Earl Boykins

Earl Boykins is an American basketball coach and former professional player who is currently serving as an assistant coach for the UTEP Miners men's basketball team. Teams he has played in the National Basketball Association included Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, and Houston Rockets, to name a few.

Player Profile

Earl Antoine Boykins was born on June 2, 1976, in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Standing at just 165 cm tall and weighing 60 kg, Boykins is the second-shortest player in NBA history behind Muggsy Bogues.

Despite his small stature, he had a remarkable 13-year career in the NBA, known for his quickness, ball-handling skills, and scoring ability.

High School and College Career

Boykins attended Cleveland Central Catholic High School in Cleveland, Ohio. He then played college basketball at Eastern Michigan University from 1994 to 1998.

Boykins earned the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award in 1998, given to the nation's best player under 6 feet tall. He was also named an AP Honorable Mention All-American (1998), MAC Tournament MVP (1998), and was a two-time First-team All-MAC selection (1997, 1998).

Eastern Michigan retired his jersey number 11, and he was named USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year in 1997 after helping the United States win a gold medal at the Summer Universiade in Trapani, Italy.

Professional Career

After going undrafted in the 1998 NBA Draft, Boykins began his professional career with the Rockford Lightning of the Continental Basketball Association.

He made his NBA debut with the New Jersey Nets on February 7, 1999, and went on to play for ten different NBA teams over 13 seasons.

His most successful years came with the Denver Nuggets (2003-2007), where he averaged double-digit scoring for three consecutive seasons.

Throughout his NBA career, Boykins appeared in 652 regular-season games, averaging 8.9 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.

He also played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Bobcats, Washington Wizards, and the Houston Rockets.

Between NBA stints, Boykins also played internationally, winning a EuroChallenge championship with Virtus Bologna in 2009.

Coaching Career

After retiring as a player, Boykins began his coaching career as the head coach for the Douglas County High School boys varsity basketball team in Castle Rock, Colorado, from 2013 to 2019.

He then served as the director of student-athlete development at the University of Arkansas under Eric Musselman for two seasons (2019-21).

In 2021, Boykins joined the University of Texas El Paso as an assistant coach under head coach Joe Golding.

He is currently in his fourth season with the program, where the team has posted two winning seasons in three years, including 18 victories on the way to appearing in the 2024 Conference USA Tournament Championship game.

His work has gained recognition, as he was invited to participate in the prestigious 2024 TopConnect Basketball Symposium, which identifies the top assistant basketball coaches in the country.

Career Highlights:

• 2009 - EuroChallenge Champion (Virtus Bologna)
• 1998 - Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award
• 1998 - AP Honorable Mention All-American
• 1998 - MAC Tournament MVP
• 1997, 1998 - First-team All-MAC
• 1996 - Second-team All-MAC
• 1995 - MAC All-Freshman Team
• 1997 - USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year

Medal Record, Men's Basketball Representing the United States

• Gold - 1997 Summer Universiade Trapani