Gheorge Muresan
Years ago

Worst coaches of all time

So let's begin the debate. Who are the worst coaches of all time at the different levels of basketball we all enjoy.

In the NBA there are many candidates. Tim Floyd? Isiah Thomas? Rick Pittino? Doug Moe? Kurt Rambis? Bill Musselman? John Lucas?

What about NBL - Scott Ninnis? Shane Heal? Mark Price? Marty Clarke?

What about the SEABL? - Ray de Wit in Mt Gambier?

Let's hear what you think.

Topic #28523 | Report this topic


Anonymous  
Years ago

Jerry Tarkanian had a shocking season as Spurs coach after being a great college coach.

What was the name of the NBL coach who played his son about 35 minutes a game, even though he struggled at ABA level?

Reply #366307 | Report this post


David  
Years ago

I never have thought about it to tell you the truth. I probably think Barry Barnes is not the worse coach but he certainly was not the best when coaching the boomers. No one questioned his selection of players but his refusal to use the bench irritated everyone including Brett Maher who publicly said he would never ever play for Barnes again. He did get the Boomers to the semi-finals though, so it would be a tough stretch to say he's the worst.

NBA is a tough one but I would say M.L. Carr for the Boston Celtics. As Celtics GM he fired Chris Ford who did well to get the team to the playoffs and then drove the team into the ground his last season the Celtics won 13 games.

Larry Bird said in his book that M.L. Carr was about to trade Sherman Douglas and sign Dana Barros. Bird advised against the move Carr's response was that Barros was a Boston native and would become a "fan favourite".

Butch Carter of the Toronto Raptors is the best/worst coach. Charles Oakley insisted that Carter's basketball knowledge and tactics are the best he has seen but because he caused so much tension with the Raptors organisation including undermining the GM nobody in the NBA will hire him.

Bill Hanzlik also has the worst record in NBA history for a rookie coach coaching the Nuggets 11-71. Although the team that GM Alan Bristow gave Hanzlik which included trading Mcdyess and drafting bust Tony Battie certainly didn't do Hanzlik any favours. Hanzlik who was before that job was an upcoming assistant with the Atlanta Hawks never coached again.

Reply #366314 | Report this post


MACDUB  
Years ago

Hard to exactly say who the worst coach is, because each coach had different groups/combinations and players to work with, and undoubtedly under different circumstances (e.g. different expectations, player injuries, front office drama)

IMHO, I look at Spoelstra and see a certain level of incompetence.
He's subs bemuse me sometimes, and he seems to lack control of the group down the stretch. Its often to see the players lacking direction and executing late in games

Reply #366323 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Scott Ninnis?

His record is better than the cuurent coaches who have managed to keep their job!

Reply #366342 | Report this post


GOAT  
Years ago

Mark Wright - Liberty Giants

Reply #366345 | Report this post


Big Van Vader  
Years ago

A bad coach is a bad coach, true? Doesn't matter if they win somewhere along the line. Al Westover wasn't a great coach and having had the chance to see some of his practices, wasn't even a good coach. But he won based on having a stud roster who probably didn't require any more than subs and a few play calls.

Scott Fisher falls in the same category.

The flip side to that is great coaches who get stuck with no resources or poor personnel. Guy Molloy is world class, but can't get an NBL job. Before Perth, Bevo had to 'eat sh!t' in Sydney. Aaron Fearne hasn't always had top of the line rosters.
Ian Stacker is an excellent coach and can't get a nod in the NBL. Trevor Gleeson beat any name coaches during his time at Townsville with little more than an import PG who couldn't shoot and an aging John Rillie.

Reply #366346 | Report this post


Mick  
Years ago

It really depends on your idea of a bad coach.

I personally think Mike D'Antoni is one of the worst coaches of all time, but he won a heck of a lot of games...

Reply #366349 | Report this post


orbit  
Years ago

Orlich 4 Bullets!

Reply #366363 | Report this post


David  
Years ago

Mike D'Antoni worst coach? No way he is one of the best his style may not win championships but it's certainly the way the game should be played. Score Score Score!!!!!

Phil Jackson has recently come out and suggested that he wouldn't of taken the New York Knicks coaching job even if it was offered to him. He states simply that Anthony and Stoudamire as players don't fit together which kind of suggest that the mix of players are more the problem with the knicks then D'Antoni. Someone in that organization has to have some balls and look to trade Anthony.

Reply #366367 | Report this post


Mick  
Years ago

@ David. Mike D'Antoni? The way the game should be played? I couldn't think of a worse way to play. Those Phoenix rosters were stacked and he was the one reason why they couldnt win it all.

I quote Jalen Rose:

"I played for the Phoenix Suns. 2007. My last season. As were playing against the San Antonio Spurs. And I remember us coming to our first practice before Game 1. And we brought it in. And we were excited about our playoffs getting started. And Coach D'Antoni put in some film. It was Steve behind the back. Amare slam dunk. Shawn Marion with the block. Raja Bell with the charge. It was a highlight film of our team. They have showed me making a shot on there, and I was barely even playing.

So after that he as like all right, we're going to run and down, go through our set plays and whatnot, and we're going to get out of here.

And I looked at Kurt Thomas. I hit him with an elbow. I'm like hold on. I gotta say something.

So I did my Arnold Horshack from "Welcome Back, Kotter."

I'm like "ooh, ooh, ooh, hey coach. I gotta ask a question. Are we going to talk about how we're going to defend Tim Duncan on the post? Are we going to talk about Manu Ginobili in pick and roll? Keeping Tony Parker out of the paint?"

He looked at me in front of the entire team and coaching staff and said: "We're not worried about what they do. If we play to the best of our abilities, and do what we're supposed to do, there is no way they can beat us. We don't mind if Tim goes off. If Tim goes off, that means everybody else is quiet."

So, people gave us a pass. And we were a great team. And Robert Horry did knock my guy Steve Nash into the scoreboard. And Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw got up off the bench and I should have been paying attention and being a vet, and grabbed Amare -- maybe I'd have a ring to this day.

They walked out on the floor, they get suspended late in the series, and we did lose that game.

But we really lost the series in Game 1. When the guy that couldn't beat us by himself -- Tim Duncan -- he only had 40 and 20 in Game 1.

So that's really when we lost the series"



That anecdote sums up my opinion of Mike D'Antoni, and you.

Reply #366384 | Report this post


The_Champ33  
Years ago

The current Adelaide 36ers coach.

He's good as a Development Coach. But he sucks @ the top job. Subbing players off when they have the hot shooting hand. Benching play making imports for an entire quarter baffle me.

Reply #366386 | Report this post


Encased Heeding  
Years ago

NBA
P.J Carlesimo. Thank God he got the flick from OKC.

NBL
Bob Turner. Had loads of talent but failed to deliver.

SEABL
Laundry list...

Reply #366389 | Report this post


wasportsfan1  
Years ago

Connor Henry!

Reply #366427 | Report this post


Anon  
Years ago

Moose

Reply #366428 | Report this post


hoopie  
Years ago

D'Antoni

Reply #366505 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Agree with GOAT - Mark Wright!

Reply #366526 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Shane Heal. As a Dragons fan it was painful to watch them play under Heal. Just about every player looked lost, they had no clear style of play and seemed unmotivated. When he left (fired - whatever it was) towards the end of the season, after just three or four games under Guy Molloy they picked up noticeably.

Reply #366528 | Report this post


Gheorge Muresan  
Years ago

What about the NBA coach with the most wins - Don Nelson?
Why did he never change his style for the playoffs? Why can he win 60 games in regunal season, but never get a team to finals?
His Milwaukee Bucks teams should have played off at least once for title.
At Golden State this is the guy who traded Mitch Richmond to Sacramento for Billy Owens because he wanted to get bigger? How about actually working with the big guys he had, instead of playing them 10-15 minutes a night.
How about giving Chris Webber some help. Franchise player traded after one season?
Maybe not the worst coach, but surely the most disappointing?

Reply #366534 | Report this post


Gheorge Muresan  
Years ago

A couple more names for you.

Quinn Bucknor - disaster with Mavs season before Jason Kidd arrived.

Ron Rothstein - three years with expansion Miami Heat understandably has poor record, but he lost his veteran players when he was at Pistons.
Should have done much better with majority of Bad Boys still on roster in '93.

Reply #366535 | Report this post


David  
Years ago

On the College Basketball scene the word from insiders was Clyde Drexler was a bad coach. Apparently he was very lazy sometimes turning up 15 minutes before a game. He's now looking for a coaching job in the NBA.

Reply #366551 | Report this post


Very Very Old  
Years ago

we will all know at the end of the next NBL season - It's a two horse race between The Two Tools - Shane (the Hammer) Heal and Marty ( the Mallet ) Clarke.

Just open the gates, step back , and watch them amble out of the gates folks !!

Reply #366856 | Report this post


hoopie  
Years ago

What about Chris (the Undertaker) Anstey?

Tigers are looking like dead ducks right now anyway.

Reply #366877 | Report this post


Steven  
Years ago

Shane Heal

Reply #464533 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Mescke

Reply #465216 | Report this post


Sam  
Years ago

Guy Molloy had fantastic resources and money to burn when he coached Cairns .It would appear he can't coach men just not his go but he most certainly isn't world class.He may be an ok women's coach but I don't recall him winning the championship or in fact a championship anywhere.If your going to post at least go with facts he had everything he neede in his times at Cairns they were one of the higher paying teams in his time.T he players disliked him and didn't wont to play for him just asked the people involved at the time that is why he doesn't get a look in.

Reply #465220 | Report this post


The Fog  
Years ago

Molly won a womens title with Perth in the 90's

Reply #465221 | Report this post


D4444  
Years ago

Ian Robilliard is the worst the NBL has seen, no question.

I still don't know what Bob Turner had been smoking when he appointed him.

Reply #465232 | Report this post


Sam  
Years ago

Molloy may be a good women's coach maybe but his record with men is terrible.He is not the first to well with women and poor with men his record with Cairns says it all.

Reply #465330 | Report this post




You need to be a registered user to post from this location. Register here.



Close ads
Little Streaks - The fun and interactive good-habits app designed especially for kids.
Serio: Tourism photography and videography

Advertise on Hoops to a very focused, local and sports-keen audience. Email for rates and options.

Recent Posts



.


An Australian basketball forum covering NBL, WNBL, ABL, Juniors plus NBA, WNBA, NZ, Europe, etc | Forum time is: 1:34 pm, Tue 19 Mar 2024 | Posts: 968,026 | Last 7 days: 754