Bernie Bickerstaff
Encyclopedia
Bernard Tyrone "Bernie" Bickerstaff (born February 11, 1944 in Benham, Kentucky
) is an assistant coach for the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers
. Prior to the Trail Blazers, Bickerstaff was an assistant for the Chicago Bulls
and Executive Vice President of the Charlotte Bobcats
. He also coached the Seattle SuperSonics
, Denver Nuggets
and Washington Bullets/Wizards
before becoming the first head coach and general manager
in Bobcats history. Bickerstaff has a career record of 414–512. His total wins rank 33rd all-time among head coaches. He has served in numerous positions in the front office on these teams, including president, general manager, and assistant coach, in spite have never having won an NBA Championship and having lost 98 more games than he has won as a head coach.
A ten-year player, assistant coach and head coach at the University of San Diego
, Bickerstaff played for the Toreros from 1964–1966 and was team captain and MVP his senior season. Bickerstaff is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi
fraternity.
In 2008, Bickerstaff was hired along with longtime NBA assistant Bob Ociepka
to be an assistant coach for the Chicago Bulls. He was hired to aid the team's rookie head coach Vinny Del Negro
.
On July 27, 2010, Bickerstaff was hired as an assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers
.
Bernie's son, John-Blair Bickerstaff, is an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets
.
Benham, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 599 people, 248 households, and 181 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,519.2 people per square mile . There were 288 housing units at an average density of 730.4 per square mile...
) is an assistant coach for the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
. Prior to the Trail Blazers, Bickerstaff was an assistant for the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
and Executive Vice President of the Charlotte Bobcats
Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA...
. He also coached the Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
, Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
and Washington Bullets/Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
before becoming the first head coach and general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
in Bobcats history. Bickerstaff has a career record of 414–512. His total wins rank 33rd all-time among head coaches. He has served in numerous positions in the front office on these teams, including president, general manager, and assistant coach, in spite have never having won an NBA Championship and having lost 98 more games than he has won as a head coach.
A ten-year player, assistant coach and head coach at the University of San Diego
University of San Diego
The University of San Diego is a Roman Catholic university in San Diego, California. USD offers more than sixty bachelor's, master’s, and doctoral programs...
, Bickerstaff played for the Toreros from 1964–1966 and was team captain and MVP his senior season. Bickerstaff is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin...
fraternity.
In 2008, Bickerstaff was hired along with longtime NBA assistant Bob Ociepka
Bob Ociepka
Bob Ociepka is an NBA assistant coach for the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. He has served as coach within the NBA for eighteen seasons.-Early life:...
to be an assistant coach for the Chicago Bulls. He was hired to aid the team's rookie head coach Vinny Del Negro
Vinny Del Negro
Vincent Joseph "Vinny" Del Negro is a retired American basketball player. He is the current head coach of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers, and was the head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 2008 until 2010.-Early life:...
.
On July 27, 2010, Bickerstaff was hired as an assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
.
Bernie's son, John-Blair Bickerstaff, is an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
.