Milt Wagner enters his fourth season at Auburn, his eighth season under head coach Tony Barbee and his 14th overall with Barbee. He is one of the few players in history who has won championships at the professional, collegiate and prep levels as a player.
Wagner spent four successful seasons at UTEP from 2006-10 and six seasons at Memphis from 2000-06 while helping lead the Tigers to six straight postseason appearances, including the Elite Eight of the 2006 NCAA Tournament.
UTEP won the 2010 Conference USA Championship with a 26-7 record overall and a 15-1 league mark as it advanced to the NCAA Tournament before losing to eventual NCAA runner-up Butler.
UTEP averaged 20.5 wins during the four-year Barbee era and the Miners record steadily improved each season. UTEP reached postseason play three straight years.
The Miners went 27-8 in 2004-05 and won the WAC Tournament title en route to earning its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance. UTEP won 21 games in 2005-06 and went 11-3 in Conference USA while advancing to the NIT.
The Miners played in three postseason tournaments in his four years in El Paso. He coached Stefon Jackson, who is the all-time leading scorer in UTEP and Conference USA history; C-USA Player of the Year Randy Culpepper; All-CUSA second-team selection Derrick Carracter, who was drafted by the two-time defending World Champion Los Angeles Lakers in 2010; Arnett Moultrie, a 2009 C-USA All-Freshman Team selection, who was drafted in the 2012 NBA Draft first round and is with the Philadelphia 76ers; and C-USA All-Defensive Team member Julyan Stone.
Wagner came to UTEP after serving as Coordinator of Basketball Operations at Memphis for six seasons. While at Memphis, Wagner worked with Barbee and was a part of the school[apos]s run to 148 victories and six straight postseason tournament appearances, including the Elite Eight of the 2006 NCAA Tournament. Memphis also won the 2002 NIT.
Seven players coached by Wagner and Barbee at Memphis played in the NBA - Dajuan Wagner (Cleveland Cavaliers), Rodney Carney (Golden State Warriors), Joey Dorsey (Toronto Raptors), Chris Douglas-Roberts (Milwaukee Bucks), Antonio Burks (Memphis Grizzlies), Shawne Williams (Portland Trail Blazers) and Earl Barron (Portland Trail Blazers).
The Camden, N.J., native led Louisville to the 1986 NCAA Championship along with three Final Four berths while still ranking fifth (was fourth after finishing collegiate career) in Cardinal history with 1,836 career points.
The Cardinals[apos] 1986 NCAA Championship team defeated Duke 72-69 in the championship game and Auburn 84-76 in the Elite Eight. Louisville also advanced to the NCAA Final Four in 1982 and 1983 as well as to the 1984 NCAA Sweet 16. Wagner helped the Cardinals to a 113-32 record, three Metro Conference regular season titles and two Metro Conference Tournament crowns during his college career.
A three-time All-Metro Conference selection, Wagner had a 12.7 career scoring average while also averaging 3.0 assists and 2.5 rebounds. He played in 144 career games, second all-time at Louisville, and started the last 111 games he played.
One of the most clutch performers in U of L basketball history, he ranked sixth in career assists (432) and seventh in career free throw percentage (.808, 336-of-413). He redshirted the 1985 season with a broken foot.
[quote]Milt Wagner is a guy who I have known and worked with on the same staff at Memphis, who when you talk basketball resumes, there are very few people in his stratosphere when you talk about a playing career having won high school state championships in Camden, N.J., having won the National Championship at Louisville and also having won a NBA World Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in that group with Magic Johnson,[quote] said Barbee.
[quote]There hasn[apos]t been a more accomplished basketball resume from the playing side, and Milt is developing his coaching resume in the things that he has accomplished in the short period of time having worked with him closely at Memphis and then having him as a part of my staff at Auburn and UTEP. His connections are not only nationwide, but they are worldwide because of his experience playing in Europe for several years and obviously the name Milt Wagner rings a bell throughout the country. People remember his success as a player which has helped him be a very successful recruiter. He has brought all of that experience and connections with him to help us get it done at Auburn.[quote]
Following his brilliant college career, Wagner was selected in the second round of the 1986 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. He went on to enjoy a 13-year professional career which included an NBA title for the 1988 World Champion Los Angeles Lakers.
Wagner spent one season with the Miami Heat in 1990-91 and played in the CBA, as well as nine professional seasons in Israel and Europe.
A four-year letterman at Camden (N.J.) High School, he was a member of the 1979 state high school championship team and was a high school teammate and college teammate of Billy Thompson.
Wagner was one of 10 Louisville players named to the U of L Dream Team. He was a second-team selection on the squad which was picked during a three-month period of fan voting during the 1992-93 season. In 2000, Wagner[apos]s No. 20 jersey was retired at the University of Louisville.
He earned his bachelor[apos]s degree in Sports Communication from Memphis in 2004.
Born Feb. 20, 1963, Wagner is married to the former Jan Ford of Memphis and they have a daughter, Janay Elise (9). He also has a son Dajuan (30), who played for Memphis and was selected sixth overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2002 NBA Draft, and two daughters, Munirah Walker (31), and Dashonda Wagner (26).
Milt Wagner Quick Sketch
PERSONAL DATA: Born Milton Wagner Jr. on Feb. 20, 1963, in Camden, N.J.; married to the former Jan Ford of Memphis; the couple has one daughter, Janay Elise (9). He also has a son Dajuan (30), who played for Memphis and was selected sixth overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2002 NBA Draft, and has two daughters, Munirah Walker (31), and Dashonda Wagner (26).
PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE: College - Fourth season as assistant coach at Auburn (2010-pres.); Assistant coach at UTEP for four years (2006-10); Coordinator of Basketball Operations at Memphis for six years (2000-06).
EDUCATION: Graduated from Camden (N.J.) High School in 1981. Bachelor[apos]s degree in Sports Communication from Memphis in 2004.
PLAYING EXPERIENCE: Professional - Played for the Los Angeles Lakers for one season (1997-98) and won the NBA Championship; Played for the Miami Heat (1990-91); Played for Beitar Ramat Gan (1993-94), Hapoel Tel Aviv (1994-95), Hapoel Holon (1995-97), TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen (1997-98), ES Chalon-sur-Saone (1998-99). College - Four-year letterman for Louisville from 1981-84 and 1985-86), winning the 1986 NCAA Championship and reaching the NCAA Tournament Final Four in 1982 and 1983 as well as the 1984 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. Three-time All-Metro Conference selection. High School - Four-year letterman in basketball at Camden (N.J.) High School and won the state championship in 1979. High school and college teammate of Billy Thompson.