Stan Van Gundy
Stan Van Gundy (born August 26, 1959)
Teams coached: Castleton Spartans, UMass Lowell River Hawks, Wisconsin Badgers, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, New Orleans Pelicans
Castleton record^: 68-18 (.791)
UMass Lowell record^: 54-60 (.474)
Wisconsin record: 13-14 (.481)
Overall record^: 135-92 (.595)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 0
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 0
- Mayflower (NAIA) Regular Season Champion: 2 (1984, 1985)
- Mayflower (NAIA) Tournament Champion: 1 (1985)
- NAIA Tournament Appearances: 1 (1985)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 2020-2021 | New Orleans Pelicans |
| 2014-2018 | Detroit Pistons |
| 2007-2012 | Orlando Magic |
| 2003-2005 | Miami Heat |
| 1995-2003 | Miami Heat (asst) |
| 1994-1995 | Wisconsin |
| 1992-1994 | Wisconsin (asst) |
| 1988-1992 | UMass Lowell |
| 1987-1988 | Fordham (asst) |
| 1986-1987 | Canisius (asst) |
| 1983-1986 | Castleton |
| 1981-1983 | Vermont (asst) |
Stan Van Gundy Facts
- Stanley Alan Van Gundy
- Born August 26, 1959
- Hometown: Indio, California
- Alma Mater: SUNY-Brockport (BA, 1981)
- His father, Bill, was a basketball coach, as was his younger brother, Jeff, who coached the Rockets and Knicks
- After graduating from Alhambra HS (CA) in the Bay Area, Van Gundy played for his father at D-III Brockport State (NY)
- Started coaching right away, spending two years on Bill Whitmore’s staff as an assistant at Vermont
- Became the head coach at NAIA Castleton (VT) in 1983, going 68-18 in three seasons at the helm
- Won the Mayflower Conference title twice and earned a berth in the 1985 NAIA Tournament
- Left in 1986 and spent two years assisting Nick Macarchuk – one each at Canisius and Fordham
- Became the head coach at (then D-III) UMass Lowell, going 54-60 in four seasons at the helm
- Joined Stu Jackson‘s staff at Wisconsin in 1992, serving as one of his assistants for two seasons
- Took over as the Badgers’ head coach for the 1994-95, going 13-14 (7-11 Big Ten)
- Made the jump to the NBA in 1995, spending the rest of his coaching career in the professional ranks
- Was an assistant with the Miami Heat for eight seasons, working under head coach Pat Riley
- Became the Heat’s head coach in 2003, going 112-73 in two-plus seasons and reaching the NBA Playoffs twice
- Resigned 21 games into the 2005-06 season; the Heat would go on to win the NBA Championship under Pat Riley
- Hired as head coach of the Orlando Magic in 2007, leading the team for five seasons
- Reached the Playoffs yesterday, going all the way to the NBA Finals in 2009 (lost to the Lakers in 5)
- Fired in 2012, reportedly to appease star player Dwight Howard, who would request a trade despite the coaching change
- After several years away, Van Gundy spent four years as head coach at President of Basketball Ops with the Detroit Pistons
- Was not as successful in Detroit, making the Playoffs just once – a First Round exit in 2016
- Returned again to the NBA sidelines in 2020, becoming the new head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans
- Went 31-41 and missed the Playoffs, then parted ways with the franchise in June 2021
- Van Gundy, like his brother Jeff, has worked as a television analyst on-and-off throughout his NBA career
Stan Van Gundy Coaching Tree
- Steve Clifford (Orlando Magic, Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets)
- Patrick Ewing (Georgetown)
- Howard Moore (UIC)
- Mark Price (Charlotte)
- Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat)
^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA Division I, Division III and NAIA levels only; note that UMass Lowell was a D-III program during Van Gundy’s tenure as head coach
