Athletics: Jim Todd - 2003 Inductee - Graduated 1976 and 1978
Jim Todd enjoyed tremendous success as a player and a coach on
the basketball court for Fitchburg State. He started immediately
as a freshman and collected over 900 career points as a swing forward
for the Falcons. In 1976, following his standout playing career,
Todd became an assistant coach for the Green and Gold. From 1978
to 1980 he served head coach. Jim also accomplished the rare feat
of coaching a high school team and a college team at the same time,
and gave a glimpse of things to come when he guided Notre Dame of
Fitchburg to the state championship.
Winning continued to follow Todd after he left Fitchburg State
in 1980. He quickly secured assistant positions at Division I programs
Columbia, Marist and Manhattan. At Marist he helped develop the
skills of future NBA All-Star Rik Smits. Following the Division
I experience, Todd became the enemy when he became the head coach
at Salem State. At SSC, he squads reached the postseason eight times
in nine years and amassed an impressive 110-10 record in MASCAC
play.
Todd realized a life long dream in 1996 when he joined Chris Ford’s
staff of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks. In 1999, Ford and Todd
left Milwaukee to coach the LA Clippers. When Ford was relieved
of his duties in 2000, Tood became the head coach. Finally, the
man who played college basketball in Parkinson Gymnaisum, was patrolling
the NBA sidelines as a head coach.
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