Best Ringless Coach

[BigKAT]

# Only coachs who have 10 years under their belt or are retired from coaching

Off the top of my head..

I'm thinking it's between Jerry Sloan and George Karl?

Jerry Sloan has two Final appearences and Karl only one I think, but Karl is one of the longest tentured head coachs.

Who do you guys got?

[RedBlackAttack]

# Only coachs who have 10 years under their belt or are retired from coaching

Off the top of my head..

I'm thinking it's between Jerry Sloan and George Karl?

Jerry Sloan has two Final appearences and Karl only one I think, but Karl is one of the longest tentured head coachs.

Who do you guys got?
You're obviously talking all-time, not current. If it were current, I might throw Stan Van Gundy's name out there. His teams are always very well coached and he was close a couple times.

[Achilleas]

rick adelman

[BigKAT]

You're obviously talking all-time, not current. If it were current, I might throw Stan Van Gundy's name out there. His teams are always very well coached and he was close a couple times.

That's an interesting pick.
Didn't even think about the guy,

Definetly a great coach. Got the most out of that 09' Magic squad.
Is he in the conversation for the best though?


rick adelman

Yeah. He was definetly close in 02'. I loved that coach though he didn't have much success with my wolves.

[I know you are]

Van Gundy and Adelman are good, but Sloan is the correct pick.

I also want to throw out Larry Bird. Stopped coaching by choice, but he was excellent. 3 years of coaching, 68.7% record. In the 2 full length seasons he coached, the Pacers won 58 and 56 games. In the lockout shortened season, Pacers won 33 of 50. In 98, Bird's rookie coaching season, the Pacers went to an epic game 7 against the Bulls in the Conference Finals, then they lost in the Conference Finals to the Knicks in 1999, and in his 3rd and Final season as a coach he helped the Pacers get to the Finals where they lost to the Lakers.

[BigKAT]

Van Gundy and Adelman are good, but Sloan is the correct pick.

I also want to throw out Larry Bird. Stopped coaching by choice, but he was excellent. 3 years of coaching, 68.7% record. In the 2 full length seasons he coached, the Pacers won 58 and 56 games. In the lockout shortened season, Pacers won 33 of 50. In 98, Bird's rookie coaching season, the Pacers went to an epic game 7 against the Bulls in the Conference Finals, then they lost in the Conference Finals to the Knicks in 1999, and in his 3rd and Final season as a coach he helped the Pacers get to the Finals where they lost to the Lakers.

Bird's a great addition to this discussion.

Any idea why he quit after three successful years?
Kinda odd to think the guy was so good and just stopped so soon.

Impatience?
Maybe he saw that Shaq/Kobe dynasty in the making and lost his motivation?

[feyki]

Don Nelson .

[BigKAT]

Don Nelson .

Pulled one of the greatest upests in history.
On his former team no less.

Definetly up there.

[Fire Colangelo]

Cotton Fitzsimmons used to be in the conversation for one of the best coaches without a ring.

[tamaraw08]

# Only coachs who have 10 years under their belt or are retired from coaching

Off the top of my head..

I'm thinking it's between Jerry Sloan and George Karl?

Jerry Sloan has two Final appearences and Karl only one I think, but Karl is one of the longest tentured head coachs.

Who do you guys got?
Yes Sloan is up there because he proved he can win with different lineups esp post Stockton/Malone.
Van Gundy bros.
Then I have a different set for regular seasons. Guys like Nelson and Saunders.
I'm on the fence now on Adelman because of the Twolves debacle. I'm not sure though about Bird cuz he relied so heavily on Carlisle

[FireDavidKahn]

Adelman?

idk

[livinglegend]

Rick Adelman because Stern/refs robbed his ring in 2002.

[I know you are]

Bird's a great addition to this discussion.

Any idea why he quit after three successful years?
Kinda odd to think the guy was so good and just stopped so soon.

Impatience?
Maybe he saw that Shaq/Kobe dynasty in the making and lost his motivation?
I had to look it up. This is from early June of 2000:


When Bird said he would do this for three years, his boss wasn't convinced. "And I don't think he was at that point," said Donnie Walsh, the Pacers' president. "I probably, more than anyone, tried to let him know what the lifestyle of a coach was.... I wanted him to know, before he took the job, that once you start the season, you really don't have a life. It's all-encompassing.

"I think he has grown to see that," Walsh said. "He has options. So he's not like the rest of us. Whether it's all-encompassing or not and we have a life or not, we keep going because that's what we do."

Within the organization, the question about Bird's coaching future ended before the season began. Bird told Walsh last summer that this would be his final season. "When he says it, I believe it," Walsh said. "And I don't try to talk him out of anything, and I think he's the same way with me."
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2000-06-04/sports/0006040151_1_reggie-miller-nba-finals-knicks

Apparently he stated he would only coach for 3 years when he took the job, and then stayed true to it. He confirmed it heading into his 3rd year.

[BigKAT]

I had to look it up. This is from early June of 2000:


http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2000-06-04/sports/0006040151_1_reggie-miller-nba-finals-knicks

Apparently he stated he would only coach for 3 years when he took the job, and then stayed true to it. He confirmed it heading into his 3rd year.

That's some resolve.
Especially after coming so close to a title.

But I just don't think 3 years is enough to cement him as the greatest ringless coach.

But then again, longetivity might not be a plus in this discussion.

[Jasper]

Nelson

he was the inventor of Small Ball ... I think he is 2nd in wins as well

[Jasper]

Rick Adelman because Stern/refs robbed his ring in 2002.
Point on with this post...

[I know you are]

That's some resolve.
Especially after coming so close to a title.

But I just don't think 3 years is enough to cement him as the greatest ringless coach.

But then again, longetivity might not be a plus in this discussion.
Yeah, he has more of an excuse than others for not winning. 3 seasons, never got less than a conference Finals, 1 Finals appearance, and almost beat the Bulls is pretty impressive. Who knows what would have happened with varying rosters. Maybe the Pacers succeed further in the mid-2000s.

[BigKAT]

Yeah, he has more of an excuse than others for not winning. 3 seasons, never got less than a conference Finals, 1 Finals appearance, and almost beat the Bulls is pretty impressive. Who knows what would have happened with varying rosters. Maybe the Pacers succeed further in the mid-2000s.


So far as I see it, after reading everyone's posts,

I think that the strongest candidates are Don Nelson and Rick Adelman, though I hate what Rick has done with my wolves, I do recognize that in his best years he was superb.

Bird is a unique dark horse, mostly due to the short period in which he coached.

There's lots of What-Ifs about him, but you could say the same about Greg Oden, Tracy Mccgrady and D-Rose. Yet no one will consider them the greatest because of what -could have been- y'know?

Still, thanks alot for teaching me something new about Larry Legend. Just another reason he's so great.

[Steven Kerry]

Do rings as assistants count?

[BigKAT]

Do rings as assistants count?

I'ma say no. They don't. (I mean they do, but not for this discussion.)

Are you looking to bring up Thibs?