List of Detroit Pistons head coaches
Encyclopedia
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...
are an American professional basketball
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...
team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan
Auburn Hills, Michigan
Auburn Hills is a city in Metro Detroit, Oakland County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 21,412 at the 2010 census. The city was formed in 1983 when Pontiac Township became the City of Auburn Hills.-Economy:...
. They play in the Central Division
Central Division (NBA)
The Central Division is one of the three divisions in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . The division consists of five teams, the Chicago Bulls, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Detroit Pistons, the Indiana Pacers and the Milwaukee Bucks...
of the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NBA)
The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...
in the National Basketball Association
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...
(NBA). The team, owned by William Davidson
William Davidson
William Morse "Bill" Davidson, J. D. was an American businessman who was President, Chairman and CEO of Guardian Industries, one of the world's largest manufacturers of architectural and automotive glass...
, plays its home games at The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills, often referred to simply as The Palace, is a sports and entertainment venue in Auburn Hills, Michigan, a suburb on the northern outskirts of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Opened in 1988, it is the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association...
. The franchise was founded in 1941 by Fred Zollner
Fred Zollner
Fred Zollner was called "Mr. Pro Basketball" as the founder and longtime owner along with his sister Janet of the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons and a key figure in the merger of National Basketball League and Basketball Association of America into the National Basketball Association in 1949.Zollner,...
as the Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
Zollner Pistons, playing in the National Basketball League
National Basketball League (United States)
Founded in 1937, the National Basketball League, often abbreviated to NBL, was a professional men's basketball league in the United States. The league would later merge with the Basketball Association of America to form the National Basketball Association in 1949.- League history :The...
(NBL). In 1948, the team was renamed to the Fort Wayne Pistons and joined the Basketball Association of America
Basketball Association of America
The Basketball Association of America was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. The league merged with the National Basketball League in 1949, forming the National Basketball Association ...
(BAA), which merged with the NBL to become the NBA a year later. After spending nine seasons in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, Zollner moved the team to Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
in 1957 to be able to compete financially with other big city teams. In the 1980s, 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:...
Jack McCloskey
Jack McCloskey
John William "Jack" McCloskey is a retired American basketball player, coach and executive in the NBA. He served in World War II as a lieutenant commanding a landing ship for Marines. He played one game for the Philadelphia Warriors during the 1953 season, scoring 6 points in that game...
was instrumental in the Pistons' future championship runs by drafting Isiah Thomas
Isiah Thomas
Isiah Lord Thomas III , nicknamed "Zeke",is the men's basketball coach for the FIU Golden Panthers, and a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association from 1981 until 1994. He led the "Bad Boys" to the NBA...
, acquiring key players like Joe Dumars
Joe Dumars
Joe Dumars III , nicknamed Joe D, is a retired American basketball player in the NBA, and currently the Detroit Pistons' President of Basketball Operations....
and Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman
Dennis Keith Rodman is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The...
and hiring head coach Chuck Daly
Chuck Daly
Charles Jerome "Chuck" Daly was an American basketball head coach. He led the Detroit Pistons to consecutive National Basketball Association Championships in 1989 and 1990, and the Dream Team to the men's basketball gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics. He had a 14-year NBA coaching...
. The 1980s team, known today as "the Bad Boys" due to the physical playing style, eventually won two championships in the 1989
1989 NBA Finals
The 1989 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1988–89 NBA season. The series was a rematch of the previous year's championship round between the Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Lakers....
and 1990 NBA Finals
1990 NBA Finals
The 1990 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1989-90 NBA season. The series pitted the Detroit Pistons against the Portland Trail Blazers...
under Daly. The Pistons won their third title in the 2004 NBA Finals
2004 NBA Finals
The 2004 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2003–04 National Basketball Association season. The Finals were between the Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference and the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference; the Lakers held home court advantage...
under the tenure of 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....
.
There have been 32 head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
es for the Pistons franchise since joining the NBA. The franchise's first head coach while in the NBA was Carl Bennett
Carl Bennett
Carl Bennett is an American former general manager and head coach. He coached the Fort Wayne Pistons briefly in the 1948–49 BAA season.-External links:* @ basketball-reference.com* @ NBA.com...
, who coached the team for six games, all of which are losses. Chuck Daly is the franchise's all-time leader in regular-season games coached (738), regular-season games won (467), playoff games coached (113), and playoff games won (71); Flip Saunders
Flip Saunders
Phillip "Flip" Saunders is an American basketball head coach of the Washington Wizards. He previously coached the Detroit Pistons and the Minnesota Timberwolves.-High school and college player:Saunders was born in Cincinnati, Ohio....
is the franchise's all-time leader in regular-season winning percentage
Winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...
(.715). Daly and Larry Brown are the only members of the franchise to have been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
as coaches; Daly was also selected as one of the top 10 coaches in NBA history. Both Ray Scott
Ray Scott (basketball)
John Raymond Scott is a retired American professional basketball player and former head coach of the Detroit Pistons...
and Rick Carlisle
Rick Carlisle
Richard Preston Carlisle is the head coach of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. He has also coached the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons, and was previously a player in the NBA. He is also one of the only 11 people to win an NBA championship both as a player and as a coach.-Playing career:Carlisle...
have won NBA Coach of the Year
NBA Coach of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1962–63 NBA season. The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named in honor of the head coach who led the Boston Celtics to nine NBA Championships from 1956 to 1966...
in the and , with the Pistons respectively. Former coach Dick Vitale
Dick Vitale
Richard J. "Dick" Vitale , also known as "Dickie V", is an American basketball sportscaster. A former head coach in the college and professional ranks, he is well-known as a college basketball broadcaster and for the enthusiastic and colorful remarks he makes during games. He is known for his...
was named to the Basketball Hall of Fame in honor of the work he did as a basketball broadcaster after leaving the Pistons. Fifteen head coaches have spent their entire NBA head coaching careers with the Pistons. Curly Armstrong
Curly Armstrong
Paul Carlyle "Curly" Armstrong was an American basketball player.A 5'11" guard/forward, Armstrong starred at Central High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he reached two state championship games while leading his team to a 50-6 record...
, Red Rocha
Red Rocha
Ephraim J. "Red" Rocha was a professional basketball player and coach.-Basketball:...
, Dick McGuire
Dick McGuire
Richard Joseph "Dick" McGuire was an American professional basketball player and coach.One of the premier guards of the 1950s, McGuire spent eleven seasons in the NBA , eight with the New York Knicks and three with the Detroit Pistons...
, Dave DeBusschere
Dave DeBusschere
David Albert DeBusschere was an American NBA and major league baseball player and coach in the NBA. In 1996, DeBusschere was named as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history....
, Donnie Butcher
Donnie Butcher
Donnis Butcher is a former basketball player and coach. A 6'1" guard from Pikeville College, Butcher was selected by the New York Knickerbockers in the 7th round of the 1961 NBA Draft...
, Terry Dischinger
Terry Dischinger
Terence Gilbert "Terry" Dischinger is a retired American basketball player in the NBA. He currently practices orthodontics.-High school career:...
, Earl Lloyd
Earl Lloyd
Earl Francis Lloyd is a retired American basketball player. He was the first African-American to play in the National Basketball Association, in the 1950-51 NBA season...
, Scott and 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...
formerly played for the team. John Kuester
John Kuester
John Dewitt Kuester, Jr. 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...
has been the head coach of the Pistons since 2009.
__FORCETOC__
Key
| GC | Games coached |
| W | Wins |
| L | Losses |
| Win% | Winning percentage Winning percentage In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win... |
| # | Number of coaches |
| * | Spent entire NBA head coaching career with the Pistons |
| Elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach |
Coaches
Note: Statistics are correct through the end of the . The list does not include NBLNational Basketball League (United States)
Founded in 1937, the National Basketball League, often abbreviated to NBL, was a professional men's basketball league in the United States. The league would later merge with the Basketball Association of America to form the National Basketball Association in 1949.- League history :The...
seasons.
| # | Name | Term | GC | W | L | Win% | GC | W | L | Win% | Achievements | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||
| 11 | * | 6 | 0 | 6 | .000 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 22 | * | (as player-coach) | 54 | 22 | 32 | .407 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 33 | * | – | 136 | 72 | 64 | .529 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 44 | – | 207 | 105 | 102 | .507 | 14 | 4 | 10 | .286 | |||
| 55 | * | – | 241 | 123 | 118 | .510 | 24 | 10 | 14 | .417 | ||
| 66 | * | – | 153 | 65 | 88 | .425 | 10 | 4 | 6 | .400 | ||
| 77 | (as player-coach) – |
280 | 122 | 158 | .436 | 21 | 8 | 13 | .381 | |||
| 88 | – | 91 | 25 | 66 | .433 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 99 | * | – (as player-coach) | 222 | 79 | 143 | .356 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1010 | * | – | 112 | 52 | 60 | .464 | 6 | 2 | 4 | .333 | ||
| 1111 | 60 | 22 | 38 | .367 | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1212 | – | 174 | 82 | 92 | .471 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1313 | * | (as player-coach) | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1414 | * | – | 77 | 22 | 55 | .286 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1515 | * | – | 281 | 147 | 134 | .523 | 10 | 4 | 6 | .400 | NBA Coach of the Year NBA Coach of the Year Award The National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1962–63 NBA season. The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named in honor of the head coach who led the Boston Celtics to nine NBA Championships from 1956 to 1966... |
|
| 1616 | * | – | 146 | 72 | 74 | .493 | 12 | 5 | 7 | .417 | ||
| 1717 | * | 58 | 29 | 29 | .500 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1818 | * | – | 94 | 34 | 60 | .362 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1919 | 70 | 12 | 58 | .171 | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2020 | – | 246 | 97 | 149 | .394 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2121 | – | 738 | 467 | 271 | .633 | 113 | 71 | 42 | .628 | 2 NBA championships (1989 1989 NBA Finals The 1989 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1988–89 NBA season. The series was a rematch of the previous year's championship round between the Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Lakers.... , 1990 1990 NBA Finals The 1990 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1989-90 NBA season. The series pitted the Detroit Pistons against the Portland Trail Blazers... ) One of the top 10 coaches in NBA history |
||
| 2222 | 82 | 40 | 42 | .488 | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2323 | – | 164 | 48 | 116 | .293 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2424 | – | 209 | 121 | 88 | .579 | 8 | 2 | 6 | .250 | |||
| 2525 | – | 145 | 73 | 72 | .503 | 5 | 2 | 3 | .400 | |||
| 2626 | – | 106 | 46 | 60 | .434 | 3 | 0 | 3 | .000 | |||
| 2727 | – | 164 | 100 | 64 | .610 | 27 | 12 | 15 | .444 | NBA Coach of the Year NBA Coach of the Year Award The National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1962–63 NBA season. The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named in honor of the head coach who led the Boston Celtics to nine NBA Championships from 1956 to 1966... |
||
| 2828 | – | 164 | 108 | 56 | .659 | 48 | 31 | 17 | .646 | NBA championship (2004 2004 NBA Finals The 2004 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2003–04 National Basketball Association season. The Finals were between the Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference and the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference; the Lakers held home court advantage... ) |
||
| 2929 | – | 246 | 176 | 70 | .715 | 51 | 30 | 21 | .588 | |||
| 3030 | * | 82 | 39 | 43 | .476 | 4 | 0 | 4 | .000 | |||
| 3031 | * | – | 164 | 57 | 107 | .348 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 3132 | –present | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||