John Kuester
Encyclopedia
John Dewitt Kuester, Jr. (born February 6, 1955, in Richmond, Virginia
) is an American basketball coach.
He played in the NBA
from 1977 to 1980 and then coached in the college ranks before moving on to the NBA sidelines as an assistant. Kuester was named head coach of the Detroit Pistons
on July 9, 2009. An agreement was made after the Pistons and their first choice, Avery Johnson
, broke off contract talks. Kuester coached the Pistons for two seasons.
He was a 6'2" (1.88 m) and 180 lb (82 kg) guard and played collegiately with the University of North Carolina
Tar Heels
from 1973–77.
under head coach Dean Smith
, for whom he won two ACC
championships and helped reach the NCAA Tournament
four times, including an appearance in the 1977 NCAA Finals
, in which they lost to Marquette
67–59. In both his junior and senior year (1976 and 1977), Kuester was voted UNC's best defensive player. Also in his senior year, as was voted Most Valuable Player
of the ACC Tournament and the NCAA East Regionals.
by the Kansas City Kings
. He played 78 games for them in 1977-78
, averaging 4.8 points, 1.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. In his second and third (and final) seasons he played with the Denver Nuggets
and Indiana Pacers
, respectively.
in 1980 to 1981. From 1981 to 1983 he was an assistant to Rick Pitino
at Boston University
, before succeeding him in 1983 as the youngest head coach in NCAA
Division I.
From 1985 to 1990 he was the head coach at George Washington University
. His 1988-1989 Colonials
team compiled a 1-27 record, one of the worst ever in NCAA history.
He continued his career on the sidelines in the NBA, joining the Boston Celtics
in 1990 and serving as an assistant from 1995 to 1997, and from 1997 to 2003 an assistant for the Philadelphia 76ers
under head coach Larry Brown
. In 2003-04
, Kuester followed Brown to the Detroit Pistons
where he also served as an assistant. In 2004-05
Kuester was an assistant with the New Jersey Nets
, and returned to the 76ers once more in 2005-06
. In July 2006, Kuester was named as an assistant coach for the Orlando Magic
.
In August 2007, Kuester was named to Cleveland Cavaliers
head coach Mike Brown
's staff, replacing the departing Kenny Natt
.
In July 2009, Kuester was hired as head coach of the Detroit Pistons
, replacing Michael Curry
.
On June 5, 2011, Kuester was fired from his position as head coach of the Detroit Pistons.
On June 29, 2011, Kuester was hired as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers
under new head coach Mike Brown. Since his days in Cleveland, this will mark the second time Kuester has worked as an assistant coach under Brown.
, and completed her sophomore season in 2009-10.
NBA
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| align="left" |DET
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|82||27||55||.329|| align="center" |5th in Central||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |DET
| align="left" |
|82||30||52||.366|| align="center" |4th in Central||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-class="sortbottom"
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Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
) is an American basketball coach.
He played in the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
from 1977 to 1980 and then coached in the college ranks before moving on to the NBA sidelines as an assistant. Kuester was named head coach of the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
on July 9, 2009. An agreement was made after the Pistons and their first choice, Avery Johnson
Avery Johnson
Avery Johnson is a former American professional basketball player and current head coach of the National Basketball Association team New Jersey Nets. He has also coached the Dallas Mavericks, leading them to their first NBA Finals appearance and four consecutive 50+ win seasons...
, broke off contract talks. Kuester coached the Pistons for two seasons.
He was a 6'2" (1.88 m) and 180 lb (82 kg) guard and played collegiately with the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
Tar Heels
North Carolina Tar Heels
The North Carolina Tar Heels are the athletic teams for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to individuals from the state of North Carolina, the Tar Heel State...
from 1973–77.
High School
Kuester played four years at Benedictine for legendary coach Warren Rutledge. His senior year the Cadets were 33-1.College
Kuester played four seasons with the UNC Tar HeelsNorth Carolina Tar Heels
The North Carolina Tar Heels are the athletic teams for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to individuals from the state of North Carolina, the Tar Heel State...
under head coach Dean Smith
Dean Smith
Dean Edwards Smith is a retired American head coach of men's college basketball. Originally from Emporia, Kansas, Smith has been called a “coaching legend” by the Basketball Hall of Fame. Smith is best known for his successful 36-year coaching tenure at the University of North Carolina at Chapel...
, for whom he won two ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
championships and helped reach the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
four times, including an appearance in the 1977 NCAA Finals
1977 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1977 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 32 American schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the National Champion of Men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1977, and ended with the championship game on March 28 in Atlanta, Georgia. A...
, in which they lost to Marquette
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
67–59. In both his junior and senior year (1976 and 1977), Kuester was voted UNC's best defensive player. Also in his senior year, as was voted Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
of the ACC Tournament and the NCAA East Regionals.
Professional
Kuester was selected with the 9th pick of the third round (53rd overall) in the 1977 NBA Draft1977 NBA Draft
The 1977 NBA Draft was the 31st annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 10, 1977 before the 1977–78 season. In this draft, 22 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
by the Kansas City Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
. He played 78 games for them in 1977-78
1977-78 NBA season
The 1977–78 NBA season was the 32nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Washington Bullets winning the NBA Championship, beating the Seattle SuperSonics 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.-Notable occurrences:...
, averaging 4.8 points, 1.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. In his second and third (and final) seasons he played with the 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 Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
, respectively.
Coaching career
After his playing days, Kuester began a basketball coaching career, volunteering as an assistant at the University of RichmondUniversity of Richmond
The University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...
in 1980 to 1981. From 1981 to 1983 he was an assistant to Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino is an American basketball coach. Since 2001, he has been the head coach at the University of Louisville. He has also served as head coach at Boston University, Providence College and the University of Kentucky, leading that program to the NCAA championship in 1996...
at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, before succeeding him in 1983 as the youngest head coach in NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I.
From 1985 to 1990 he was the head coach at George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
. His 1988-1989 Colonials
George Washington Colonials men's basketball
The George Washington Colonials Basketball team represents The George Washington University in Washington, DC. It plays its home games in the Charles E. Smith Center, which is also shared with other George Washington Colonials athletic programs. The school's team currently competes in the Atlantic...
team compiled a 1-27 record, one of the worst ever in NCAA history.
He continued his career on the sidelines in the NBA, joining the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
in 1990 and serving as an assistant from 1995 to 1997, and from 1997 to 2003 an assistant for the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
under head coach Larry Brown
Larry Brown (basketball)
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown is an American basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Bobcats....
. In 2003-04
2003-04 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:*Most Valuable Player: Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves*Rookie of the Year: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers*Defensive Player of the Year: Ron Artest, Indiana Pacers...
, Kuester followed Brown to the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
where he also served as an assistant. In 2004-05
2004-05 NBA season
The 2004–05 NBA season was the 59th season of the National Basketball Association . It began on November 2, 2004 and ended June 23, 2005. The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs defeating defending champion Detroit Pistons 4–3 in the NBA Finals....
Kuester was an assistant with the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, and returned to the 76ers once more in 2005-06
2005-06 NBA season
The 2005–06 NBA season was the 60th season of the National Basketball Association. It began on November 1, 2005 and ran through April 19, 2006...
. In July 2006, Kuester was named as an assistant coach for the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
.
In August 2007, Kuester was named to Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
head coach Mike Brown
Mike Brown (basketball coach)
Michael “Mike” Brown is an American basketball head coach in the National Basketball Association for the Los Angeles Lakers. He was previously the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers from June 2, 2005 until May 24, 2010. After learning the game under Gregg Popovich, Brown is widely regarded as...
's staff, replacing the departing Kenny Natt
Kenny Natt
Kenneth Wayne Natt is a retired American professional basketball player and ex-interim head coach for the NBA's Sacramento Kings. He was a 6'3" guard and played collegiately at Northeast Louisiana University and had a three-year NBA playing career...
.
In July 2009, Kuester was hired as head coach of the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
, replacing Michael Curry
Michael Curry
Michael Edward Curry is the associate head coach of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers. He previously served as head coach of the Detroit Pistons...
.
On June 5, 2011, Kuester was fired from his position as head coach of the Detroit Pistons.
On June 29, 2011, Kuester was hired as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
under new head coach Mike Brown. Since his days in Cleveland, this will mark the second time Kuester has worked as an assistant coach under Brown.
Family
Kuester and wife, Tricia, have a son, John III, and a daughter, Katelyn. Katelyn ("Katie") is a women's basketball player who in 2007 verbally committed to attend St. Joseph's UniversitySaint Joseph's University
Saint Joseph's University is a private, coeducational Roman Catholic Jesuit university located partially in the Wynnefield section of Philadelphia and partially in Lower Merion Township and located in the Pennsylvania Main Line, Pennsylvania, United States.The school was founded in 1851 as Saint...
, and completed her sophomore season in 2009-10.
Coaching record
College| School | | Season | | Record | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Conference | ||
| Boston University | 1983–1984 | 20-9 | 0-0 |
| Boston University | 1984–1985 | 15-13 | 0-0 |
| George Washington | 1985–1986 | 12-16 | 7-11 |
| George Washington | 1986–1987 | 10-19 | 6-12 |
| George Washington | 1987–1988 | 10-17 | 0-0 |
| George Washington | 1988–1989 | 1-27 | 1-17 |
| George Washington | 1989–1990 | 14-17 | 10-6 |
NBA
|-
| align="left" |DET
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
| align="left" |
|82||27||55||.329|| align="center" |5th in Central||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |DET
| align="left" |
|82||30||52||.366|| align="center" |4th in Central||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |Career
| ||164||57||107||.348|| ||—||—||—||—
External links
- NBA.com John Kuester coach file
- NBA stats @ basketballreference.com