Bernie Bickerstaff
NBA | |
Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | Benham, Kentucky, U.S. | November 2, 1943
Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | East Benham (Benham, Kentucky) |
College |
|
Coaching career | 1968–2014 |
Career history | |
As coach: | |
1968–1969 | San Diego (assistant) |
1969–1973 | San Diego |
Charlotte Bobcats | |
2008–2010 | Chicago Bulls (assistant) |
2010–2012 | Portland Trail Blazers (assistant) |
2012–2013 | Los Angeles Lakers (assistant) |
2012 | Los Angeles Lakers (interim) |
2013–2014 | Cleveland Cavaliers (assistant) |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Career coaching record | |
NBA | 419–518 (.447) |
Bernard Tyrone Bickerstaff (born February 11, 1944) is an American
Early years
Bickerstaff was born in
After graduating in 1961, Bickerstaff moved to Cleveland where he had relatives, with the idea of joining the Army, but he instead accepted a basketball scholarship to play for Rio Grande College. The racial tension he experienced during his time playing there made him leave school early and head back to Cleveland to work in a steel mill.[citation needed] However, the difficult working conditions prompted him[citation needed] to accept a second opportunity to play college basketball at the University of San Diego from 1964 to 1966. As a senior, he was named team captain and MVP, when the Toreros finished 17–11 and went on to play at the Small College Regional Playoffs. He is a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
Professional career
After finishing his college eligibility, Bickerstaff was hired by his coach Phil Woolpert to serve as an assistant for the 1968–69 season. After three seasons at 25 years old, he was named the head coach of the University of San Diego after Woolpert's abrupt resignation, keeping this position for the next four years. In 1972–1973 his team finished 19–9 and his four-year overall record was 54–49.
In 1973, Bickerstaff was hired as an assistant for the
Bickerstaff was the Denver Nuggets' president and general manager from 1990 to 1997, also coaching the team from 1994 to 1996.
In 1997,
In 2003, Bickerstaff was hired by
Bickerstaff was hired by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2012–13 as an assistant coach to Mike Brown.[6] On November 9, 2012, Bickerstaff was named interim head coach of the Lakers after Brown was fired.[7] Three days later, the Lakers signed former Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni as their official head coach, although D'Antoni's on-court debut was delayed as he recovered from knee-replacement surgery. Bickerstaff continued to coach the Lakers in D'Antoni's absence,[8] ending his stint with a 4–1 record, the highest winning percentage in Lakers' history, albeit in only five games. He continued with the team as an assistant coach,[9] but was fired after the season.[10]
In the summer of 2013, Bickerstaff became an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers.[11] The following year, he moved up to the Cavaliers' front office, serving as a senior advisor.[1] As a member of the Cavaliers front office, he was part of Cleveland's 2016 NBA Championship team.
Head coaching record
NBA
Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Seattle | 1985–86 | 82 | 31 | 51 | .378 | 5th in Pacific | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
Seattle | 1986–87 | 82 | 39 | 43 | .476 | 4th in Pacific | 14 | 7 | 7 | .500 | Lost in Conf. Finals
|
Seattle | 1987–88 | 82 | 44 | 38 | .537 | 3rd in Pacific | 5 | 2 | 3 | .400 | Lost in First round
|
Seattle | 1988–89 | 82 | 47 | 35 | .573 | 3rd in Pacific | 8 | 3 | 5 | .375 | Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|
Seattle | 1989–90 | 82 | 41 | 41 | .500 | 4th in Pacific | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
Denver | 1994–95 | 32 | 20 | 12 | .625 | 4th in Midwest | 3 | 0 | 3 | .000 | Lost in First round
|
Denver | 1995–96 | 82 | 35 | 47 | .427 | 4th in Midwest | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
Denver | 1996–97 | 13 | 4 | 9 | .308 | (fired) | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
Washington | 1996–97 | 35 | 22 | 13 | .628 | 4th in Atlantic | 3 | 0 | 3 | .000 | Lost in First round
|
Washington | 1997–98 | 82 | 42 | 40 | .512 | 4th in Atlantic | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
Washington | 1998–99 | 50 | 18 | 32 | .360 | 6th in Atlantic | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
Charlotte | 2004–05 | 82 | 18 | 64 | .220 | 4th in Southeast | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
Charlotte | 2005–06 | 82 | 26 | 56 | .317 | 4th in Southeast | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
Charlotte | 2006–07 | 82 | 33 | 49 | .402 | 4th in Southeast | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
L.A. Lakers | 2012–13 | 5 | 4 | 1 | .800 | (interim) | — | — | — | — | — |
Career | 937 | 419 | 518 | .447 | 33 | 12 | 21 | .364 |
Awards and accolades
- In 1987, he received the Horace Mann Award for Leadership and was also named the 1987 Sports Person of the Year, presented by the New York Pro-Am Basketball Association.
- In 1995, he was inducted into the University of San Diego's Hall of Fame.
- Inducted into the West Coast Conference's inaugural Hall of Honor.
- In 2010, he was inducted into the John McClendon Minority Athletics Administrators Hall of Fame.
- In 2011, he was named a Kappa Legend and Icon in Sports.
- In 2012, he was inducted into the Breitbard Hall of Fame.
- His hometown of Benham, Kentucky, named a street – Bernard Bickerstaff Boulevard – in his honor.
- In 2014, he was awarded the NBA's Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award.
Personal life
Bickerstaff also worked as a TV and radio analyst with the Washington Wizards, San Antonio Spurs, NBA.com and the Sporting News Radio. His son, J. B. Bickerstaff, is the current head coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers. His wife Eugenia is retired. He has two other sons, Bernard Jr. and Tim, and two daughters, Cydni and Robin.
References
- ^ a b "Cavs Media Guide" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-02-10. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
- ^ Koby Altman Got his Dream Job... ESPN
- ^ Quick, Jason (July 22, 2010). "Trail Blazers legend Buck Williams will be named to Nate McMillan's staff". The Oregonian. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
- ^ K.C. Johnson (2008-07-01). "Bulls Hire 2 Assistant Coaches". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ "Bickerstaff tabbed coach of the year". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. June 7, 2001. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
- ^ Trudell, Mike (September 7, 2012). "LAL Assistant Coach Roles". lakers.com. Archived from the original on November 14, 2012. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
- ^ "Mike Brown Fired As Lakers Coach". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive. November 9, 2012. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
- ^ Bresnahan, Mike (November 18, 2012). "Mike D'Antoni to miss game because of energy, safety concerns". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- ^ Ahmed, Shahan (November 20, 2012). "Bernie Bickerstaff Made History As Interim Lakers Coach". nbclosangeles.com. Archived from the original on February 23, 2015.
- ^ "Mike D'Antoni Fired Assistant Coaches Bernie Bickerstaff and Chuck Person". SlamOnline.com. May 7, 2013. Archived from the original on May 8, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
- ^ Bernie Bickerstaff completes Mike Brown's staff: Cleveland Cavaliers Insider