John Griffin III

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = John Griffin III

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| position = Head coach

| team = Bucknell Bison

| league = Patriot League

| current_record =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|12|3}}{{cite web|url=https://basketball.realgm.com/player/John-Griffin/Summary/17077|title=John Griffin Player Profile, Bucknell - RealGM|website=basketball.realgm.com|access-date=May 21, 2024}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| high_school = St. Joseph's Prep
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

| college = Bucknell (2004–2008)

| career_start = 2008

| career_end = 2012

| coach_start = 2010

| years1 = 2008–2009

| team1 = Crailsheim Merlins

| years2 = 2010

| team2 = BK Inter Bratislava

| years3 = 2011

| team3 = Leicester Riders

| cyears1 = 2010–2011

| cteam1 = Indiana Pacers (Video Coordinator)

| cyears2 = 2012

| cteam2 = Rider (DBO)

| cyears3 = 2013–2015

| cteam3 = Rider (assistant)

| cyears4 = 2015–2019

| cteam4 = Bucknell (assistant)

| cyears5 = 2019–2023

| cteam5 = Saint Joseph's (associate HC)

| cyears6 = 2023–present

| cteam6 = Bucknell

| highlights =

As player:

ProB champion (2009)
ProB Most Valuable Player (2009)
First-team All-Patriot League (2008)
Patriot League All-Rookie Team (2005)

As coach:

Patriot League regular season champion (2025)
Patriot League Coach of the Year (2025)

}}

John Griffin III (born December 3, 1985) is an American college basketball coach, currently the head men's coach for the Bucknell Bison.https://bucknellbison.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/john-griffin-iii/1232

Playing career

Griffin attended St. Joseph's Preparatory School in Philadelphia and led the basketball team to a Philadelphia Catholic League title as a senior in 2004.{{cite web|url=https://gobroncs.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/john-griffin/489|title=John Griffin III|publisher=Rider Broncs|access-date=1 April 2023}}

In his first season as a professional in 2008–2009, Griffin played with the Crailsheim Merlins in the German second-tier ProB. He led the team to a league title and was named the league's most valuable player. After suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, Griffin joined BK Inter Bratislava in Slovakia in early 2010.{{cite news|url=https://bucknellbison.com/news/2008/9/2/209018611|title=Alumni Corner|publisher=Bucknell Bison|date=1 March 2010|access-date=1 April 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/basketball/14388051|title=Leicester Riders thrilled with John Griffin deal|work=BBC Sport|date=3 August 2011|access-date=1 April 2023}} He signed with the Leicester Riders of the British Basketball League in late 2011. Griffin played one final season in Italy in 2011–2012.

Coaching career

Griffin's first coaching position was with the Indiana Pacers as a Video Game Coordinator. He'd move to the college ranks to join the coaching staff at Rider first as the director of operations then as an assistant coach.https://gobroncs.com/staff-directory/john-griffin/148 From 2015 to 2019, he'd coach at his alma mater, Bucknell University, as an assistant, before joining Saint Joseph's as their associate head coach under Billy Lange.{{cite web |title=John Griffin III |url=https://sjuhawks.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/john-griffin-iii/428 |website=Saint Joseph's Hawks |access-date=1 April 2023}}

On March 21, 2023, he was hired as the head coach at Bucknell replacing Nathan Davis.{{cite press release|url=https://bucknellbison.com/news/2023/3/21/mens-basketball-john-griffin-iii-08-named-mens-basketball-head-coach-at-bucknell.aspx|title=John Griffin III '08 Named Men's Basketball Head Coach at Bucknell|publisher=Bucknell Bison|date=April 1, 2023|access-date=March 21, 2023}}{{cite web |title=John Griffin III '08 Named Men's Basketball Head Coach at Bucknell |url=https://patriotleague.org/news/2023/3/21/john-griffin-iii-08-named-mens-basketball-head-coach-at-bucknell.aspx |website=Patriot League |access-date=1 April 2023}}{{cite web |last1=Callahan |first1=Kevin |title=John Griffin III takes over as head coach at alma mater Bucknell |url=https://www.cityofbasketballlove.com/news_article/show/1267073 |website=City of Basketball Love |access-date=1 April 2023}}{{cite web |title=John Griffin III named new Bucknell men's basketball coach |url=https://www.sungazette.com/sports/local-sports/2023/03/john-griffin-iii-named-new-bucknell-mens-basketball-coach/ |website=Williamsport Sun-Gazette |access-date=1 April 2023}}

Personal life

Griffin's father, John Griffin, also coached college basketball, serving as head coach at Siena and Saint Joseph's. His brother, Matt, played at Rider and Boston University.

Griffin married Brianna Gauthier, who played college basketball at Mount St. Mary's.

Head coaching record

{{CBB Yearly Record Start | type = | conference = | postseason = | poll = }}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Bucknell Bison

| conference = Patriot League

| startyear = 2023

| endyear =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2023–24

| name = Bucknell

| overall = 14–19

| conference = 10–8

| confstanding = T–2nd

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| season = 2024–25

| name = Bucknell

| overall = 18–15

| conference = 13–5

| confstanding = T–1st

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Bucknell

| overall = {{Winning percentage|32|34|record=y}}

| confrecord = {{Winning percentage|23|13|record=y}}

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record End

| overall = {{Winning percentage|32|34|record=y}}

| poll =

| polltype =

| polltype2 =

}}

References

External links

[https://gobroncs.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/john-griffin/489 Rider Broncs profile]
[https://bucknellbison.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/john-griffin/602 Bucknell Bison profile]
[https://sjuhawks.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/john-griffin-iii/746 Saint Joseph's Hawks profile]

Category:1985 births

Category:Living people

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Germany

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Italy

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Slovakia

Category:American expatriate basketball people in the United Kingdom

Category:American men's basketball coaches

Category:American men's basketball players

Category:Basketball coaches from Pennsylvania

Category:Basketball players from Philadelphia

Category:BK Inter Bratislava players

Category:Bucknell Bison men's basketball coaches