Aaron Swinson Position: Assistant Coach Experience: 3rd Year

Former NBA player and international basketball star Aaron Swinson is in his third season as an assistant coach for the Golden Hurricane.

During his two seasons at Tulsa, Swinson has been instrumental in coaching three-time All-Conference USA performer, two-time Conference USA All-Defensive Team honoree, and the 2010 C-USA Defensive Player of the Year, Larrissa Williams.

Swinson, a native of Brunswick, Ga., came to TU after spending one season as an assistant head coach with the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League. In the 2007-08 season, Swinson helped lead that team to a 26-24 mark. In 2008, Swinson also served as one of 10 selected head coaches for the NBA Development League pre-draft camp, and was an assistant coach for the inaugural NBA Development Summer League in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Prior to his stint with the 66ers, Swinson was the Holland Hall Preparatory School varsity girl's basketball head coach for one year and served as an assistant coach. In 2006, he was instrumental in helping the Dutch win their Southwest Preparatory Conference Division 2 Championship.

Swinson was a three-year letterwinner and two-year team captain at Auburn University. He was a two-time All-Southeastern Conference selection. He concluded his career with a .609 field goal percentage, just behind Charles Barkley's .626 on the school's all-time chart. Swinson had a 16.9 scoring average and totaled 1,386 career points, the 12th most points in school history.

Swinson has 11 years of professional playing experience, beginning in 1994 with the Phoenix Suns. He was selected as the first overall pick by the Yakima Sunkings in the 1994 Continental Basketball Association draft and led that team to the CBA Championship in 1995. Swinson earned Team MVP and first-team all-Rookie honors that season. Following his experience in the NBA and CBA, Swinson played 10 seasons internationally, spending time in Italy, Spain, France and Argentina.

Following his playing career, Swinson returned to Auburn and received his bachelor's degree in adult education in 2005.

Swinson and his wife, Head Coach Charlene Thomas-Swinson, have one son, Charles, and a daughter, Jada.