African-American NBA championship coaches. Comment and Trivia

[nickagneta]

Last night at one point during the broadcast, ABC showed facials of Phil Jackson and Doc Rivers next to each other. So of course my 13 year old son has to ask the following question:

"Dad, when Doc Rivers wins the championship will the media make as big a deal about it as the did with Tony Dungy because he is African American?"

I answered that they wouldn't because African American coaches have won NBA championships before and Dungy was the first to do it in the NFL. So then of course he had to follow the first question up with another, as 13 year olds tend to do.

"When, I don't remember any?"

Being the big help that they are my two college age sons turn and say:

"Yeah, who? We don't remember any in our lifetime!"

So I thought. And then I realized that the last African American NBA coach to win it all was indeed the Boston Celtics K.C. Jones 22 years ago. For a league as progressive in hiring coaches and front offices that are of African American descent, that kind of boggled my mind that it had been that long.

So the episode, and of course another question from my most precociuos youngest got me thinking as to who and how many African American coaches had won NBA titles.

There are four and I got 3 but had to look up the last.

Without looking does anyone know who they are?

I personally think it would be pretty sweet for the African American community if another coach won yet another American sports championship and even cooler that it would be here in Boston again.

I also wonder how this particular angle has escaped the media whom seem hell bent on exploiting just such news angles.

[Who]

Russell was the first. Lenny Wilkins is another. You mentioned KC Jones. No idea on the other, it was someone in the 70's.

[Redz]

I had to run down a few teams, and came up with the team of the 4th coach by deducctive reasoning, but had to look up the coach's name.

[nickagneta]

Russell was the first. Lenny Wilkins is another. You mentioned KC Jones. No idea on the other, it was someone in the 70's.

All correct. Also Lenny Wilkens is the only African American NBA coach in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

[EarthBall]

I think you need to take into account that only 6 coaches have won championships since 1984:

Popovich
Pat Riley
Phil Jackson
Rudy Tomjanovich
Chuck Daly
KC Jones

That really isn't a large sample size.

Furthermore, it is easier in the NFL than in the NBA for the coach (of whatever color) of team X to win it all. It just happens to be in the NBA that the few teams that have been winning recently have been coached by several white guys. My bet is that Doc and the Celtics and Byron Scott and the Hornets join the club very soon.   

[Roy Hobbs]

I never would have gotten #4 without cheating.

[Cassidy122690]

I never would have gotten #4 without cheating.

Yeah, same here.  Thinking back on all the championship teams, there were 4 teams that had me stumped as to whom their coach was:  67 Sixers, 71 Bucks, 75 Warriors and 78 Bullets.

[nickagneta]

Yeah, Roy, I was in the same boat. Those mid 70's teams I really had very little knowledge on except of course the C's and Wilkens Sonics.

As much as Earthball mentioned the small amount of coaches that have won since Jones in the 80's I was rather shocked when I realized that 2 decades had gone by without an African American coach winning it all.

2 championships in the 60's with Russell, 2 in the 70's, and 2 in the 80's with K.C. and then none since. I wonder just how many African American coaches have been given a chance to coach established good teams since K.C.

I know Avery Johnson's Mavs were pretty established as was Mike brown's Cavs and maybe Mo Cheeks' Trailblazer group.

But how many other African American coaches have been handed over a good coaching situation and asked to take the team to the next level and a championship recently?

African American coaches are getting an opportunity to coach but are they being given environments to succeed?

[Who]

I never would have gotten #4 without cheating.

Yeah, same here.  Thinking back on all the championship teams, there were 4 teams that had me stumped as to whom their coach was:  67 Sixers, 71 Bucks, 75 Warriors and 78 Bullets.

Yep similar boat. I knew the '67 Sixers but didn't know the following three. I'm about 90% certain it wasn't the Bucks coach which leave the '75 Warriors and the '78 Bullets.

I'm pretty sure it's the Bullets but I couldn't name that Head Coach if my life depended on it.

Edit: Interesting answer. Didn't remember him at all. Should have known that one.

[Who]

I know Avery Johnson's Mavs were pretty established as was Mike brown's Cavs and maybe Mo Cheeks' Trailblazer group.

But how many other African American coaches have been handed over a good coaching situation and asked to take the team to the next level and a championship recently?

African American coaches are getting an opportunity to coach but are they being given environments to succeed?

This summer we've seen Terry Porter down in Phoenix and Michael Curry out in Detroit. That's two good situations. 50 plus win teams with veteran talent.

It's an interesting question though. I had a quick look over the past 5 seasons and I count three African-American Head Coaches who've won playoff series (winning a playoff series being a decent barometer for coaching a talented team was my thinking there):

Mike Brown (Cavs), Byron Scott (Hornets), Avery Johnson (Mavs), Nate McMillan (Sonics). Frank Johnson got a decent chance with a talent Suns team but they were more mediocre than good.

Looked back on the 5 years after that and picked out - Scott (Nets), Mo Cheeks (Blazers), Paul Silas (Hornets), Lenny Wilkins (Toronto), Lenny Wilkins (Hawks). Worth noting Isiah Thomas with an improving Pacers team.

There's a quick look at a decade of appointments.

Avery Johnson - Given a very Mavs team
Mo Cheeks - Given a Blazers team that was still a contender but starting to decline
Byron Scott - Hornets team was poor and was completely rebuilt during his time there. Nets team was poor and was completely rebuilt there.
Paul Silas - Took over a floundering team that was a borderline playoff squad.
Lenny Wilkins - Very good young Raptors team that had just lost McGrady. Still they were considered on the rise and were spending money. Lenny's Atlanta team were a good playoff squad that floundered under a bad coach the year prior.
Mike Brown - Team had just failed to make the playoffs after collapsing late in the season. New GM spent a load of money and rebuilt the roster, same team that made the Finals. So just about given a contender.
Nate McMillan - Took over a Sonics team looking to rebuild. Mediocre squad.
Isiah - Same as Nate
Frank Johnson - Promising young team on the rise. Mediocre but had young talent emerging.

So what's the count there ... four guys given teams capable of winning a playoff series, five more somewhere on the borderline for the playoffs with different levels of promise, two (both Scott) more given lottery talent.

Memory gets hazy quickly so only playoff series winners here. To follow that up with the previous five years ('94-'98)

John Lucas (Spurs)

The previous five years ('89-'93)

Stu Jackson (Knicks), Don Chaney (Rockets). Worth noting KC Jones took over a promising Sonics side.

Here's a quick look:

John Lucas - 50 win team in San An based around Robinson
Stu Jackson - Pitino's 50+ win Knicks were who he took over
KC Jones - Sonics team that was a 47 win team with a similar base, plus a young Shawn Kemp, that never won a playoff series.
Don Chaney - Two years removed from the Finals. Good playoff side but not a contender.

What's the count there? Two  good teams capable of winning playoff series. Two solid teams capable of winning a series.

[Finkelskyhook]

Any owner who doesn't hire the best person available is a fool. Plain and simple. 

[nickagneta]

I know Avery Johnson's Mavs were pretty established as was Mike brown's Cavs and maybe Mo Cheeks' Trailblazer group.

But how many other African American coaches have been handed over a good coaching situation and asked to take the team to the next level and a championship recently?

African American coaches are getting an opportunity to coach but are they being given environments to succeed?

This summer we've seen Terry Porter down in Phoenix and Michael Curry out in Detroit. That's two good situations. 50 plus win teams with veteran talent.

It's an interesting question though. I had a quick look over the past 5 seasons and I count three African-American Head Coaches who've won playoff series (winning a playoff series being a decent barometer for coaching a talented team was my thinking there):

Mike Brown (Cavs), Byron Scott (Hornets), Avery Johnson (Mavs), Nate McMillan (Sonics). Frank Johnson got a decent chance with a talent Suns team but they were more mediocre than good.

Looked back on the 5 years after that and picked out - Scott (Nets), Mo Cheeks (Blazers), Paul Silas (Hornets), Lenny Wilkins (Toronto), Lenny Wilkins (Hawks). Worth noting Isiah Thomas with an improving Pacers team.

There's a quick look at a decade of appointments.

Avery Johnson - Given a very Mavs team
Mo Cheeks - Given a Blazers team that was still a contender but starting to decline
Byron Scott - Hornets team was poor and was completely rebuilt during his time there. Nets team was poor and was completely rebuilt there.
Paul Silas - Took over a floundering team that was a borderline playoff squad.
Lenny Wilkins - Very good young Raptors team that had just lost McGrady. Still they were considered on the rise and were spending money. Lenny's Atlanta team were a good playoff squad that floundered under a bad coach the year prior.
Mike Brown - Team had just failed to make the playoffs after collapsing late in the season. New GM spent a load of money and rebuilt the roster, same team that made the Finals. So just about given a contender.
Nate McMillan - Took over a Sonics team looking to rebuild. Mediocre squad.
Isiah - Same as Nate
Frank Johnson - Promising young team on the rise. Mediocre but had young talent emerging.

So what's the count there ... four guys given teams capable of winning a playoff series, five more somewhere on the borderline for the playoffs with different levels of promise, two (both Scott) more given lottery talent.

Memory gets hazy quickly so only playoff series winners here. To follow that up with the previous five years ('94-'98)

John Lucas (Spurs)

The previous five years ('89-'93)

Stu Jackson (Knicks), Don Chaney (Rockets). Worth noting KC Jones took over a promising Sonics side.

Here's a quick look:

John Lucas - 50 win team in San An based around Robinson
Stu Jackson - Pitino's 50+ win Knicks were who he took over
KC Jones - Sonics team that was a 47 win team with a similar base, plus a young Shawn Kemp, that never won a playoff series.
Don Chaney - Two years removed from the Finals. Good playoff side but not a contender.

What's the count there? Two  good teams capable of winning playoff series. Two solid teams capable of winning a series.

TP4U Who! Truly some outstanding research. When my Karma cools down you'll be getting a couple more.

I'm glad to see that the NBA is as progressive as their hiring reputation says they are and doesn't just play lip service like other leagues might do.

When Doc gets his ring, he should be proud. Three of the other 4 guys who are African American championship winning coaches are in the HOF as players, one of those guys are also in as a coach, and the last guy has over 500 wins and may someday get in the HOF as a coach.

Pretty nice company.

[cdif911]

Any owner who doesn't hire the best person available is a fool. Plain and simple. 

agreed 100%, the league has struggled to become colorblind in its players, it needs to be colorblind in its coaches

(studies conducted have shown white players make more comparatively to black players of similar skill, especially in white dominated markets - though it seems the trend is improving towards equity)

http://jse.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/6/2/144

[bdm860]

Any owner who doesn't hire the best person available is a fool. Plain and simple. 

agreed 100%, the league has struggled to become colorblind in its players, it needs to be colorblind in its coaches

(studies conducted have shown white players make more comparatively to black players of similar skill, especially in white dominated markets - though it seems the trend is improving towards equity)

http://jse.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/6/2/144

That's because those white guys like Scalabrine are such great locker room guys and great practice guys, that's why they get paid so much more than black guys with comparable skills, it's those intangibles they bring