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WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The other coaches in the NBA when Gregg Popovich took over the Spurs in 1996
Which makes what Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs have accomplished that much more amazing.
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Popovich took over the team in the middle of the 1996-97 season. Although he didn't have success right away, the team kept him around, and two years later, they were NBA champions, setting up a 20-year run that has included four more championships.
Meanwhile, almost all other teams have gone through several coaches during that time span. Many of the other coaches around the NBA that season have gone on to become analysts, team executives, or out of basketball entirely.
Take a look at where the other coaches from the 1996-97 NBA season are today.
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Gregg Popovich took over the Spurs in December and went 17-47 with the team en route to a 20-62 record.
Popovich is still with the Spurs today. He's won five championships with the team and is seventh all-time in wins.
Lenny Wilkens was head coach of the Atlanta Hawks in 1996. They finished the season 56-26.
Wilkens is second all-time in wins in the NBA. He's now retired and helps run the Lenny Wilkens Foundation.
M.L. Carr was the coach of the Boston Celtics. They finished the season 15-67.
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Carr resigned after the season and didn't coach again in the NBA. Today, he is into venture capital and is a board member of Healthy Acquisitions Corp., the parent company of a health food firm.
Source: Boston Globe
Dave Cowens was the coach of the Charlotte Hornets. They finished the season 54-28.
Today, Cowens, a Celtics legend, is retired and runs a basketball camp in Maine.
Source: WCSH6
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Phil Jackson was the coach of the Chicago Bulls in 1996. They finished the season 69-13.
Jackson, of course, later coached the Los Angeles Lakers to five championships. Today, he is the president of the New York Knicks.
Mike Fratello was the coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. They finished the season 42-40.
Today, Fratello is an analyst for ESPN and does color commentary on the YES Network for the Brooklyn Nets.
Jim Cleamons was the coach of the Dallas Mavericks. They finished the season 24-58.
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Cleamons was last an assistant with the Knicks in 2016.
Bernie Bickerstaff was the coach of the Nuggets, but was replaced by Dick Motta. They finished the season 21-61.
Bickerstaff went onto coach for several more years before retiring. Motta is also retired. Both are recipients of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award.
Doug Collins was the coach of the Detroit Pistons. They finished the season 54-28.
Collins coached as recently as 2013. He's now an analyst on ESPN.
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Rick Adelman was the coach of the Golden State Warriors. They finished the season 30-52.
Adelman coached for 15 more years in the NBA. Today, Adelman enjoys retirement in Portland, Oregon.
Source: Portland Tribune
Rudy Tomjanovich was the coach of the Houston Rockets. They finished the season 57-27.
Tomjanovich is now a scout for the Lakers.
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Larry Brown was the coach of the Indiana Pacers. They finished the season 39-43.
In 2016, Brown resigned as coach of Southern Methodist University. He was reportedly considering coaching a high school team, but did not follow through.
Source: Patch
Bill Fitch was the coach of the Los Angeles Clippers. They finished the season 36-46.
Fitch, one of the winningest coaches in NBA history, is retired, but still occasionally comments on the game.
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Del Harris was the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. They finished the season 56-26.
Today, Harris is the vice president of the NBA D-League team, the Texas Vipers.
Pat Riley was the coach of the Miami Heat. They finished the season 61-21.
Today, Riley is president of the Heat.
Chris Ford was the coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. They finished the season 33-49.
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He was last a coaching consultant with the Knicks in 2013.
Flip Saunders was the coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. They finished the season 40-42.
Saunders died at age 60 in 2015 during his second stint as coach of the Wolves.
John Calipari was the coach of the New Jersey Nets. They finished the season 21-61.
Calipari's stint in the NBA didn't last long, coaching the Nets until 1999. He's now the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats.
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Jeff Van Gundy was the coach of the New York Knicks. They finished the season 57-25.
Today, Van Gundy is an analyst for ESPN and a popular voice around the league.
Brian Hill was the coach of the Orlando Magic, but was replaced by Richie Adubato. They finished the season 45-37.
Today, Hill is an analyst for Fox Sports Florida. Adubato coached several years in the WNBA and is now a color analyst for the Magic.
Johnny Davis was the coach of the Philadelphia 76ers. They finished the season 22-60.
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Davis was last an assistant coach with the Lakers in 2014. He's now semi-retired.
Source: WHIO
Cotton Fitzsimmons was the head coach of the Phoenix Suns, but was replaced by Danny Ainge. They finished the season 40-42.
Fitzsimmons died at age 72 in 2004. Ainge is now the president of basketball operations for the Boston Celtics.
P.J. Carlesimo was the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. They finished the season 49-33.
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Today, Carlesimo is an analyst for ESPN.
Garry St. Jean was the coach of the Sacramento Kings, but was replaced by Eddie Jordan. They finished the season 34-48.
Today, St. Jean is a Warriors analyst for Comcast Sports. Jordan was fired as head coach of Rutgers basketball in 2016 after three seasons.
George Karl was the coach of the Seattle Supersonics. They finished the season 57-25.
Karl was fired as head coach of the Kings at the end of the 2015-16 season.
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Darrell Walker was the coach of the Toronto Raptors. They finished the season 30-52.
Today, Walker is the head coach of Clark Atlanta University's men's basketball team.
Jerry Sloan was the coach of the Utah Jazz. They finished the season 64-18.
Though Sloan resigned as coach of the Jazz in 2011, he is still a consultant with the team today.
Brian Winters was the coach of the Vancouver Grizzlies, but was replaced by Stu Jackson. They finished the season 14-68.
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Winters was last a scout with the Indiana Pacers in 2011. Jackson is the former Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations in the NBA and is now an analyst for NBA TV.
Jim Lynam was the coach of the Washington Bullets, but was replaced by Bernie Bickerstaff. They finished the season 44-38.
Lynam spent several seasons as an assistant with the 76ers. Today, he is an analyst with Comcast Sports.
Source: Philly.com
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