William Charles Fitch (May 19, 1932 – February 2, 2022) was an American professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
coach in the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
(NBA). He developed multiple teams into playoff contenders and won an
NBA championship
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awa ...
with the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
in 1981. Before entering the professional ranks, he coached
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
at the
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...
,
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is a public research university in Bowling Green, Ohio. The main academic and residential campus is south of Toledo, Ohio. The university has nationally recognized programs and research facilities in the ...
, the
University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota (also known as UND or North Dakota) is a public research university in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It was established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of ...
, and his alma mater,
Coe College
Coe College is a private liberal arts college in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It was founded in 1851 and is historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). The college is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest and the Associat ...
. Fitch's teams twice qualified for the NCAA tournament. He won the
Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award
Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award is an annual award given by the National Basketball Coaches Association (NBCA) to a longtime NBA coach's life in basketball and his "standard of integrity, competitive excellence and tireless promotion" of t ...
in 2013, and was elected to the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...
in 2019.
College coaching career
Fitch coached at four universities: the
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...
,
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is a public research university in Bowling Green, Ohio. The main academic and residential campus is south of Toledo, Ohio. The university has nationally recognized programs and research facilities in the ...
, the
University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota (also known as UND or North Dakota) is a public research university in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It was established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of ...
, and his alma mater,
Coe College
Coe College is a private liberal arts college in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It was founded in 1851 and is historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). The college is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest and the Associat ...
.
He led North Dakota to three
NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament
The NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament (officially styled by the NCAA as a "Championship" instead of a "Tournament") is an annual championship tournament for colleges and universities that are members of NCAA Division II, a grouping of ...
s, including a Final Four appearance in
1966
Events January
* January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko.
* January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...
. At his only season with Bowling Green, the
Falcons
Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Falcons are widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica, though closely related raptors did occur there in the Eocene.
Adult falcons ...
reached the
1968 NCAA University Division basketball tournament after winning the
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I collegiate athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twel ...
title with an 18–7 record and 10–2 in conference play. At his two seasons at Minnesota, Fitch coached the Golden Gophers to 12–12 and 13–11.
Pro coaching career
During his 25-year pro coaching career, Fitch was often hired in an attempt to improve failing teams. Although Fitch currently ranks tenth among NBA coaches in all-time number of victories (with 944), he is also ranked second in all-time losses (with 1,106) behind
Lenny Wilkens
Leonard Randolph Wilkens (born October 28, 1937) is an American former basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been inducted three times into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, first in 1989 as ...
.
In 1996, Fitch was named one of the
Top 10 Coaches in NBA History
The 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, also referred to as NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, were chosen in 1996 to honor the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the third anniversary team ...
.
In 2016, Fitch was honored with an honorary bench by the Hall of Fame, which surrounds a statue of
James Naismith
James Naismith (; November 6, 1861November 28, 1939) was a Canadian-American physical educator, physician, Christian chaplain, and sports coach, best known as the inventor of the game of basketball. After moving to the United States, he wrote ...
along with other granite benches in honor of great coaches, all made possible through a $150,000 donation by
Rick Carlisle
Richard Preston Carlisle ( ; born October 27, 1959) is an American basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has previously served as head coach of the Detro ...
.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Fitch was the first head coach hired by the expansion
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
on March 19, 1970, for their
inaugural 1970–71 season. In that season, the Cavaliers went 15–67.
The Cavaliers did not have a season as bad as that one until the
1981–82 season, which also garnered 15 wins. The team gradually rose in wins for the next two years, winning 32 in his third season, although they slipped slightly the following year. In his first four years, they finished last each time in the Central Division.
His fifth season (
1974–75) resulted in marked improvement as the Cavs won 40 games while finishing third, their first season without a last-place finish. By this point, the team had a clear leader in its #1 draft pick from 1971,
Austin Carr
Austin George Carr (born March 10, 1948) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, and Washington Bullets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is known by Cleveland ...
. He had become the leading scorer for the team, but a serious knee injury curtailed Cleveland's hopes for a playoff berth.
The following season of
1975–76 was the pinnacle of his career with Cleveland. The team, now fabled as "The Miracle of Richfield", was led by team captain Carr, scoring small forward
Campy Russell
Michael Campanella "Campy" Russell (born January 12, 1952) is an American former professional basketball player. He played the forward position in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks for ni ...
, shooting guard
Bobby "Bingo" Smith, and a supporting cast of largely unknown players such as starting center
Jim Chones
James Bernett “Bunny” Chones (born November 30, 1949) is an American former professional basketball player, and current radio analyst for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
A 6'11" forward/center, Chones starred at Marquette University, where he earne ...
, and an aging
Nate Thurmond
Nathaniel Thurmond (July 25, 1941 – July 16, 2016) was an American basketball player who spent the majority of his 14-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Golden State Warriors franchise. He played the center and po ...
. The team won 49 games (a team record for 13 seasons) and the Central Division title.
They defeated the
Washington Bullets
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...
in seven games to advance to the Conference Finals, where they were defeated in six games by the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
, with Chones being sidelined by a broken foot in practice two days before the conference finals. The Cavaliers did not win another playoff series until
1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
. Fitch was awarded the
NBA Coach of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1962–63 NBA season. The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named in honor of the head coach who le ...
at the end of the season.
Fitch led the team to two more playoff berths, although they did not win either series.
After a 30–52 record for the
1978–79 season, he resigned on May 21, 1979.
Boston Celtics
On May 23, 1979, Fitch was hired by the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
, taking over for
Dave Cowens
David William Cowens ( ; born October 25, 1948) is an American former professional basketball player and NBA head coach. At , he played the center position and occasionally played power forward. Cowens spent most of his playing career with the Bo ...
, who had coached them to a 29–53 record as a player-coach the previous season. His first season in
1979–80 was also the first for
Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded a ...
. A former
drill instructor
A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer in the armed forces, fire department, or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. Foot drill, military step, and marching are typically taught by drill instructors.
Australia
Austr ...
in the
U. S. Marine Corps, the coach was lauded by Bird for his intense practices and discipline. Fitch helped lead the Celtics to 61 wins along with an Atlantic Division title. In the playoffs that year, the Celtics were defeated in the Conference Finals to the
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...
in five games. Fitch won his second Coach of the Year Award after the season.
In his second
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
, the Celtics drafted
Kevin McHale and acquired
Robert Parish
Robert Lee Parish (born August 30, 1953) is an American former professional basketball player who played 21 seasons as a center in the National Basketball Association (NBA), tied for second most in league history. He played an NBA-record 1,61 ...
, both through a trade with the
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...
. Fitch's team won 62 games along with a second Atlantic title. They went on to beat the
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
in six games to win the
1981 NBA Finals
The 1981 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1980–81 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. It pitted the 62–20 Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics a ...
, Boston's first title since 1976.
Fitch led the Celtics to a third consecutive Atlantic Division title in 1981–82 while winning 63 games, although the team lost in the Conference Finals to the 76ers in seven games. The 1982–83 team dropped in wins (from 63 to 56) while finishing second in the Atlantic Division, and were defeated by the
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...
in four games. On May 27, 1983, he resigned from the Celtics. Fitch cited
Harry T. Mangurian Jr.'s announcement that he was selling the team due to difficulties with
Delaware North
Delaware North is a global food service and hospitality company headquartered in Buffalo, New York. The company also operates in the lodging, sporting, airport, gambling, and entertainment industries. The company employs over 55,000 people worl ...
(the owners of the
Boston Garden
The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928, as "Boston Madison Square Garden" (late ...
) as the last straw, despite Fitch having three years left on his contract.
Houston Rockets
On June 1, 1983, Fitch was hired by the
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
, taking over for
Del Harris
Delmer William Harris (born June 18, 1937) is an American basketball coach who is currently the vice president of the Texas Legends, the NBA G League affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks. He served as a head coach for the NBA's Houston Rockets, Mil ...
, who had managed the team to 14 wins the previous season.
The
1983–84 Houston Rockets season also happened to be the first season with
Ralph Sampson
Ralph Lee Sampson Jr. (born July 7, 1960) is an American former professional basketball player. He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. A phenom, three-time college national player of the year, and first overall selec ...
on the team. The team won 29 games that season. The
next season was the season in which the Rockets drafted
Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon (; ; born January 21, 1963), nicknamed "the Dream", is a Nigerian Americans, Nigerian-American former professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Ass ...
, and the team responded with 48 wins and a playoff berth, although they were beaten in five games by the
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...
.
His
third season was his best season with the team as they won the Midwest Division title along with the Western Conference title after beating the
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
in five games.
They met Fitch's old team, the Celtics. Boston beat the team in six games to win the
Finals
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
.
Fitch's following two seasons led to playoff berths, although they did not advance past the Conference Semi-finals. Fitch was fired on June 6, 1988.
New Jersey Nets
On August 21, 1989, Fitch was hired by the
New Jersey Nets
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
, replacing
Willis Reed
Willis Reed Jr. (born June 25, 1942) is an American retired basketball player, coach and general manager. He spent his entire professional playing career (1964–1974) with the New York Knicks. In 1982, Reed was inducted into the Naismith Memo ...
, who had gone 26–56 the previous season.
The team acquired
Sam Bowie
Samuel Paul Bowie (born March 17, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. A national sensation in high school and outstanding collegian and Olympic team member, Bowie's professional promise was undermined by repeated injuries ...
on draft day in order to try and start a rebuilding process, although the team went 17–65 for the season, the fewest wins for the Nets since joining the NBA.
Fitch gradually raised the team up, acquiring
Derrick Coleman
Derrick Demetrius Coleman (born June 21, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player. Coleman was born in Mobile, Alabama, but grew up and attended high school in Detroit, Michigan, Detroit, and attended college at Syracuse Univer ...
,
Dražen Petrović
Dražen Petrović (; 22 October 1964 – 7 June 1993) was a Yugoslav and Croatian professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he initially achieved success playing professional basketball in Europe in the 1980s, before joining the Natio ...
, and
Terry Mills helping the team qualify for a playoff berth in the
1991–92 New Jersey Nets season.
The team went to the playoffs with a losing record of 40–42, sixth-best in the 14 team Eastern Conference. They lost in the First Round to Fitch's old team, the Cavaliers in four games. On May 12, 1992, he resigned as coach of the team.
Los Angeles Clippers
On July 28, 1994, Fitch was hired by the
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
, replacing
Bob Weiss
Robert William Weiss (born May 7, 1942) is an American professional basketball coach and former player.
College career
Weiss played college basketball at Penn State University from 1963 to 1965 and averaged 16.3 points per game during his senior ...
, who had gone 27–55 the previous year. In four seasons with the team, he could not reverse the tide of a franchise that had gone on a downward spiral since making the playoffs in consecutive seasons in 1992 and 1993. However, he led them to a playoff berth once, doing so in the
1996–97 season (the last playoff berth for the team until 2006), although they were swept in the First Round by the Jazz. They made the playoffs despite going 36–46, qualifying by just two games. The following season was a disaster, with the team finishing 17–65, the worst season since finishing with that same record in the 1994–95 season.
Two days after the season ended, Fitch was fired on April 20, 1998.
Fitch's most losses record in NBA history with 1,106 losses a record stood for five years until
Lenny Wilkens
Leonard Randolph Wilkens (born October 28, 1937) is an American former basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been inducted three times into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, first in 1989 as ...
broke his mark during the
2002–03 season while coaching for the Toronto Raptors. Wilkens' NBA coaching career finished with 1,155 losses after he announced his retirement from coaching on January 22, 2005.
Personal life and death
Fitch was born in
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Iowa, United States. Located along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state, it is the largest of the Quad Cities, a metropolitan area with a population of 384,324 and a ...
, on May 19, 1932.
Prior to his NBA coaching career, Fitch was a drill instructor in the U.S. Marine Corps. He attended
Coe College
Coe College is a private liberal arts college in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It was founded in 1851 and is historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). The college is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest and the Associat ...
, where he played basketball and baseball and graduated in 1954 with a degree in physical education.
Fitch died in
Lake Conroe
Lake Conroe is a lake in Montgomery County, Texas, United States. Even though it is named Lake Conroe, only a small portion of the lake is in Conroe, Texas. Most of the lake is in unincorporated Montgomery County. The lake lies on the West For ...
, Texas, on February 2, 2022, at the age of 89.
Head coaching record
NBA
, -
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Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
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, 82, , 15, , 67, , .183, , style="text-align:center;", 4th in Central, , —, , —, , —, , —
, style="text-align:center;", Missed Playoffs
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, style="text-align:left;",
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 23, , 59, , .280, , style="text-align:center;", 4th in Central, , —, , —, , —, , —
, style="text-align:center;", Missed Playoffs
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, style="text-align:left;",
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 32, , 50, , .390, , style="text-align:center;", 4th in Central, , —, , —, , —, , —
, style="text-align:center;", Missed Playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 29, , 53, , .354, , style="text-align:center;", 4th in Central, , —, , —, , —, , —
, style="text-align:center;", Missed Playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 40, , 42, , .488, , style="text-align:center;", 3rd in Central, , —, , —, , —, , —
, style="text-align:center;", Missed Playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 49, , 33, , .598, , style="text-align:center;", 1st in Central, , 13, , 6, , 7, , .462
, style="text-align:center;", Lost in
Conf. Finals
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 43, , 39, , .524, , style="text-align:center;", 4th in Central, , 3, , 1, , 2, , .333
, style="text-align:center;", Lost in
First round
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 43, , 39, , .524, , style="text-align:center;", 3rd in Central, , 2, , 0, , 2, , .000
, style="text-align:center;", Lost in
First round
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 30, , 52, , .366, , style="text-align:center;", 4th in Central, , —, , —, , —, , —
, style="text-align:center;", Missed Playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 61, , 21, , .744, , style="text-align:center;", 1st in Atlantic, , 9, , 5, , 4, , .556
, style="text-align:center;", Lost in
Conf. Finals
, - ! style="background:#FDE910;"
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 62, , 20, , .756, , style="text-align:center;", 1st in Atlantic, , 17, , 12, , 5, , .706
, style="text-align:center;", Won
NBA Championship
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awa ...
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 63, , 19, , .768, , style="text-align:center;", 1st in Atlantic, , 12, , 7, , 5, , .583
, style="text-align:center;", Lost in
Conf. Finals
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 56, , 26, , .683, , style="text-align:center;", 2nd in Atlantic, , 7, , 2, , 5, , .286
, style="text-align:center;", Lost in
Conf. Semi-finals
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 29, , 53, , .354, , style="text-align:center;", 6th in Midwest, , —, , —, , —, , —
, style="text-align:center;", Missed Playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 48, , 34, , .585, , style="text-align:center;", 2nd in Midwest, , 5, , 2, , 3, , .400
, style="text-align:center;", Lost in
First round
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 51, , 31, , .622, , style="text-align:center;", 1st in Midwest, , 20, , 13, , 7, , .650
, style="text-align:center;", Lost in
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awa ...
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 42, , 40, , .512, , style="text-align:center;", 3rd in Midwest, , 10, , 5, , 5, , .500
, style="text-align:center;", Lost in
Conf. Semi-finals
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 46, , 36, , .561, , style="text-align:center;", 4th in Midwest, , 4, , 1, , 3, , .250
, style="text-align:center;", Lost in
First round
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 17, , 65, , .207, , style="text-align:center;", 6th in Atlantic, , —, , —, , —, , —
, style="text-align:center;", Missed Playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 26, , 56, , .317, , style="text-align:center;", 5th in Atlantic, , —, , —, , —, , —
, style="text-align:center;", Missed Playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 40, , 42, , .488, , style="text-align:center;", 3rd in Atlantic, , 4, , 1, , 3, , .250
, style="text-align:center;", Lost in
First round
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
L.A. Clippers
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 17, , 65, , .207, , style="text-align:center;", 7th in Pacific, , —, , —, , —, , —
, style="text-align:center;", Missed Playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
L.A. Clippers
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 29, , 53, , .354, , style="text-align:center;", 7th in Pacific, , —, , —, , —, , —
, style="text-align:center;", Missed Playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
L.A. Clippers
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 36, , 46, , .439, , style="text-align:center;", 5th in Pacific, , 3, , 0, , 3, , .000
, style="text-align:center;", Lost in
First round
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
L.A. Clippers
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 17, , 65, , .207, , style="text-align:center;", 7th in Pacific, , —, , —, , —, , —
, style="text-align:center;", Missed Playoffs
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:left;", Career
, , , 2,050, , 944, , 1,106, , .460, , , , 109, , 55, , 54, , .505
Source:
References
External links
BasketballReference.com: Bill Fitch
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitch, Bill
1932 births
2022 deaths
American men's basketball coaches
American men's basketball players
Basketball coaches from Iowa
Basketball players from Iowa
Boston Celtics head coaches
Bowling Green Falcons men's basketball coaches
Cleveland Cavaliers head coaches
Coe Kohawks baseball players
Coe Kohawks men's basketball coaches
Coe Kohawks men's basketball players
College men's basketball head coaches in the United States
Creighton Bluejays baseball coaches
Creighton Bluejays men's basketball coaches
Houston Rockets head coaches
Los Angeles Clippers head coaches
Military personnel from Iowa
Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball coaches
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
National Basketball Association championship-winning head coaches
New Jersey Nets head coaches
North Dakota Fighting Hawks men's basketball coaches
Sportspeople from Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Sportspeople from Davenport, Iowa
United States Marines