Former Arizona Wildcats basketball standout Luke Walton has been named the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, according to a team release.
The 36-year old becomes 26th head coach in franchise-history.
Walton, who currently serves as an assistant for the Golden State Warriors, played at Arizona from 1999 through 2003.
Walton was twice named to the All-Pac-10 team during his collegiate career. As a senior, he averaged 15.5 points for the Wildcats and was named Honorable Mention Associated Press All-American.
The Los Angeles Lakers selected Walton in the second round of the 2003 NBA Draft, and he played the next nine years with the franchise before finishing his playing career with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Walton’s first coaching job came at the University of Memphis, where he worked under former Arizona Wildcat Josh Pastner.
After spending a year with the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA D-League, Walton became an assistant for the Golden Warriors in 2014.
This past season, he served as interim head coach for the Warriors while Steve Kerr missed the first 43 games of the year to rehabilitate his back.
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