List of Philadelphia 76ers head coaches
Encyclopedia
The Philadelphia 76ers
are an American professional basketball
team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. They are a member of the Atlantic Division
of the Eastern Conference
in the National Basketball Association
(NBA). Formerly known as the Syracuse Nationals
, the 76ers joined the NBA when it was founded in 1949
. The Nationals had a record of 51–13 in their first NBA season under coach Al Cervi
and won the Eastern Division crown. The franchise were purchased by Philadelphian Irv Kosloff
and Ike Richma in the spring of 1963
; the NBA approved their franchise shift on May 22 and name change to the Philadelphia 76ers on August 6. This brought professional basketball back to the city, which had been without a team since the Golden State Warriors
left Philadelphia in 1962
. Eddie Jordan
, who was hired as head coach in 2009, was fired on April 15, 2010.
There have been 23 head coach
es for the Philadelphia 76ers franchise. The franchise won their first NBA championship as the Syracuse Nationals
in the 1955 NBA Finals
under coach Cervi. Their second title was won as the Philadelphia 76ers
in 1967
, coached by Alex Hannum
, who has the highest career winning percentage for the 76ers. Billy Cunningham
, who played and coached with the 76ers for 17 years, is the franchise's all-time leader in both regular season and playoff games coached and wins. He coached the team to their most recent title in 1983
.
Hannum, Jack Ramsay
, and Larry Brown
are the only members of the franchise to have been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame
as coaches. Cervi, Paul Seymour
, and Kevin Loughery
served as a player-coaches, and Cervi, after retiring as a player, continued to coach the team for the rest of the season that he retired during and five additional seasons. Six other former players, Hannum, Dolph Schayes
, Cunningham, Matt Guokas
, Fred Carter
, and Maurice Cheeks
went on to coach for the franchise.
Note: Statistics are correct through the end of the . The list does not include NBL
seasons.
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...
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 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. They are a member of the Atlantic Division
Atlantic Division (NBA)
The Atlantic Division is one of the three divisions in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . The division consists of five teams, the Boston Celtics, the New Jersey Nets, the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors...
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). Formerly known as the Syracuse Nationals
Syracuse Nationals
The Syracuse Nationals were an American professional basketball team that existed from 1946 to 1963 as part of the National Basketball League and National Basketball Association . They are currently known as the Philadelphia 76ers, and are the NBA's oldest continued franchise.The team began in...
, the 76ers joined the NBA when it was founded in 1949
1949-50 NBA season
The 1949–50 NBA season was officially the 4th season of the National Basketball Association. However, it is the first season that the league is officially called the National Basketball Association...
. The Nationals had a record of 51–13 in their first NBA season under coach Al Cervi
Al Cervi
Alfred Nicholas Cervi was an American professional basketball player and coach in the National Basketball League and National Basketball Association . One of the strongest backcourt players of the 1940s and 1950s, he was always assigned to defend against the opposing team's best scoring threat...
and won the Eastern Division crown. The franchise were purchased by Philadelphian Irv Kosloff
Irv Kosloff
Irving "Irv" S. Kosloff was an American businessman and sportsman.He was born in Philadelphia in 1912, the son of Russian immigrants. He graduated from South Philadelphia High School in 1930, where he played football. He attended Temple University but left to find a job...
and Ike Richma in the spring of 1963
1962-63 NBA season
The 1962–63 NBA season was the 17th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning their 5th straight NBA Championship, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals.- History :...
; the NBA approved their franchise shift on May 22 and name change to the Philadelphia 76ers on August 6. This brought professional basketball back to the city, which had been without a team since the Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
left Philadelphia in 1962
1961-62 NBA season
The 1961–62 NBA season was the 16th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning their 4th straight NBA Championship, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.-Notable occurrences:...
. Eddie Jordan
Eddie Jordan
Edmund "Eddie" Jordan also known as "EJ" founded and owned Jordan Grand Prix, a Formula One constructor which operated from 1991 to 2005...
, who was hired as head coach in 2009, was fired on April 15, 2010.
There have been 23 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 Philadelphia 76ers franchise. The franchise won their first NBA championship as the Syracuse Nationals
Syracuse Nationals
The Syracuse Nationals were an American professional basketball team that existed from 1946 to 1963 as part of the National Basketball League and National Basketball Association . They are currently known as the Philadelphia 76ers, and are the NBA's oldest continued franchise.The team began in...
in the 1955 NBA Finals
1955 NBA Finals
The 1955 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1954-55 NBA season. The best-of-seven series was won by the Syracuse Nationals, who defeated the Fort Wayne Pistons in the final game when Syracuse's George King made a free throw with 12 seconds left to put the Nationals up by one point...
under coach Cervi. Their second title was won as 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...
in 1967
1967 NBA Finals
The 1967 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1966-67 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1967 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion San Francisco Warriors and the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia...
, coached by Alex Hannum
Alex Hannum
Alexander Murray Hannum was a professional basketball player and Hall-of-Fame coach.-Coaching career:Hannum is mostly known for coaching the Wilt Chamberlain-led Philadelphia 76ers of 1966-67 to the NBA championship, ending the eight-year title streak of the Boston Celtics. He had also coached the...
, who has the highest career winning percentage for the 76ers. Billy Cunningham
Billy Cunningham
William John "Billy" Cunningham is an American former professional basketball player and coach, who was nicknamed the Kangaroo Kid.- Beginnings :...
, who played and coached with the 76ers for 17 years, is the franchise's all-time leader in both regular season and playoff games coached and wins. He coached the team to their most recent title in 1983
1983 NBA Finals
The 1983 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1982–83 NBA season.-Overview:The final piece of the Philadelphia 76ers' championship puzzle was completed before the 1982-83 season when they acquired center Moses Malone from the Houston Rockets...
.
Hannum, Jack Ramsay
Jack Ramsay
Jack T. Ramsay is an American former basketball coach, commonly known as "Dr. Jack" . He is best known for coaching the Portland Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA Title, and for his broadcasting work with the Indiana Pacers, the Miami Heat, and for ESPN TV and ESPN Radio...
, and 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....
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. Cervi, Paul Seymour
Paul Seymour (basketball)
Paul Norman Seymour was an American basketball player and coach. A 6'1" guard, he played collegiately at the University of Toledo, and had a 12-year career in the NBA and its predecessor, the Basketball Association of America...
, and Kevin Loughery
Kevin Loughery
Kevin Michael Loughery is an American former professional basketball player and coach.-Career Biography:...
served as a player-coaches, and Cervi, after retiring as a player, continued to coach the team for the rest of the season that he retired during and five additional seasons. Six other former players, Hannum, Dolph Schayes
Dolph Schayes
Adolph "Dolph" Schayes is a retired American professional basketball player and coach in the NBA. A top scorer and rebounder, he was a member of the 1955 NBA champion Syracuse Nationals and a 12-time All-Star....
, Cunningham, Matt Guokas
Matt Guokas
Matthew George "Matt" Guokas, Jr. is a former American professional basketball player and coach.-Playing career:...
, Fred Carter
Fred Carter
Fredrick James Carter is a former professional basketball player and head coach.A 6' 3" guard from Mount St. Mary's University, Carter was selected by the Baltimore Bullets in the third round of the 1969 NBA Draft...
, and Maurice Cheeks
Maurice Cheeks
Maurice Edward "Mo" Cheeks is a retired American professional basketball player and assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association from May 23, 2005 to December 13, 2008...
went on to coach for the franchise.
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 Nationals/76ers |
| Elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach |
Coaches
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...
seasons.
| # | Name | Term | GC | W | L | Win% | GC | W | L | Win% | Achievements | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||
| 11 | ^ | – (as player-coach) – |
495 | 294 | 201 | .594 | 60 | 34 | 26 | .567 | 1 championship NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986.... (1955 1955 NBA Finals The 1955 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1954-55 NBA season. The best-of-seven series was won by the Syracuse Nationals, who defeated the Fort Wayne Pistons in the final game when Syracuse's George King made a free throw with 12 seconds left to put the Nationals up by one point... ) |
|
| 22 | – (as player-coach) | 279 | 155 | 124 | .556 | 20 | 9 | 11 | .450 | |||
| 33 | – | 239 | 127 | 112 | .531 | 18 | 8 | 10 | .444 | |||
| 44 | (as player-coach) – |
240 | 129 | 111 | .538 | 21 | 9 | 12 | .429 | 1965–66 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... |
||
| 5— | – | 163 | 130 | 33 | .798 | 28 | 18 | 10 | .643 | 1 championship NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986.... (1967 1967 NBA Finals The 1967 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1966-67 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1967 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion San Francisco Warriors and the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia... ) |
||
| 65 | – | 328 | 174 | 154 | .530 | 17 | 5 | 12 | .294 | One of the top 10 coaches in NBA history | ||
| 76 | * | 51 | 4 | 47 | .078 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 87 | (as player-coach) | 31 | 5 | 26 | .161 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 98 | – | 334 | 157 | 177 | .470 | 22 | 11 | 11 | .500 | |||
| 109 | * | – | 650 | 454 | 196 | .698 | 105 | 66 | 39 | .629 | 1 championship NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986.... (1983 1983 NBA Finals The 1983 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1982–83 NBA season.-Overview:The final piece of the Philadelphia 76ers' championship puzzle was completed before the 1982-83 season when they acquired center Moses Malone from the Houston Rockets... ) |
|
| 1110 | – | 207 | 119 | 88 | .575 | 17 | 8 | 9 | .471 | |||
| 1211 | – | 367 | 194 | 173 | .529 | 21 | 8 | 13 | .381 | |||
| 1312 | 56 | 19 | 37 | .339 | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1413 | * | – | 108 | 32 | 76 | .296 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1514 | – | 164 | 42 | 122 | .256 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1615 | 82 | 22 | 60 | .268 | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1716 | – | 460 | 255 | 205 | .554 | 58 | 28 | 30 | .483 | 2000–01 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... |
||
| 1817 | 52 | 21 | 31 | .404 | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1918 | 30 | 12 | 18 | .400 | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2019 | 82 | 43 | 39 | .524 | 5 | 1 | 4 | .200 | ||||
| 2120 | – | 246 | 113 | 133 | .459 | 6 | 2 | 4 | .333 | |||
| 2221 | 59 | 32 | 27 | .542 | 6 | 2 | 4 | .333 | ||||
| 2322 | 82 | 27 | 55 | .329 | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2423 | –present | 82 | 41 | 41 | .500 | 5 | 1 | 4 | .200 | |||