UVA Basketball alum Kyle Guy, for whatever reason, could just never catch on in the NBA, so now, at age 26, in what should be his prime, he’s switching gears, and going into coaching.
Guy will work under Tony Bennett as an athlete development mentor/special assistant, UVA Athletics announced on Wednesday.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kyle and his family back to Charlottesville,” Bennett said. “Kyle is not only one of the best players I’ve ever coached, but also one of the finest young men I’ve met. He will make an immediate impact on our program, working with our players and sharing the expertise and competitive fire he’s gained throughout his collegiate and professional career.”
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Guy left UVA after his junior season, in 2019, after helping lead the program to its first national title, and was a second-round draft pick, landing in Sacramento after a draft-night trade from the New York Knicks.
He played in 34 games in two seasons in Sacramento, then got 19 games with Miami in 2021-2022, as NBA teams tried to get him to make the switch from two guard to running the point.
In parts of two seasons in the G League, Guy seemed to take to the switch, averaging 21.1 points and 4.7 assists per game at the one spot.
The writing was on the wall, though, and after trying to get a full-time NBA gig for three years, Guy decided to go overseas in 2022, and he spent the past two seasons bouncing around Europe, where his minutes (20.4 per game) have been limited, which you notice in his other numbers (11.2 points per game, 42.3% FG, 35.0% 3FG in 83 games over the past two years).
Guy, an Indianapolis native, told the Indy Star in an interview last month that he had come to terms with how “maybe the NBA closed the door on me for now.”
“I’m very at peace with my career,” Guy said in the interview. “I’ve been lucky enough to make good money and play in Sacramento, Miami, Barcelona, Athens and Tenerife. It’s hard to beat those places. Basketball has done me good, so I’m not hung up on, I have to get to the NBA. I know I’m good enough. If it happens, great. If it doesn’t, I’ll be in a good spot.”
The big factor for him, as I wrote in a piece looking at Guy’s career last month, is family – Guy and his wife, Alexa, have two young children, so he really couldn’t afford to make $40,000 a year in the G League to be available and at the ready if an NBA job were to open up.
A seemingly eternally happy locker-room presence, Guy was also productive on the floor at UVA, where he was a Final Four Most Outstanding Player, two-time All-American, two-time All-ACC first-team honoree and ACC Tournament MVP, and will forever be remembered by ‘Hoos fans for the three free throws he sank with six-tenths of a second left in the 63-62 win over Auburn in the 2019 Final Four.
“C’ville, I am back!” Guy said. “I want to sincerely thank Coach Bennett and Carla Williams for trusting me with the opportunity to come back and begin this next chapter of my life. This was not an easy decision for me, but knowing how much love I have for this culture and community made it very clear where I should be with my family. I’m beyond excited to help this team and the University in any way needed. I’m also excited for my kids to see the work never stops! Fail harder!”
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Chris Graham
