Mike D'Antoni

From Hoopedia

Mike D'Antoni
Born May 8,1951 in Mullens, West Virginia
Coach
League NBA
Team New York Knicks (2008-
Coaching Career 1998 - 1999, 2003 -
Best Record 82-54 (2005)
Championship(s) 0
Former Teams Denver Nuggets (1998-1999) Phoenix Suns (2003 - 2008)
Player
Position Point Guard
League NBA
College Marshall
Drafted 20th overall in 1973 by the Kansas City Kings
Pro Career 1973 - 1978
Former Teams Kansas City Kings (1973-1976) Spirits of St. Louis (1976-1977) San Antonio Spurs(1977-1978)

Mike D’Antoni (born May 8, 1951) will coach the New York Knicks at the start of the 2008-09 NBA Season, signing a 4 year $23 Million dollar contract. D'Antoni previously coached the Suns from 2003 to 2008. He has a 30-year professional basketball background that included the NBA, ABA and the Italian League. That experience was in his favor 18 months later when he took the reigns of the Suns as head coach in December 2003. He guided the NBA's youngest roster to a 21-40 mark after inheriting a trade-overhauled and injury-riddled Suns team. Installing an up-tempo style of play, the Suns increased their scoring by more than three points a game under his charge.

This is the second NBA head-coaching stint for D’Antoni, who served as head coach for the Denver Nuggets in the 1998-99 season and was the club’s director of player personnel in 1997-98. He was also on the bench as an assistant for Portland in 2000-01 and was a scout for San Antonio during the 1999-2000 campaign. In addition, D’Antoni was an analyst for NBA.com following the 1998-99 regular season.

In 2001-02 he returned to the Italian League and once again coached Benetton Treviso, leading the club to the Italian League championship after a 28-8 season. His team included former Sun Charlie Bell, ex-NBA player Tyus Edney and 2002 NBA top 15 draftees Nikoloz Tskitishvili (fifth to Denver) and Bostjan Nachbar (15th to Houston). ..More