Chuck Daly

Chuck Daly (1930-2009)

Teams coached: Boston College Eagles, Penn Quakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic
Boston College record: 26-24 (.520)
Penn record: 125-38 (.767)
Overall record^: 151-62 (.709)

Career Accomplishments:

  • NCAA National Championships:  0
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances:  4  (1972, 1973, 1974, 1975)
  • NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: (1972, 1973)
  • NCAA Tournament Final Four:  0
  • NIT Championships:  0
  • NIT Appearances:  0
  • Ivy League Regular Season Champion:  4  (1972, 1973, 1974, 1975)

Awards:

  • Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted 1994 as a coach and 2010 with the Dream Team)
  • National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted 2006)

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1997-1999 Orlando Magic
1992-1994 New Jersey Nets
1983-1992 Detroit Pistons
1981-1982 Cleveland Cavaliers
1978-1981 Philadelphia 76ers (asst)
1971-1977 Penn
1969-1971 Boston College
1963-1969 Duke (asst)

Chuck Daly Facts

  • Charles Jerome Daly
  • Born July 20, 1930
  • Died May 9, 2009
  • Hometown: Kane, Pennsylvania
  • Alma Mater: Bloomsburg University (BA, 1953)
  • Graduated from Bloomsburg University (PA) and then served two years in the military
  • Started his coaching career in 1955, becoming the head basketball coach at Punxsutawney Area HS (PA)
    • Went 111-70 during his eight-year tenure there
  • Joined Vic Bubas‘ staff at Duke in 1963; worked there for six seasons and was a part of two Final Fours
  • Became the head coach at Boston College in 1969, leading the Eagles to a 26-24 record over two seasons
  • Returned to his home state in 1971 to be the head coach of the Penn Quakers
    • Went 125-38 in six seasons, winning Ivy League titles and reaching the NCAA Tournament in each of his first four years
    • Advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen in both 1972 and 1973
  • Moved on to the pro ranks in 1978, coaching in the NBA for the rest of his career
    • Spent three seasons as an assistant on Billy Cunningham’s staff with the Philadelphia 76ers
    • Was the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers for part of the 1981-82 season, going 9-32
  • Best remembered for his nine-year tenure as the head coach of the Detroit Pistons
    • Went 467-271 during that time, winning two NBA Championships (1989 & 1990) and going 71-42 in the Playoffs
    • At the helm for what is known as the “Bad Boys” Era, featuring Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman, John Salley and others
  • Was selected to coach the US Olympic team in 1992, known as the “Dream Team”
    • The team, stacked with Hall of Famers like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, and others, cruised through the Barcelona Olympics to easily win gold
    • Daly’s assistants for the summer were Mike Krzyzewski, Lenny Wilkens and P.J. Carlesimo
  • Coached the New Jersey Nets and Orlando Magic for two seasons each before retiring in 1999
  • In between coaching jobs, Daly worked in television broadcasting for TNT, TBS and a local Philadelphia station
  • Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March 2009 and died two months later, aged 78, at his home in Jupiter, FL
    • Survived by his wife, Terry, his daughter, Cydney, and two grandchildren

Chuck Daly Coaching Tree

  • Rick Carlisle (Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons)
  • Mike Evans (Denver Nuggets)
  • Armen Gilliam (Penn State Altoona, Penn State McKeesport)
  • Sidney Green (Florida Atlantic, North Florida, Southampton)
  • Bill Laimbeer (Las Vegas Aces, New York Liberty, Detroit Shock)
  • Craig Littlepage (Rutgers, Penn)
  • Brendan Malone (Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors)
  • Rollie Massimino (Northwood/Keiser, Cleveland State, UNLV, Villanova)
  • Eric Musselman (Arkansas, Nevada, LA D-Fenders, Reno Bighorns, Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors)
  • Jim O’Brien (Emerson, Ohio State, Boston College, St. Bonaventure)
  • Kevin Ollie (Connecticut)
  • Mark Price (Charlotte)
  • Tree Rollins (Washington Mystics, Greenville Groove)
  • Ron Rothstein (Miami Sol, Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat)
  • Paul Silas (Charlotte Bobcats, Cleveland Cavaliers, New Orleans/Charlotte Hornets)
  • Bob Staak (Wake Forest, Xavier)
  • Isiah Thomas (FIU, New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers)
  • Terry Tyler (Eastern New Mexico)
  • Dick Versace (Indiana Pacers)
  • Darrell Walker (Little Rock, Clark Atlanta, Washington Wizards, Toronto Raptors)
  • Rex Walters (San Francisco, Florida Atlantic)
  • Bob Weinhauer (Arizona State, Penn)
  • Bob Zuffelato (Marshall, Boston College)

 

^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA Division I level only