Darren Erman: LLB to the NBA
Learn about the former lawyer who transitioned to becoming a basketball coach.
Darren Erman is currently an assistant coach with the New York Knicks under Tom Thibodeau. He previously served as the head coach of the Maine Red Claws and was an assistant coach for the New Orleans Pelicans, Golden State Warriors, Brandeis Judges, and St. Anthony High School.
In this article, you‘ll learn how Darren Erman went from practicing law to becoming a coach in the NBA. For more weekly content like this, please subscribe to “Behind the Coaching”, for the best knowledge about coaches, mentors, and teachers in our sports.
Before Coaching
Darren Erman attended Northwestern University in Chicago to pursue a career in practicing law as a lawyer.
His inspiration to become a coach started in high school when he wrote a paper about wanting to become a basketball coach after he graduated. In college, he was a student coach and was often referred to “Coach” in his dorm because of his passion of wanting to become a coach.
Erman worked at Arby's for three and a half years as well as Kinkos, bell boy, and other blue-collar jobs. After graduating law school, he worked for the Latham & Watkins law firm, but left after not having a lot of passion for wanting to continue practicing law.
St. Anthony High School (2003-2005)
Erman started his coaching career as an assistant coach under Bob Hurley at St. Anthony High School located in Jersey City, New Jersey. As a lawyer, he called Coach Hurley once a week for a month until Hurley offered him a position.
Brandeis Judges (2005-2007)
Erman became an assistant coach under Brian Meehan for Brandeis Judges men’s basketball team for 2 seasons.
Boston Celtics (2007-2010)
Erman was working with Celtics players: Brain Scalabrine, Tony Allen, Delonte West, and Ryan Gomes when one night, Steve Pagliuca, a co-owner of the Boston Celtics approached Erman and asked him if he could train his kids. After a while, Erman was offered a job during the Celtics Summer League then worked his way up to the main staff as a consultant in 2007, where he worked closely with top assistants Lawerence Frank and Tom Thibodeau.
The Celtics won the championship in 2008. Afterwards, he was a coaching assistant under Doc Rivers until 2010.
Throughout Erman’s 3 seasons with the Celtics, he notably worked with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Sam Cassell, Brian Sclabrine, Tony Allen, Delonte West, Stephon Marbury, Nate Robinson, and Rasheed Wallace.
Golden State Warriors (2010-2014)
Coach Erman was hired as an assistant coach under rookie head coach Mark Jackson‘s staff with the Golden State Warriors.
In 2014, the Warriors coaching staff underwent internal changes that resulted in media coverage. For starters, assistant Brian Scalabrine was demoted to the Warriors’s D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz. In 2016, Scalabrine revealed that he wasn’t on the same page with head coach Mark Jackson, however to this day, the exact reason for Erman’s dismissal remains unknown to this day.
Coach Erman himself was fired from the team in 2014 for "violation of company policy”. Ending his 4 year tenure with the Warriors. He was part of 1 playoff run in 2013, where they reached the conference semi-finals, making the playoffs for the first time since 2007. The Warriors would lose to the Spurs in 6 games. Erman was fired before the 2014 playoffs.
Erman notably coached Stephen Curry, Monte Ellis, David Lee, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andrew Bogut, Nate Robinson, Richard Jefferson, and Jarrett Jack.
Return to the Celtics (2014-2015)
Shortly after being fired from Golden State, Erman returned to the Boston Celtics under head coach Brad Stevens as the Director of Scouting. He had chose the rejoining the Celtics over reuniting with Doc Rivers with the Clippers.
“Darren’s really a great defensive coach,” Stevens said. “He’s more than that. I think sometimes we pigeon-hole guys because he’s obviously specialized in that. But he is detail-oriented as detail-oriented gets. If your hands aren’t in the right place as you’re guarding in a pick-and-roll, or if your body positioning’s not at the right angle, or you don’t guard the post in the exact right way, he’ll stop it and he’ll correct it.” - Brad Stevens on Darren Erman
In Erman’s only year under Stevens, the Celtics were ranked 12th best overall defense in the league. In his second stint with the Celtics, Erman notably coached Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart, Isaiah Thomas, Gerald Wallace, and Jae Crowder.
New Orleans Pelicans (2015-2018)
Coach Erman was hired an assistant coach under Monty Williams in New Orleans, he was later retained under Alvin Gentry. The Pelicans were ranked 8th best overall defense in the 2016-2017 season and the 14th best in 2017-2018 season.
He was promoted to associate head coach for the 2017-2018 season, his last before the Pelicans reshaped the coaching staff.
During his Pelicans tenure, Erman notably coached Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans, Eric Gordon, DeMarcus Cousins, Elfrid Payton, Christian Wood and reunited with Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins from their Celtics tenure.
Maine Red Claws (2019-2020)
Erman became the head coach of the Maine Red Claws, the Boston Celtics G-League Affiliate. The team finished 28-14 in Erman’s first and only season with the team.
Notably on the roster was Tacko Fall, the 3rd tallest player in NBA history, standing at 7’6 (2.31 m).
“On the pick-and-roll, I worked to position myself to be in the best place to play two people at the same time. I’m utilizing my length and things like that, so it just came naturally. So when I’m in the game, I don’t have to think about it. All of that comes with reps and luckily, coach (Darren Erman) is a really good defensive coach, so he’s been able to help with that.” - Tacko Fall on Darren Erman
New York Knicks (2020-)
Coach Erman was hired an assistant coach for the New York Knicks under Tom Thibodeau, who Erman worked with when Coach Thibodeau was Doc Rivers’s lead assistant from 2007-2010 before leaving to become the head coach of the Chicago Bulls.
The New York Knicks have made the playoffs in 4 out of the 5 years Thibodeau and his staff at the helms so far, snapping their 7 year playoff drought in 2020. Their playoff appearances most recently includes a conference semi-finals appearance in 2024, losing to the Indiana Pacers in 7 games.
Throughout his current tenure with the Knicks, Erman has notably coached Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, RJ Barrett, Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley, Kemba Walker, Obi Toppin, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Darren Erman’s story can be compared to what the average person could go through with their own careers, when your heart isn’t in the right place or if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, you’re not going to make it far.
Coach Erman decided to pursue his lifelong goal of becoming a basketball coach after experimenting with a career that he thought was going to be his lifelong one. He’s made an impact everywhere he’s been so far in his career, so it can definitely be agreed on that it was worth the career switch.
aka Michael Scott