March Madness: Hofstra's Speedy Claxton showed coaching instincts as a player Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton made a striking statement about his legacy during the NCAA Tournament by arriving at the practice session in a custom-designed sweatshirt emblazoned with the words “The Guardfather.” The hoodie, a one-of-a-kind creation, underscored his self-proclaimed role as the architect of Hofstra’s storied guard tradition. Claxton, who last played for the Pride in 2000, returned to the Hempstead campus to lead the team into the tournament, a move that has redefined his career. Hofstra has long been recognized for producing elite guards, a legacy Claxton claims he helped establish. He listed names like Justin Wright-Foreman, Desure Buie, and Aaron Estrada, alongside current stars Cruz Davis and Preston Edmead, as part of the program’s tradition. “We’ve raised good guards,” he said, adding, “I’m the one who kind of started that. So I’m The Guardfather.” The nickname, which he now embraces, reflects his pride in the program’s history and his role in shaping it. Claxton’s journey from player to coach has been marked by both surprise and determination. After a decade in the NBA, including a championship with the San Antonio Spurs, his return to Hofstra in 2021 as head coach was unexpected. Yet, his coaching career has flourished, with a .629 winning percentage over five seasons—ranked highest among Hofstra coaches with multiple seasons in charge. His success has positioned him to surpass Tom Pecora as the program’s all-time winningest coach in the coming years. The transition from player to coach was not without challenges. Claxton admitted to struggling initially with the shift in lifestyle, from the intensity of competition to the demands of administrative duties.#san_antonio_spurs #hofstra #speedy_claxton #tom_pecora #don_nelson
