Past. Present. Future. That is what defines Speedy Claxton and his relationship with the Hofstra men's basketball program.
During his spectacular playing career, he lifted the Pride to the NCAA Tournament. During his eight years as a member of the coaching staff, he helped guide the team back to the top of the conference.
Claxton now enters year five at the helm of the Hofstra men’s basketball program after a strong first four seasons leading the Pride.
Claxton was named the 13th head coach in Hofstra University men's basketball history on April 7, 2021.
Hofstra won 15 games in 2024-25, including marquee wins over Seton Hall and Massachusetts.
In 2023-24, Claxton posted his third consecutive 20-win season. It marked the program’s fifth consecutive 20-win campaign (not including the shortened 2020-21 campaign). The Pride had a multitude of other highlights during the season as well. Tyler Thomas was named the CAA Player of the Year, while two other student-athletes earned postseason honors from the conference. Remarkably, Thomas receiving the CAA's top honor marks the third consecutive season the program has had the conference's player of the year. The team advanced to the semifinals of the CAA Championship for the fifth time in the last six years and earlier in the season was crowned the champions of the Gulf Coast Showcase. Thomas would add the Haggerty Award as well following the season, marking the second straight year Hofstra captured that prestigious honor. And during the summer, Thomas (Chicago Bulls) and Aaron Estrada (Detroit Pistons) earned NBA Summer League invites.
Claxton elevated Hofstra in year two to even greater heights. The then second-year skipper guided the Pride to 25 wins, the regular season Colonial Athletic Association title, a spot in the National Invitation Tournament and first round win in the NIT over Rutgers. That wasn’t all, either, as Claxton garnered a trio of coaching honors as he was the CAA Coach of the Year and a finalist for both the Ben Jobe and Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year awards. Claxton, who was just the second Hofstra coach to earn the CAA’s award since the Pride joined the league in 2001-02, also oversaw the development of three All-CAA honorees in 2022-23 including CAA Player of the Year Estrada. In each of the previous three seasons, Hofstra has also earned a victory over a nationally-ranked opponent, including twice with him at the helm.
It was a highly-successful first year for Claxton leading the way as he guided Hofstra to a 21-win season that included one of the toughest non-conference schedules in program history. The Pride nearly pulled off a trio of upsets in non-conference play, taking #15 Houston to overtime and playing #20 Maryland to a two-point game before stunning #24 Arkansas in December for the program’s second-ever win over an Associated Press ranked opponent and the first since 1976. A finalist for the Joe B. Hall Award (presented to the top first-year head coach), Claxton reconstructed a roster that would see four different student-athletes earn postseason honors. Leading the way was Estrada, who became the fourth CAA Player of the Year that Claxton has worked with at Hofstra.
Claxton, who starred at Hofstra from 1996 to 2000, completed his eighth season on the Hofstra basketball staff and his seventh as an assistant coach in 2020-21. He has been an important part of the turnaround that has seen the Hofstra men's basketball program win 144 games over the previous seven seasons and average more than 20 wins a season during that time.
Hofstra set a school record with 27 victories during the 2018-19 season and earned its first outright regular season conference title since the 2000-01 season. The Pride advanced to the CAA Championship Game and the regular season title earned Hofstra an automatic berth in the National Invitation Tournament.
The 2019-20 season saw Hofstra continue its outstanding play as the Pride won 26 games and captured their second straight outright Colonial Athletic Association regular season title. Hofstra would go on to win the CAA championship and earn the program's first NCAA Tournament berth since 2001. The Pride became only the sixth team in conference history (since 1982-83) to win back-to-back outright conference regular season titles.
Named a top mid-major assistant coach by the Minority Coaches Association in October 2020, Claxton worked with a pair of CAA Players of the Year (Juan'ya Green and Justin Wright-Foreman) during his time as an assistant coach, with Wright-Foreman claiming the honor twice (2017-18 and 2018-19).
Under his tutelage, a number of Hofstra guards saw dramatic improvements including Wright-Foreman, who blossomed into one of Hofstra's most prolific scorers and was selected by Utah in the 2019 NBA Draft. Another guard who benefitted from working with Claxton was Desure Buie, who would earn First Team All-Colonial Athletic Association honors as a senior in 2020 and was the CAA Championship Most Outstanding Player that year as well. Buie and Eli Pemberton, who scored nearly 2,000 points during his Pride career, have gone on to successful professional careers.
Claxton joined the Hofstra staff in 2013 as a special assistant to Head Coach Joe Mihalich after spending three seasons as a scout with the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In 2014, he took on his role as assistant coach.
A two-time Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American, Claxton graduated from Hofstra in 2000 as one of only six players in school history to score 2,000 career points (2,015). He also graduated as the program's all-time leader in both assists (660) and steals (288), and was a two-time Player of the Year selection in the America East Conference (1998, 2000). He was the recipient of the Haggerty Award, given to the top player in the Metropolitan New York area, in 2000 after leading Hofstra to an America East Conference championship and its first NCAA Division I tournament berth in 23 years. Claxton also was a four-time All-America East selection, a four-time All-Metropolitan New York pick, and a three-time NABC All-District selection during his playing career.
His highly successful collegiate career with Hofstra saw Claxton average at least 13.3 points per game in each of his four seasons. He started his career by averaging 15 points per contest during his freshman campaign and his stellar tenure culminated with a 22.8 points per game average in 1999-2000, his senior season. Claxton left his mark in all areas of the game, though, as his career assists and steals totals showcase. He had a high of 7.2 assists per game during his sophomore campaign and his 3.3 steals per game during his senior year was tops during his four-year career.
A native of Hempstead, New York, Claxton notched career-highs in points against Hartford and Maine as he poured in 40 points in back-to-back games in January of 1999. His high of 13 assists occurred twice, including against New Hampshire in 1998 and against Stony Brook during the 1998-99 campaign. Claxton totaled a career-best 11 rebounds versus Drexel in March of 1999.
He had his number 10 jersey retired by Hofstra and was inducted into the Hofstra Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010. He was also honored by the University with an Alumni Achievement Award in 2013.
Claxton enjoyed a decade-long career in the NBA. He was a first round draft pick (20th overall) of the Philadelphia 76ers in 2000. After missing his rookie season due to a knee injury suffered during the preseason, he returned to play in 67 games for Philadelphia in 2001-02 and averaged 7.2 points and 3.0 assists per game. In 2002, he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs and played on San Antonio's 2003 championship team as the backup to starting point guard Tony Parker, and was on the floor in the fourth quarter of the decisive sixth game against the New Jersey Nets.
In 2003, Claxton signed a three-year contract with the Golden State Warriors but was traded to the New Orleans Hornets in 2005. In 2006, he signed a four-year contract with the Atlanta Hawks before being traded back to Golden State in 2009, where he finished out his career in 2010.
During his NBA career, Claxton averaged 9.3 points, 4.3 assists, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. His best season came during the 2004-05 season when he averaged 13.1 points, 6.2 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game while playing for Golden State.
Prior to playing at Hofstra, Claxton was a star at fabled Christ the King High School in Middle Village, New York. He earned All-New York State, All-New York City, and All-CHSAA Brooklyn-Queens accolades and led the Royals to a 26-1 record as a senior. Claxton was inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Christ the King Hall of Fame in 2019.
Claxton, who has three daughters, Aniya, London, and Kiersten, resides in Dix Hills, New York.
THE SPEEDY CLAXTON FILE
Full Name: Craig Elliott "Speedy" Claxton
Date of Birth: May 8, 1978
Education: Hofstra University, 2000, BS in interdisciplinary studies
Collegiate Playing Career: Hofstra (1996-00)
Professional Playing Career: Philadelphia 76ers (2000-2002); San Antonio Spurs (2003); Golden State Warriors (2003-05, 2009-10); New Orleans Hornets (2005-06); Atlanta Hawks (2006-09)
NBA Scouting Career: Golden State Warriors (2010-13)
Coaching Career: Hofstra University, Assistant Coach (2013-21); Hofstra University, Head Coach (2021-present)
Children: Aniya, London, and Kiersten
Speedy Claxton Year-By-Year
YEAR RECORD (CAA)
2021-22 21-11 (13-5)
2022-23 25-10 (16-2)
2023-24 20-13 (12-6)
2024-25 15-18 (6-12)
TOTAL 81-52 (47-25)
