Cody Toppert - Assistant Coach - Men's Basketball Coaches

Coaching Staff, 2020-21 Men's Basketball

Cody Toppert

Title:
Assistant Coach
Phone:
901-678-2346
Instagram:
@topp33

Cody Toppert joined coach Penny Hardaway's staff as an assistant coach in June 2019 after serving as an assistant and Director of Player Development for the Phoenix Suns.

Before joining the NBA's Suns, Toppert spent three seasons coaching in the NBA's G League. He served as an assistant with Houston Rockets' G-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, for two seasons (2015-16 and 2016-17) and as a head coach with the Phoenix Suns' affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns, in 2017-18. During his season with the Northern Arizona Suns, Toppert led the team to a record number of wins (23). In 2016-17 with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, he directed the Vipers to the G League finals.

Known for his ability to develop players, Toppert had a Northern Arizona Suns' record five players promoted to an NBA roster during the 2017-18 season. The five call-ups represented the most unique player call-ups of any NBA G League team that season.

Toppert also was instrumental in the G League team's offensive improvement. The Suns led the league in 3-pointers made per game (14.9) and finished second in scoring at 119.3 points per game.

During Toppert's time with Phoenix, Devin Booker averaged a career-high 26.6 points (seventh-best in the NBA) and career-high 6.8 assists. He was one of four players to average at least 25 points and 6 assists, joining James Harden, LeBron James and Damian Lillard in the select club.

Toppert also was instrumental in the development of Mikal Bridges and T.J. Warren at Phoenix. Bridges had a steal-to-turnover ratio of 1.84 to rank second in the NBA, while becoming the first Suns' rookie in franchise history to amass 100 or more 3-pointers and 100 or more steals in the same season. Warren shot 42.8 percent from beyond the arc under Toppert, a dramatic increase from his 28.3 percent career average. His 77 made 3-pointers during the 2017-18 season nearly matched his 79 made 3-pointers the previous four seasons.

Toppert's NBA Pre-Draft program produced 12 NBA Draft picks. He also worked exclusively with Robert Covington and Tyler Johnson, who signed the two largest contracts by undrafted players in NBA history.

A Cornell graduate, Toppert was a four-year starter (from 2001-05) for the Ivy League school. He finished his career ranked first in school history in 3-pointers made (237) and games played (108). He remains ranked in the Top 10 in Ivy League history in 3-pointers made. He ranks 11th on the school's career-scoring list with 1,232 points.

He also played one season in the NBA's developmental league with the Albuquerque Thunderbirds, helping the team to a league title in 2006. Toppert spent eight seasons playing professionally overseas for multiple organizations, including teams in New Zealand, Portugal, Germany, Spain and Italy before beginning his coaching career in 2015.

Toppert comes from a basketball family. His father (Bob) and his mother (Linda) played for the University of New Mexico in the 1970s. His brother (Chad) played for the Lobos from 2005 to 2009. His wife, Brittany, was one of most highly regarded high school soccer players in the state of New Mexico before continuing her career at Arizona State and playing pro soccer internationally following her graduation.

Cody and Brittany are the parents of two daughters, Kinsley and Riley.