Position: Head Coach
Career Highlights:
Named the 2003 NBA Coach of the Year … has led the Spurs to a pair of NBA Championships in his seven seasons as the team’s Head Coach … one of three active coaches with multiple NBA Championships (Phil Jackson has nine and Pat Riley has four) … three times he has led San Antonio to the NBA’s best regular season record (1998-99, 2000-01 and 2002-03) … enters the 2003-04 season with a career mark of 339-185 … his career winning percentage of .647 ranks sixth in NBA history and third among active coaches (behind only Jackson and Riley) … posted his 300th career win in Los Angeles on January 5, 2003 as the Spurs beat the Clippers 94-86 … did so in his 476th career game, making him the ninth fastest coach in NBA history to reach the 300 win mark … the Spurs all-time leader in both regular season and playoff wins … has been named the NBA Coach of the Month five times in his career (4/99, 3/01, 3/02, 1/03 and 3/03) … playoff career winning percentage of .610 (47-30) is the eighth best in NBA history … a 1970 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy with a degree in Soviet Studies … played four seasons at the Air Force Academy … as a senior was the team’s captain and leading scorer … following his graduation in 1970 served his five-year military commitment … during that time toured Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces Team … selected to represent the U.S. on the national A.A.U. Team touring the Soviet Union … in 1972 was the captain of the Armed Forces team, which won the A.A.U. Championship … earned an invitation to the 1972 U.S. Olympic Team Training Camp … in 1973 returned to the Air Force Academy as an Assistant Coach … spent six years at Air Force during which time he obtained his master’s degree in Physical Education and Sports Sciences from the University of Denver … in 1979, he was named the Head Coach at Pomona-Pitzer in Claremont, California … spent the next eight seasons at Pomona … during the 1985-86 season led the team to its first conference championship in 68 years and to a berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament … while at Pomona was an active member of the school’s academic community, working as an Associate Professor, chairing the college’s Student Life committee, serving on the Women’s Commission and even – for one year – living in a dorm with his family … moved to the NBA in July of 1988, joining the Spurs as an Assistant Coach as a member of Larry Brown’s staff … spent the next four seasons in San Antonio for a Spurs team that won a pair of Midwest Division titles … in the summer of 1992 was named an Assistant Coach on Don Nelson’s staff with Golden State … spent the next two seasons with the Warriors … named the Spurs Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations/General Manager on May 31, 1994 … served as GM for eight full seasons before turning the job over to R.C. Buford on July 1, 2002 … named the Spurs Head Coach in December of 1996 … has served as an Assistant Coach for USA Basketball’s men’s senior team each of the last two summers (at the 2002 World Basketball Championship and at the 2003 FIBA America Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament) … will be an assistant for the USA Team at the 2004 Olympic Games … a very active member of the San Antonio community … in 1991 teamed with Frank Martin to create the Spurs/Pizza Hut Drug-Free Youth Basketball League … today the league plays at 75 locations in and around San Antonio … over 20,000 boys and girls – ages 7 to 16 – played in the league in 2002-03 (Spurs guard Devin Brown and Silver Stars guard Tai Dillard both played in the Spurs Drug-Free League) … prior to each game, each participant takes the Drug-Free League pledge, promising to remain drug and alcohol free while showing good sportsmanship and fair play … in February of 1992, President Bush awarded a Daily Point of Light Award to the Spurs Drug-Free League … in addition is involved in several other charities including Roy Maas’ Youth Alternatives, the Kids Sports Network and the San Antonio Food Bank … he and his wife of 28 years, Erin, have been blessed with two children, Micky and Jill.
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