Philadelphia 76ers President and General Manager Ed Stefanski announced today that the team has agreed in principle to a contract extension with Head Coach Maurice Cheeks. Per team policy, terms of the agreement are not disclosed. This extension is in addition to the one Cheeks signed back on February 20.
“Over the course of my time here, Coach Cheeks and I have developed an excellent working relationship, one which I look forward to continuing with him as we move forward in an effort to achieve our collective goals,” Stefanski said.
“I just want to thank the 76ers organization, particularly Mr. Snider, Peter Luukko and Ed Stefanski, for continuing to provide this team with everything necessary to compete and achieve our goals,” Cheeks said. “My focus remains the same as it was when I first arrived – to do whatever it takes to help us win basketball games.”
This past season, Cheeks finished fourth in voting for the NBA’s Coach of the Year award, after guiding the Sixers to a 40-42 mark and their first playoff appearance since 2005. On February 4, the Sixers were 18-30 but won 18 of their next 23 games, becoming just the sixth team in league history to go over .500 after being at least 12 games below .500 at some point during the same season.
Cheeks was named the 21st head coach in franchise history on May 23, 2005 and has posted a 113-133 (.459) mark during that span and has a career record of 275-272 (.503). Prior to joining Philadelphia, he posted a mark of 162-139 (.538) in three-plus seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, helping them reaching the playoffs in each of his first two seasons there. Cheeks spent seven seasons as an assistant coach for the Sixers, working under head coaches John Lucas (1994-96), Johnny Davis (1996-97) and Larry Brown (1997-2001), with whom he helped guide the Sixers to a 56-26 (.683) record and an Eastern Conference title.
Cheeks played 15 seasons in the NBA, the first 11 with Philadelphia, and retired in 1993 as the league’s all-time steals leader and was fifth on the all-time assist list. He was selected to the NBA’s All-Defensive Team five times, played in four NBA All-Star Games and was a member of the Sixers 1982-83 NBA Championship team.
