Willis Reed (1942-2023)
Teams coached: New Jersey Nets, Creighton Bluejays, New York Knicks
Creighton record: 52-65 (.444)
Overall record^: 52-65 (.444)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 0
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 1 (1984)
Awards:
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted 1982 as a player)
- National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted 2006 as a player)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 1988-1989 | New Jersey Nets |
| 1985-1987 | Atlanta Hawks (asst) |
| 1981-1985 | Creighton |
| 19??-19?? | St. John’s (volunteer asst) |
| 1977-1978 | New York Knicks |
Willis Reed Facts
- Willis Reed, Jr,
- Born June 25, 1942
- Died March 21, 2023
- Hometown: Bernice, Louisiana
- Alma Mater: Grambling State University (BA, 1964)
- Grew up on a farm in Bernice, LA and played basketball at West Side HS in Lillie, LA
- Went on to play for head coach Fred Hobdy at Grambling; helped the Tigers win three SWAC titles and the 1961 NAIA title
- Later part of the inaugural 2006 class of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (as a player)
- Selected 8th overall in the 1964 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks, playing there for his whole career (1964-74)
- Was a 2x NBA Champion (1970 and 1973), 2x Finals MVP, 7x All-Star (was All-Star Game MVP in 1970), 5x All-NBA (1x First- and 4x Second-Team) and was named Rookie of the Year in 1965
- Named to the NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996 and had his number #19 retired by the Knicks
- Played for head coaches Eddie Donovan, Harry Gallatin, Dick McGuire and Red Holzman
- Inducted as a player into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982
- Took over as the head coach of the Knicks in 1977, going 43-39 and reaching the Conference Semifinals
- Started the next season 6-8 before leaving his role as head coach; finished 51-51 overall (including Playoffs)
- Spent time as a volunteer assistant under Lou Carnesecca at St. John’s in the late 1970s
- Was the head coach at Creighton for four seasons, compiling a 52-65 record during that time
- Improved from 7 and 8 wins in his first two seasons to 17 and 20 in his final two seasons
- His 1983-84 Bluejays team went 17-14 and reached the NIT
- Among the players he recruited and coached was eventual 3rd overall pick Benoit Benjamin
- Returned to NBA coaching in 1985, spending the next two years assisting Mike Fratello with the Atlanta Hawks
- Took over as interim head coach of the New Jersey Nets for the last 28 games of the 1987-88 season, going 7-21
- Served as head coach for the following season, going 26-56 overall and missing the Playoffs
- Moved to the front office in New Jersey in 1989; moved up to general manager in 1993, building a playoff contending team
- Became on the Senior VP of Basketball Operations in 1996, working in that role for seven seasons
- Returned to the Knicks in 2003 to work in the front office then became VP of Basketball Operations for the Hornets in 2004
- Retired in 2007 after three seasons in New Orleans and nearly 50 years in professional and collegiate basketball
- Reed passed away in March 2023 at the age of 80
Willis Reed Coaching Tree
- coming soon
^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA Division I level only
