Chuck Daly
From Hoopedia
| Chuck Daly | ||
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| Sport | basketball | |
| Career information | ||
| Title | Head coach | |
| Personal information | ||
| Born | July 20, 1930 | |
| Place of birth | Saint Mary's, Pennsylvania | |
| Nationality |  American
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| Died | May 9, 2009 (age 79) | |
| Career information | ||
| Overall record | 638-437 | |
| Titles | 2 (NBA) | |
| Coaching career | ||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||
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| Basketball Hall of Fame | ||
Charles Jerome "Chuck" Daly (July 20, 1930 - May 9, 2009) was an American professional basketball head coach for 14 NBA seasons and 8 NCAA seasons. He is famous for coaching the Detroit Pistons for nine years, winning consecutive NBA championships in 1989 and 1990, and for coaching the gold medal-winning basketball Dream Team in the 1992 Summer Olympics. During his 14-year NBA career, Daly has also coached the Cleveland Cavaliers, New Jersey Nets and Orlando Magic.
He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach on May 9, 1994.
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Early Coaching Career
Daly grew up in Kane, Pennsylvania, a small town about two hours southeast of Erie, where he attended St. Callistus Catholic School. He played college basketball at St. Bonaventure University (1948-49) and Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania (1949-52). Daly's coaching career began at the high school level, where he coached Punxsutawney (Pa.) High to a 111-70 (.613) record from 1955-63.
Daly then entered the college ranks, serving as an assistant at Duke University (1963-69), and then as a head coach at Boston College (1969-71) and University of Pennsylvania (1971-77). At Penn, he led the Quakers to four consecutive Ivy League titles, and NCAA tournament appearances, from 1972 to 1975. He led the Penn Quakers to two consecutive NCAA East Regional finals in 1971 and 1972, compiling an undefeated record in the 1970-1971 regular season. Altogether, Daly went 151-62 (.709) as a collegiate head coach. He entered the NBA in 1978 with the Philadelphia 76ers, serving as an assistant under Billy Cunningham.
Professional career
The Detroit Pistons, a club that had never recorded back-to-back winning seasons, hired Chuck Daly in 1983. The Pistons got into the playoffs every year he was there and reached the NBA finals three years in a row, winning two consecutive championships, in 1989 and 1990. Daly, who retired from coaching the first time, after the 1993–94 season with the New Jersey Nets, coached a total of 14 NBA seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, New Jersey Nets and Orlando Magic. He compiled a 564–379 (.598) career record, 13th best among all coaches and ninth best by percentage. On the combined NBA/ABA victory list, Daly's 564 wins places him 17th all-time. His 74–48 playoff record, which includes back-to-back NBA championships ranks fourth best in NBA history by wins and eighth best by percentage (.607). He is the only Hall of Fame coach to win both an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal.
In 1978, Daly joined the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers as an assistant coach. During the 1981 season, he was hired as head coach by the Cleveland Cavaliers, but was fired before the season ended. He then returned to the 76ers as a broadcaster until he was hired in 1983 by the Pistons. He gained worldwide notoriety as coach of the famed Olympic Dream Team, but long before Barcelona and the gold medal, Daly had established himself as one of the game's premier coaches. Daly was coach of the U. S. "Dream Team" that swept to an easy gold medal at the 1992 Olympics. He had resigned from the Detroit job and was hired by the NBA's New Jersey Nets that fall. After two seasons with the Nets, Daly retired. However, he returned to coaching in 1997 with the Orlando Magic. Daly spent two more seasons in Orlando before retiring permanently at the end of the 1998–99 season.
Daly was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March 2009, which he died of on May 9, 2009, at the age of 78. He is survived by his wife Terry and their daughter Cydney.
Honors
- Coached back to back NBA championship teams
- One of only 7 coaches to win back-to-back NBA championships.
- Elected to the NBA Hall of Fame
- Coached a total of 14 NBA seasons
- Pistons registered five 50-plus win seasons
- Won three Central Division titles
- Winning record is 13th best among all coaches and ninth best by percentage
- Playoff record is fourth best in NBA history by wins and eighth best by percentage
- 14 year NBA coaching career
- Coached U.S. to Olympic gold medal (1992) with the first "Dream Team"
- Only Hall of Fame coach to win both an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal
- Compiled a 151–62 record in eight college seasons
- Guided Penn to four Ivy League championships
- Four straight 20-win seasons at Penn
Career Stats
College coaching Record
| Season | School (Conference) | Overall Record | Conference Record (Position) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969–70 | Boston College (independent) | 11–13 | |
| 1970–71 | Boston College (independent) | 15–11 | |
| 1971–72 | Pennsylvania (Ivy League) | 25–3 | 13–1 (1st) |
| 1972–73 | Pennsylvania (Ivy League) | 21–7 | 12–2 (1st) |
| 1973–74 | Pennsylvania (Ivy League) | 21–6 | 13–1 (1st) |
| 1974–75 | Pennsylvania (Ivy League) | 23–5 | 13–1 (1st) |
| 1975–76 | Pennsylvania (Ivy League) | 17–9 | 11–3 (2nd) |
| 1976–77 | Pennsylvania (Ivy League) | 18–8 | 12–2 (2nd) |
| Total | 8 seasons | 151–62 | 74–10 |
Professional coaching record
| Year | Team | Season Record | Playoff Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981–82 | Cleveland | 9–32 | None |
| 1983–84 | Detroit | 49–33 | 2–3 |
| 1984–85 | Detroit | 46–36 | 5–4 |
| 1985–86 | Detroit | 46–36 | 1–3 |
| 1986–87 | Detroit | 52–30 | 10–5 |
| 1987–88 | Detroit | 54–28 | 14–9 |
| 1988–89 | Detroit | 63–19 | 15–2* |
| 1989–90 | Detroit | 59–23 | 15–5* |
| 1990–91 | Detroit | 50–32 | 7–8 |
| 1991–92 | Detroit | 48–34 | 2–3 |
| 1992–93 | New Jersey | 43–39 | 2–3 |
| 1993–94 | New Jersey | 45–37 | 1–3 |
| 1997–98 | Orlando | 41–41 | None |
| 1998–99 | Orlando | 33–17 | 1–3 |
| Total | 14 seasons | 638–437 | 76–51 |
(* Won NBA championship.)
| Wins | Loses | Win Percentage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 605 | 420 | (.590) | Fifteenth-winningest coach in NBA history ... 1998-99 is his second season as Orlando Magic coach; 14th season as NBA head coach ... Guided Detroit Pistons to victories in 1989 and 1990 NBA Finals ... His teams posted winning records in 11 of 13 campaigns ... Elected to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1994. |
External Links
Categories: NBA Coaches | College Coaches | International Coaches | High School Coaches | Detroit Pistons | Cleveland Cavaliers | New Jersey Nets | Orlando Magic | Philadelphia 76ers | Penn Quakers | Boston College Eagles | Bloomsburg University | Duke Blue Devils | People Whose Number Was Retired (NBA) | NBA at 50 | Hall of Famers
