Lawrence Frank
Encyclopedia
Lawrence Frank is an American basketball
coach for the Detroit Pistons
. He formerly served as the head coach of the NBA
's New Jersey Nets
and as an assistant coach of the Boston Celtics
.
, Frank graduated from Teaneck High School
, but never made the school's basketball team. He played for a Jewish Community Center
team and was also a player-coach for a Catholic Youth Organization
team.
Frank earned his B.S. in education from Indiana University
in 1992, where he spent four seasons as a manager for the Hoosier basketball team led by Bob Knight. He also holds an M.S. in education administration from Marquette. Lawrence and his wife, Susan, have two daughters, and reside in Demarest, New Jersey
.
Frank served as an assistant coach at the University of Tennessee
for three seasons under Head Coach Kevin O'Neill
. Frank first worked with O'Neill as a staff assistant at Marquette University
in 1992 and during his tenure, helped lead the Marquette Warriors to two NCAA
tournament berths and a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 1994.
Frank then spent three seasons as an assistant coach for the Vancouver Grizzlies
under Brian Hill. Hill would later serve as Frank's assistant with the New Jersey Nets. His responsibilities with the Grizzlies included scouting upcoming opponents as well as practice and bench coaching duties.
Frank became the interim head coach of the New Jersey Nets on January 26, 2004, succeeding Byron Scott
, after serving as an assistant coach with the team since the 2000-01 season. He officially became the head coach of the Nets on June 21, 2004.
Frank began his NBA coaching career by achieving a 13–0 record from January 27 to February 24, 2004, which set a new NBA record for the most consecutive wins by a head coach to begin a coaching career. The 13-game winning streak was also the longest winning streak of any coach in any of the four major professional sports to begin a career. During the streak, the Nets won six consecutive games on the road, which gave Frank the mark for the most wins by a head coach on the road at the outset of his coaching career.
The Nets picked up Lawrence's option on June 6, 2006, and added a two-year extension on July 23, 2007. He was relieved of his duties on November 29, 2009, after the Nets began the season with an 0-16 record. This streak was ongoing at the time of his dismissal and continued afterwards. Following his firing, Frank worked as an analyst for NBATV. On July 15, 2010, Frank was hired by the Boston Celtics
, replacing Tom Thibodeau
as the lead assistant coach on Doc Rivers
' coaching staff.
On August 3, 2011, Frank was announced as the head coach of the Detroit Pistons
.
| align="left" |NJN
| align="left" |
|40||25||15||.625|| align="center" |1st in Atlantic||11||7||4||.636
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|-
| align="left" |NJN
| align="left" |
|82||42||40||.512|| align="center" |3rd in Atlantic||4||0||4||.000
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-
| align="left" |NJN
| align="left" |
|82||49||33||.598|| align="center" |1st in Atlantic||11||5||6||.455
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|-
| align="left" |NJN
| align="left" |
|82||41||41||.500|| align="center" |2nd in Atlantic||12||6||6||.500
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|-
| align="left" |NJN
| align="left" |
|82||34||48||.415|| align="center" |4th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |NJN
| align="left" |
|82||34||48||.415|| align="center" |4th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |NJN
| align="left" |
|16||0||16||.000|| align="center" |(fired)||—||—||—||—
| align="center" | —
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |Career
| ||466||225||241||.483|| ||38||18||20||.474
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach for 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...
. He formerly served as the head coach of 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...
's 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 as an assistant coach of 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...
.
Biography
Born to a Jewish family in New York City, New York and raised in Teaneck, New JerseyTeaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, and a suburb in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 39,776, making it the second-most populous among the 70 municipalities in Bergen County....
, Frank graduated from Teaneck High School
Teaneck High School
Teaneck High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school, which is part of the Teaneck Public Schools district in Teaneck, New Jersey, United States...
, but never made the school's basketball team. He played for a Jewish Community Center
Jewish Community Center
A Jewish Community Center or Jewish Community Centre is a general recreational, social and fraternal organization serving the Jewish community in a number of cities...
team and was also a player-coach for a Catholic Youth Organization
Catholic Youth Organization
A Catholic Youth Organization is an organization for young Catholics. Usually each group uses the church for meeting and gathering, although some have their own premises. It was initiated by Bishop Bernard J...
team.
Frank earned his B.S. in education from Indiana University
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
in 1992, where he spent four seasons as a manager for the Hoosier basketball team led by Bob Knight. He also holds an M.S. in education administration from Marquette. Lawrence and his wife, Susan, have two daughters, and reside in Demarest, New Jersey
Demarest, New Jersey
Demarest is a Borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 4,881.Demarest was formed by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 8, 1903, from portions of Harrington Township and Palisades Township. The borough was named...
.
Frank served as an assistant coach at the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
for three seasons under Head Coach Kevin O'Neill
Kevin O'Neill (basketball)
Kevin O'Neill is an American head coach of the USC Trojans basketball team. His personal webpage is www.coachkohoops.com O'Neill was born in Malone, New York and attended McGill University in Montreal, Canada...
. Frank first worked with O'Neill as a staff assistant at Marquette University
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...
in 1992 and during his tenure, helped lead the Marquette Warriors to two 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...
tournament berths and a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 1994.
Frank then spent three seasons as an assistant coach for the Vancouver Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
under Brian Hill. Hill would later serve as Frank's assistant with the New Jersey Nets. His responsibilities with the Grizzlies included scouting upcoming opponents as well as practice and bench coaching duties.
Frank became the interim head coach of the New Jersey Nets on January 26, 2004, succeeding Byron Scott
Byron Scott (basketball)
Byron Antom Scott is a retired American National Basketball Association player and current head coach of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. He was formerly the head coach of the NBA's New Jersey Nets and New Orleans Hornets. He attended Arizona State University, but left school in his junior year to...
, after serving as an assistant coach with the team since the 2000-01 season. He officially became the head coach of the Nets on June 21, 2004.
Frank began his NBA coaching career by achieving a 13–0 record from January 27 to February 24, 2004, which set a new NBA record for the most consecutive wins by a head coach to begin a coaching career. The 13-game winning streak was also the longest winning streak of any coach in any of the four major professional sports to begin a career. During the streak, the Nets won six consecutive games on the road, which gave Frank the mark for the most wins by a head coach on the road at the outset of his coaching career.
The Nets picked up Lawrence's option on June 6, 2006, and added a two-year extension on July 23, 2007. He was relieved of his duties on November 29, 2009, after the Nets began the season with an 0-16 record. This streak was ongoing at the time of his dismissal and continued afterwards. Following his firing, Frank worked as an analyst for NBATV. On July 15, 2010, Frank was hired by 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...
, replacing Tom Thibodeau
Tom Thibodeau
Tom Thibodeau is an American basketball coach who is currently the head coach of the Chicago Bulls. He previously served as an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics....
as the lead assistant coach on Doc Rivers
Doc Rivers
Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers is a former professional basketball player and the current head coach of the NBA's Boston Celtics. Rivers was known for his defense while playing in the NBA...
' coaching staff.
On August 3, 2011, Frank was announced as the 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...
.
Coaching record
|-| align="left" |NJN
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...
| align="left" |
|40||25||15||.625|| align="center" |1st in Atlantic||11||7||4||.636
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
2004 NBA Playoffs
The 2004 NBA Playoffs were the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2003–04 season. Consisting of 16 teams in two conferences, the playoffs involved about two months of play. The playoffs were conducted in seven-game series, with the team with the better record holding home court...
|-
| align="left" |NJN
| align="left" |
|82||42||40||.512|| align="center" |3rd in Atlantic||4||0||4||.000
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
2005 NBA Playoffs
The 2005 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2004–05 season.The San Antonio Spurs, the number two ranked team in the Western Conference, won the 2005 NBA Playoffs by defeating the defending champions, the Detroit Pistons, 4-3 in the NBA Finals...
|-
| align="left" |NJN
| align="left" |
|82||49||33||.598|| align="center" |1st in Atlantic||11||5||6||.455
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
2006 NBA Playoffs
The 2006 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2005–06 season. The Miami Heat won the first championship in the history of the franchise by defeating the Dallas Mavericks 4-2 in the 2006 NBA Finals...
|-
| align="left" |NJN
| align="left" |
|82||41||41||.500|| align="center" |2nd in Atlantic||12||6||6||.500
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
2007 NBA Playoffs
The 2007 NBA Playoffs was the postseason to the National Basketball Association's 2006–2007 season.There were four rounds of postseason action, all of them in a best-of-seven format, with teams seeded on a bracket. The team with the better record wasn't necessarily the basis of seeding teams in...
|-
| align="left" |NJN
| align="left" |
|82||34||48||.415|| align="center" |4th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |NJN
| align="left" |
|82||34||48||.415|| align="center" |4th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |NJN
| align="left" |
|16||0||16||.000|| align="center" |(fired)||—||—||—||—
| align="center" | —
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |Career
| ||466||225||241||.483|| ||38||18||20||.474