 2014.

A native of Bridgeport, Conn., Alexander was drafted by the Orlando Magic with the 13th overall selection in the first round of the 2000 NBA Draft. He played three seasons in the NBA with Dallas, Washington and New Orleans, and played collegiately at Virginia and Fresno State, including leading the NCAA in scoring during his final year at Fresno State.

Black comes to Grand Rapids following a stop in the NBA G League with the Erie BayHawks, serving as an assistant coach during the 2017-18 campaign. Prior to Erie, Black spent two seasons as a Player Development – Video Operations Assistant for the Atlanta Hawks and was a graduate assistant for the University of Akron men’s basketball team during the 2014-15 season. Originally from Kent, Ohio, Black had a four-year playing career at Bowling Green.

Porter joins the Drive coaching staff after stints as a basketball operations intern with the Pistons, Drive and Erie BayHawks. He also assisted Team USA at the World Cup qualifiers as part of the support staff each of the last two years. A native of Russell, Ky., Porter graduated from Morehead State in 2017.