Lorenzo Romar is an American basketball coach and former player who is currently the men’s basketball head coach at Pepperdine University.
He is one of the outstanding basketball recruiters and the most genuine head coach in the PAC-10 tournament and NCCA tournament history.
Despite his short NBA career history as a player, Romar has acquired greatly, being the coach for several basketball teams.
From 1980 to 1985, he had a sound career in the NBA as a player. After that, Lorenzo started serving as a coach in 1992.
Stick with us till the end if you want to know more about Lorenzo, the famous American basketball coach and former NBA player.
Quick Facts
| Name | Lorenzo Romar |
| Date of Birth | November 13, 1958 |
| Birth Place | South Gate, California, USA |
| Age | 66 Years Old |
| Gender | Male |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | African-American |
| Horoscope | Scorpio |
| Education |
|
| Height | 6 ft 1 inch/1.85m/185 cm |
| Weight | 171 lbs/78 kg |
| Body Mass Index (BMI) | 24.9 |
| Build | Athletic |
| Hair Color | Bald |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
| Tattoo | Unknown |
| Father Name | Davis Romar |
| Mother Name | Dorothy Romar |
| Siblings | Wayne Romar |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife Name | Leona Romar |
| Children | Terra, Tavia, and Taylor |
| Playing Position | Point Gaurd |
| Agent | Unknown |
| Professional Debut | 1980–1985 (Playing), 1992-Present (Coaching) |
| Coaching Team | Pepperdine University |
| Net Worth | $3.5 Million |
| Social media | |
| Last Update | July 2025 |
Early Life and Family
On November 13, 1958, he was born in South Gate, California, to his parents, Davis and Dorothy.
His father used to work as a welder, and his mother was a thermostat company supervisor.
He grew up with a brother, Wayne Romar, in one of the harshest societies, no doubt. The young Romar used to live in the areas of gang members in Compton, California.
Compton is one of America’s most populous cities, where street gangs are widespread, including organized crime and extreme poverty.
And these harsh circumstances enabled him to negotiate an urban obstacle course much like a full-court press, where he never panicked or took undue chances.
In one interview, Lorenzo describes his experiences in Compton.
“There are neighborhoods, and everybody has front yards and back yards, but it’s kind of wild there.”
Education
The basketball coach attended his high school education at Saint Pius X in Downey, California. After school, he joined Cerritos College in 1976.
But after two years, he left Cerritos and started playing and studying at the University Of Washington. He played and graduated from the University of Washington in 1980.
Age, Height & Body Measurement
As of 2025, the professional basketball coach is 66 years old.
And based on his birth chart, his horoscope is Scorpio.
The 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) tall former point guard Lorenzo weighs around 171 lb (78 kg). He is an American native who currently resides in Malibu, California.
Romar has a gigantic body measurement with an average height. His eye color is dark brown, and he is blad.
NBA Career
Romar Lorenzo used to be a point guard while playing with his college team. In 1980, he was drafted by the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors picked Romar in the 7th round, with 141 picks overall. He played three years with the team, and in November 1983, he was signed by Milwaukee Bucks as a free agent.
In 1985, he became a point guard for Detroit Pistons.
After the 1984-85 season, Romar joined “Athletes in Action” and played for seven seasons, later becoming a player-coach for the organization.
Coaching Career
Lorenzo Romar initiated his coaching career in the 1990s when he coached for Athletes in Action.
However, he remained there for a short time. After leaving the organization, he was recruited as an assistant coach at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
He has been credited and praised for recruiting many new talents for the 1995 national championship team during those times.
After four years of his successful career, he was assigned as head coach for Pepperdine University.
As a head coach, he spent three years at Pepperdine. Then, in 1999 he joined Saint Louis and also coached there for another three years.
Head Coach For University Of Washington
Romar was honored as the most serving coach at the Pac-12 conference with 15 years of coaching with the University of Washington.
It was Romar who brought the Huskies to an elite level and unparalleled success.
Following the signing of a 10-year contract extension in April 2010, Romar continued to wander the Huskies and drew their success.
As a coach, Lorenzo had qualified the University of Washington for the NCAA Tournament in 2004 for the first time in five years.
And during 2006, he led his team, Washington, to gain three back-to-back tournament appearances.
With a record of 298–195, Romar culminated in Washington. He was able to make six NCAA and three NITs tournaments.
However, he could not make the NCAA Tournament for six straight years before his firing in the end.
Lorenzo was attributed to changing around and generating new momentum for the University of Washington basketball program.
However, after fifteen years, Romar was dismissed from Washington in 2017.
Arizona’s Assistant Coach
In 2017, Lorenzo Romar accepted Arizona as an associate head coach.
It was without a doubt, his 21 years of experience as head coach in Washington benefited Arizona.
Romar had also become head coach for Arizona for one day, as the FBI took head coach Sean Miller for paying a bribe to Deandre Ayton. Evidently, he left Arizona in 2018.
Return To Pepperdine University
For over two decades, Romar has been an effective head coach and is acknowledged as being among the country’s best recruiters.
He is back at Pepperdine Waves men’s basketball team and held charge of men’s basketball programs with all their experiences.
So far, Lorenzo is training the team in his unique way, and he is also trying to recruit new talent to the team.
Rare Coaching Style
Romar is acknowledged to have one of the nation’s best basketball recruitment abilities.
In a Pac-10 poll, he was elected as “the opposing coach players would most like to play for” as a sincere and positive individual.
He was recognized for his exceptional character with his renowned Mentor Wooden’s “Keys to Life” award in March 2006.
Married Life And Children
The veteran coach, Lorenzo, is a married man. He has been married long-time, and so far, he and his beloved wife are still together.
His wife’s name is Leona Romar, and the couple married while he played for Golden State Warriors.
However, the couple has known each other since they were in high school, and they marched down the aisle in 1983.
Its been almost four long decades since their marriage, and to this day, there are no rumors regarding Lorenzo and his wife Leona’s divorce.
Meanwhile, they are the parents of three daughters—Terra, Tavia, and Taylor.
The couple is also a social activist who has been active in charitable work for a long time. In 2006, they founded “Lorenzo Romar Foundation.”
Their foundation basically works against domestic violence and gives educational assistance to needy ones; they have helped many families so far.
Net Worth & Earnings
The current coach of Pepperdine has earned a great amount of fortune and fame through his long-running career.
As of July 2025, Romar has an estimated net worth of $3.5 million.
Lorenzo used to be an NBA player. And through his NBA career, he must have earned thousands of dollars as a salary.
Meanwhile, he has been a head coach for several universities, and with the position, one receives an annual salary of around $150,000 to $500,000.
Therefore, he may be getting a salary in the same range.
In addition, he has been spotted promoting several brands, and by doing that, he has generated extra income.
Awards And Recognition
- C-USA Tournament champion (2000)
- NCAA champion (1995, as an assistant coach)
- John Wooden “Keys to Life” Award (2006)
- Pac-10/12 John R. Wooden Coach of the Year (2005, 2009, 2012)
Social Media Presence
Though Lorenzo Romar is a famous person, he seems to hide from the limelight. And he seems to be a shy guy who really wants to keep his personal life very secretive.
However, he is active on Twitter under the username “@CoachRomar.”
Twitter: 17.9K Followers
Popularity Graph
The head coach and former NBA player is a popular public figure.
The line graph illustrates his search trend in the last 12 months.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why did Lorenzo Romar leave the University of Washington?
On March 15, 2017, following a dismal 9–22 season with future #1 pick Markelle Fultz leading the team, Romar was fired as head coach at Washington after 15 years. Romar ended his tenure at Washington with a record of 298–195.
Who were the potential candidates for the replacement of Lorenzo Romar as Washington's basketball coach?
In 2017, Washington athletic director Jennifer Cohen had several potential candidates on the list on behalf of Lorenzo Romar as the basketball coach. Some of the names were Eric Musselman, Kevin Keats, Leon Rice, Archie Miller, T.J. Otzelberger, Randy Bennett, Brandon Roy, and Gregg Marshall.
Was Lorenzo Romar on the hot seat at Washington?
After the loss to Utah Utes, the Washington basketball coach Lorenzo was suspected to be on the hot seat in 2017, however, there was no information regarding him taking responsibility.
What is the jersey number of Lorenzo Romar?
During his professional playing career, he wore the numbers 18, 5, and 14. The jersey numbers were for the Warriors, Bucks, and Pistons, respectively.
