Paul Westphal
Encyclopedia
Paul Westphal is a retired American basketball
player and current head coach
of the National Basketball Association
's Sacramento Kings
. Westphal has had a storied career in the NBA, both as a player and as a coach. As a player, he won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics
in the 1974 NBA Finals
. In addition to being a five-time All-Star
selection, from 1977–81, Westphal earned three All-NBA First Team selections and one Second Team honor. Later, he would return to the Finals
in 1993 as head coach of the Phoenix Suns
. He would return to his home state of California
when he was head coach at Pepperdine University
from 2001–06.
. He went to Aviation High School
and then USC
. He was the 10th overall pick in the 1972 NBA Draft
by the Boston Celtics
. After three seasons in Boston, including a championship ring in 1974, he was traded to the Phoenix Suns. In 1976, Westphal helped the Suns reach their first-ever Finals
appearance. In Game 5 of that series, called by many the greatest game ever played in basketball, Westphal made several memorable plays:
- With time winding down in regulation and the Suns trailing 94-91, Westphal poked the ball away from Jo Jo White
, took a long pass from Dennis Awtrey
, and hit a breakaway layup. He was fouled on the play and hit the free throw to tie it at 94-94.
- In the second overtime, with 15 seconds left and the Suns trailing 109-108 after just making a basket, Westphal stole the ball from John Havlicek
after Havlicek received the inbounds pass. This began a chain of events that culminated with Curtis Perry
hitting a jumper to give the Suns a 110-109 lead.
- After the Perry basket and a Celtics timeout, Havlicek got the ball with five seconds left and hit a bank shot to put the Celtics up 111-110. The buzzer sounded and Celtic fans poured on the floor, thinking the Celtics had won. However, referee Richie Powers
correctly ruled that Havlicek's shot went through the basket with two seconds left on the clock. After one second was placed back on, Westphal, sensing that the Suns could get a better shot off if the ball was inbounded at halfcourt, called a timeout that the Suns didn't have while preparing to inbound the ball from under the Celtics' basket. A technical foul
was assessed; the Celtics made the subsequent free throw and increased their lead to 112-110. The resulting timeout call allowed Phoenix to inbound the ball at midcourt, rather than go the full length of the court. (As a result of this play, the NBA changed the rules prior to the following season.) Garfield Heard
then made a shot for the Suns that sent the game into triple-overtime.
-With 20 seconds left in the third overtime and the Celtics seemingly in control at 128-122, Westphal scored two quick baskets to cut it to 128-126 and nearly made a steal at midcourt after the second, but failed and the Celtics ran out the clock to the victory.
Westphal was 6th in the NBA in scoring average for the 1977–78 season at 25.2 ppg. The following 1978-79 season, he was 7th with a 24.0 points per game average.
After the 1979–80 season, he was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics
for Dennis Johnson
where he played one season before heading to the New York Knicks
. In 1983 he returned to Phoenix for a last hurrah. He had been injured and only played in 59 of the 82 games of his final season.
In his career Westphal scored a total of 12,809 NBA points for an average of 15.1 points per game, with 3,591 assists for an average of 4.4 assists per game. He also had 1,580 rebounds, for an average of 1.9 per game. He was a 5-time All-Star and 3 times an All-NBA selection and one time a second team All-NBA selection. He is Phoenix's fifth all-time leading scorer (9,564), averaging 20.6 points (1975–80, 1983–84) and a member of the Sun's Ring of Honor.
In 1992 he became the head coach of the Phoenix Suns. For several years prior, he was an assistant coach with the Suns under head coach Cotton Fitzsimmons
. With players such as Kevin Johnson
, Dan Majerle
, Richard Dumas
, and the newly-acquired Charles Barkley
and Danny Ainge
, the Suns made it to the Finals
in Westphal's first season as a coach, but eventually lost to the Chicago Bulls
in six games. Incidentally, Game 3 between the two teams went to triple overtime (the Suns won the game) and is considered one of the greatest games ever played.
While the Suns made the playoffs during each of Westphal's seasons as coach, they did not return to the finals, and Westphal was replaced during the 1995–96 season. He served as an assistant coach for a high school team in Arizona
for two years before he returned to the NBA as a coach with the SuperSonics for the 1998–99 season. He coached in Seattle until he was fired during the 2000–01 season.
He returned to the college ranks in April, 2001 at Pepperdine University
. In his first season, Westphal led the Waves men's basketball team to a 22–9 record and tied nationally ranked Gonzaga for the WCC title. The team achieved an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament, but lost 83-74 to Wake Forest
in the first round in a game played at Arco Arena
. This was the only postseason berth during the rest of Westphal's five-year tenure and he finished with an overall record of 74–72. After a 7–20 season in 2005–06, Westphal was fired on March 15, 2006.
Westphal has also worked as a studio analyst for Fox Sports Net West/Prime Ticket
for Los Angeles Clippers
and Los Angeles Lakers
games, first joining them during the Clippers' playoff
run. In 2007, Westphal announced the locally broadcast USC
basketball games. He worked alongside Jim Watson on FSN Prime Ticket. Westphal was also a studio analyst along with Don Maclean for the 2007 Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
games that aired on FSN.
On June 28, 2007, the Dallas Mavericks
announced they had signed Westphal as an assistant coach under head coach Avery Johnson
.
When Johnson was replaced by Rick Carlisle
, Westphal left coaching to become executive vice-president of basketball operations (under Donnie Nelson
) for the Mavericks on October 2, 2008.
On June 10, 2009, Westphal was named head coach of the Sacramento Kings
in principle.
|-
| align="left" |PHX
| align="left" |
|82||62||20||.756|| align="center" |1st in Pacific||24||13||11||.542
| align="center" |Lost in NBA Finals
|-
| align="left" |PHX
| align="left" |
|82||56||26||.683|| align="center" |2nd in Pacific||10||6||4||.600
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|-
| align="left" |PHX
| align="left" |
|82||59||23||.720|| align="center" |1st in Pacific||10||6||4||.600
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|-
| align="left" |PHX
| align="left" |
|33||14||19||.424|| align="center" |(fired)||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |—
|-
| align="left" |SEA
| align="left" |
|50||25||25||.500|| align="center" |5th in Pacific||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |SEA
| align="left" |
|82||45||37||.549|| align="center" |4th in Pacific||5||2||3||.400
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-
| align="left" |SEA
| align="left" |
|15||6||9||.400|| align="center" |(fired)||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |—
|-
| align="left" |SAC
| align="left" |
|82||25||57||.305|| align="center" |5th in Pacific||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |SAC
| align="left" |
|82||24||58||.293|| align="center" |5th in Pacific||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |Career
| ||590||316||274||.536|| ||49||27||22||.551
NCAA coaching career
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...
player and current 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...
of 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...
's Sacramento 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...
. Westphal has had a storied career in the NBA, both as a player and as a coach. As a player, he won an NBA championship with 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 the 1974 NBA Finals
1974 NBA Finals
-Series Summary:Celtics win series 4-3-Game 1:Before the series started, Bucks point guard Lucius Allen would be lost for the series with a knee injury. In Game 1, the Celtics took advantage, harassing a 35-year old Oscar Robertson and Allen's replacement, Ron Williams, into frequent turnovers...
. In addition to being a five-time All-Star
NBA All-Star
NBA All-Star may refer to:*NBA All-Star Weekend*NBA All-Star Game*List of NBA All-Stars, players who have been selected to play in the NBA All-Star Game...
selection, from 1977–81, Westphal earned three All-NBA First Team selections and one Second Team honor. Later, he would return to the Finals
1993 NBA Finals
The 1993 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1992-93 NBA season, featuring the Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, and the Phoenix Suns, winners of 62 games and led by regular season MVP Charles Barkley...
in 1993 as head coach of the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
. He would return to his home state of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
when he was head coach at Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
from 2001–06.
Biography
Westphal was born in Torrance, CaliforniaTorrance, California
Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring...
. He went to Aviation High School
Aviation High School (Redondo Beach, California)
Aviation High School was a secondary school located in Redondo Beach, California which was in operation from 1957 to 1982. The school was located at the corner of Manhattan Beach Boulevard and Aviation Boulevard...
and then USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. He was the 10th overall pick in the 1972 NBA Draft
1972 NBA Draft
The 1972 NBA Draft was the 26th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 10, 1972 before the 1972–73 season. In this draft, 17 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
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...
. After three seasons in Boston, including a championship ring in 1974, he was traded to the Phoenix Suns. In 1976, Westphal helped the Suns reach their first-ever Finals
1976 NBA Finals
The 1976 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round for the 1975-76 NBA season.-Background:The Phoenix Suns finished the season with 42 wins and 40 losses, but beat the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors in the playoffs and went on to play the Boston Celtics in the NBA...
appearance. In Game 5 of that series, called by many the greatest game ever played in basketball, Westphal made several memorable plays:
- With time winding down in regulation and the Suns trailing 94-91, Westphal poked the ball away from Jo Jo White
Jo Jo White
Joseph Henry "Jo Jo" White is an American former professional basketball player.-Life and career:White was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of a minister...
, took a long pass from Dennis Awtrey
Dennis Awtrey
Dennis Wade Awtrey is a retired American professional basketball player. A 6'10" center from Santa Clara University, Awtrey was drafted by the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers in 1970...
, and hit a breakaway layup. He was fouled on the play and hit the free throw to tie it at 94-94.
- In the second overtime, with 15 seconds left and the Suns trailing 109-108 after just making a basket, Westphal stole the ball from John Havlicek
John Havlicek
John J. "Hondo" Havlicek is a retired American professional basketball player who competed for 16 seasons with the Boston Celtics, winning eight NBA titles, half of them coming in his first four seasons....
after Havlicek received the inbounds pass. This began a chain of events that culminated with Curtis Perry
Curtis Perry
Curtis R. Perry is a retired American basketball player. He attended Southwest Missouri State University and played at forward....
hitting a jumper to give the Suns a 110-109 lead.
- After the Perry basket and a Celtics timeout, Havlicek got the ball with five seconds left and hit a bank shot to put the Celtics up 111-110. The buzzer sounded and Celtic fans poured on the floor, thinking the Celtics had won. However, referee Richie Powers
Richie Powers
Richard F. "Richie" Powers was a professional basketball referee in the National Basketball Association from 1956 to 1979. He worked 25 NBA Finals games, including the triple-overtime Game 5 contest in the 1976 NBA Finals between the Phoenix Suns and the Boston Celtics, considered "The Greatest...
correctly ruled that Havlicek's shot went through the basket with two seconds left on the clock. After one second was placed back on, Westphal, sensing that the Suns could get a better shot off if the ball was inbounded at halfcourt, called a timeout that the Suns didn't have while preparing to inbound the ball from under the Celtics' basket. A technical foul
Technical foul
In basketball, a technical foul is any infraction of the rules penalized as a foul which does not involve physical contact during the course of play between players on the court, or is a foul by a non-player. The most common technical foul is for unsportsmanlike conduct...
was assessed; the Celtics made the subsequent free throw and increased their lead to 112-110. The resulting timeout call allowed Phoenix to inbound the ball at midcourt, rather than go the full length of the court. (As a result of this play, the NBA changed the rules prior to the following season.) Garfield Heard
Gar Heard
Garfield "Gar" Heard, is a retired American professional basketball player and coach. He played collegiately at the University of Oklahoma and was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the third round of the 1970 NBA Draft...
then made a shot for the Suns that sent the game into triple-overtime.
-With 20 seconds left in the third overtime and the Celtics seemingly in control at 128-122, Westphal scored two quick baskets to cut it to 128-126 and nearly made a steal at midcourt after the second, but failed and the Celtics ran out the clock to the victory.
Westphal was 6th in the NBA in scoring average for the 1977–78 season at 25.2 ppg. The following 1978-79 season, he was 7th with a 24.0 points per game average.
After the 1979–80 season, he was traded to 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...
for Dennis Johnson
Dennis Johnson
Dennis Wayne Johnson nicknamed "DJ", was an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics and coach of the Los Angeles Clippers...
where he played one season before heading to the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. In 1983 he returned to Phoenix for a last hurrah. He had been injured and only played in 59 of the 82 games of his final season.
In his career Westphal scored a total of 12,809 NBA points for an average of 15.1 points per game, with 3,591 assists for an average of 4.4 assists per game. He also had 1,580 rebounds, for an average of 1.9 per game. He was a 5-time All-Star and 3 times an All-NBA selection and one time a second team All-NBA selection. He is Phoenix's fifth all-time leading scorer (9,564), averaging 20.6 points (1975–80, 1983–84) and a member of the Sun's Ring of Honor.
In 1992 he became the head coach of the Phoenix Suns. For several years prior, he was an assistant coach with the Suns under head coach Cotton Fitzsimmons
Cotton Fitzsimmons
Lowell "Cotton" Fitzsimmons was a college and NBA basketball coach. A native of Hannibal, Missouri, he attended and played basketball at Hannibal-LaGrange Junior College in Hannibal and Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas...
. With players such as Kevin Johnson
Kevin Johnson
Kevin Maurice Johnson is the current mayor of Sacramento, California. He is Sacramento's first African American mayor. Prior to entering politics, Johnson was a basketball player in the NBA, playing point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns...
, Dan Majerle
Dan Majerle
Daniel Lewis Majerle is a retired American professional basketball player and currently an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns of the NBA. Known by his fans as "Downtown Dan," "Thunder Dan," and "Dan the Man," he played 14 years in the NBA, primarily with the Phoenix Suns, also with the Miami...
, Richard Dumas
Richard Dumas
Richard Wayne Dumas is a retired American professional basketball player.Dumas, a 6'8" small forward from Oklahoma State University, was selected with the 46th pick of the 1991 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns. During the 1991-92 season, however, Dumas was suspended from the NBA for violating its...
, and the newly-acquired Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley
Charles Wade Barkley is a former American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominating power forwards...
and Danny Ainge
Danny Ainge
Daniel Ray "Danny" Ainge is an American basketball manager and retired professional basketball and baseball player, currently serving as President of Basketball Operations for the Boston Celtics....
, the Suns made it to the Finals
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....
in Westphal's first season as a coach, but eventually lost to 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...
in six games. Incidentally, Game 3 between the two teams went to triple overtime (the Suns won the game) and is considered one of the greatest games ever played.
While the Suns made the playoffs during each of Westphal's seasons as coach, they did not return to the finals, and Westphal was replaced during the 1995–96 season. He served as an assistant coach for a high school team in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
for two years before he returned to the NBA as a coach with the SuperSonics for the 1998–99 season. He coached in Seattle until he was fired during the 2000–01 season.
He returned to the college ranks in April, 2001 at Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
. In his first season, Westphal led the Waves men's basketball team to a 22–9 record and tied nationally ranked Gonzaga for the WCC title. The team achieved an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament, but lost 83-74 to Wake Forest
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
in the first round in a game played at Arco Arena
ARCO Arena
Power Balance Pavilion is an indoor arena, located in the Natomas area of Sacramento, California. It is the home of the NBA's Sacramento Kings.-Background:...
. This was the only postseason berth during the rest of Westphal's five-year tenure and he finished with an overall record of 74–72. After a 7–20 season in 2005–06, Westphal was fired on March 15, 2006.
Westphal has also worked as a studio analyst for Fox Sports Net West/Prime Ticket
Fox Sports Net West/Prime Ticket
Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket are Los Angeles-based regional sports networks serving Southern California, Central California, southern Nevada, and Hawaii...
for Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
and 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...
games, first joining them during the Clippers' playoff
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...
run. In 2007, Westphal announced the locally broadcast USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
basketball games. He worked alongside Jim Watson on FSN Prime Ticket. Westphal was also a studio analyst along with Don Maclean for the 2007 Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
2007 Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
-All Tournament Team:* Tajuan Porter, Oregon – Tournament MVP* Bryce Taylor, Oregon* Aaron Brooks, Oregon* Gabe Pruitt, USC* Taj Gibson, USC* Ryan Anderson, California-References:...
games that aired on FSN.
On June 28, 2007, the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
announced they had signed Westphal as an assistant coach under head coach 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...
.
When Johnson was replaced by 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...
, Westphal left coaching to become executive vice-president of basketball operations (under Donnie Nelson
Donnie Nelson
Donnie Nelson is the General Manager and president of basketball operations for the NBA team the Dallas Mavericks. Donnie attended Worcester Academy for High School. He is the son of Don Nelson, the former head coach of the Golden State Warriors...
) for the Mavericks on October 2, 2008.
On June 10, 2009, Westphal was named head coach of the Sacramento 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...
in principle.
Head coaching record
NBA coaching career|-
| align="left" |PHX
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
| align="left" |
|82||62||20||.756|| align="center" |1st in Pacific||24||13||11||.542
| align="center" |Lost in NBA Finals
1993 NBA Finals
The 1993 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1992-93 NBA season, featuring the Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, and the Phoenix Suns, winners of 62 games and led by regular season MVP Charles Barkley...
|-
| align="left" |PHX
| align="left" |
|82||56||26||.683|| align="center" |2nd in Pacific||10||6||4||.600
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
1994 NBA Playoffs
The 1994 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1993-94 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets defeating the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals...
|-
| align="left" |PHX
| align="left" |
|82||59||23||.720|| align="center" |1st in Pacific||10||6||4||.600
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
1995 NBA Playoffs
The 1995 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1994-1995 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets winning their second consecutive NBA championship by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic...
|-
| align="left" |PHX
| align="left" |
|33||14||19||.424|| align="center" |(fired)||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |—
|-
| align="left" |SEA
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...
| align="left" |
|50||25||25||.500|| align="center" |5th in Pacific||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |SEA
| align="left" |
|82||45||37||.549|| align="center" |4th in Pacific||5||2||3||.400
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
2000 NBA Playoffs
The 2000 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1999–2000 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers win their first championship in twelve years by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers...
|-
| align="left" |SEA
| align="left" |
|15||6||9||.400|| align="center" |(fired)||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |—
|-
| align="left" |SAC
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...
| align="left" |
|82||25||57||.305|| align="center" |5th in Pacific||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |SAC
| align="left" |
|82||24||58||.293|| align="center" |5th in Pacific||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |Career
| ||590||316||274||.536|| ||49||27||22||.551
NCAA coaching career