Joseph Alexander Mullaney (November 17, 1924 – March 8, 2000) 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 ...

player and coach.

Biography

Mullaney was born on

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

, New York. After graduating from

Chaminade High School Chaminade High School is a Roman Catholic Marianist college preparatory high school for boys in Mineola, New York, United States. Chaminade’s main campus is also home to Saragossa Retreat Center, one of their three retreat houses. Athletics ...

in Mineola he played

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 Holy Cross and with

Bob Cousy Robert Joseph Cousy (, born August 9, 1928) is an American former professional basketball player. Cousy played point guard for the Boston Celtics from 1950 to 1963, and briefly with the Cincinnati Royals during the 1969–70 season. A 13-time N ...

was on the team that won the 1947

NCAA Championship The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and ...

. He played briefly for 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 ...

of 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 ...

College coaching career

After college, Mullaney was with the

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...

before returning to basketball as coach at

Norwich University Norwich University – The Military College of Vermont is a private senior military college in Northfield, Vermont. It is the oldest private and senior military college in the United States and offers bachelor's and master's degrees on-campus ...

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

. Mullaney became head basketball coach at

Providence College Providence College is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic university in Providence, Rhode Island. Founded in 1917 by the Dominican Order and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, local diocese, it offers 47 undergradua ...

in 1955. He coached the Friars until 1969, returning in 1981, remaining until 1985. Mullaney went 319-164 during his 18 seasons, a winning percentage of .660. Mullaney won the 1961 and 1963

National Invitation Tournament The National Invitational Tournament (NIT) is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Played at regional sites and traditionally at Madison Square Garden (Final Four) in New York City ...

championships at Providence. Mullaney also took the Friars to the NIT four other times and into the NCAA tournament three times. His assistant and protégé at Providence,

Dave Gavitt David Roy Gavitt (October 26, 1937 – September 16, 2011) was an American college basketball coach and athletic director at Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island. He was also well known as the first commissioner of the Big East Conference ...

, went on to be a successful coach of the Friars, taking them to the 1973 Final Four and eventually help founding of the

Big East Conference The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and M ...

Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers

Mullaney left Providence in 1969 to coach 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 ...

of the

, succeeding Butch van Breda Kolff who took the Lakers to the

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 ...

that year, losing 4-3 to the

. In the 1969–70 season the Lakers overcame several injury problems and finished 46-36, two games behind the first-place

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Sou ...

in the Western Division.

Wilt Chamberlain Wilton Norman Chamberlain (; August 21, 1936 – October 12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player who played as a Center (basketball), center. Standing at tall, he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 yea ...

was lost to injury early in the season and

Elgin Baylor Elgin Gay Baylor ( ; September 16, 1934 – March 22, 2021) was an American professional basketball player, coach, and executive. He played 14 seasons as a forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lake ...

was also lost to injury later; both returned in time for the playoffs. En route to the

they defeated the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...

in the division semifinals and Atlanta in the division finals. The Lakers lost the

4-3 to the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

. In the 1970–71 season the Lakers finished 48-34, first in the new Pacific Division. The Lakers defeated the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January 1 ...

in the conference semifinal but lost to 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 the Western Conference Finals.

ABA coaching years

In 1971 Mullaney became the fifth coach of the

Kentucky Colonels The Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of ...

of the

American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger, American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, ...

, succeeding Frank Ramsey in 1971. Mullaney coached the Colonels for two seasons before

Babe McCarthy James Harrison "Babe" McCarthy (October 1, 1923 – March 17, 1975), was an American professional and collegiate basketball coach. McCarthy was originally from Baldwyn, Mississippi. McCarthy may best be remembered for Mississippi State's appearan ...

succeeded him for the 1973–74 season.Remember the ABA: Kentucky Colonels
In the 1971–72 season the talent-laden Colonels finished with a remarkable record of 68-16, the best ever record in the history of the ABA, winning the Eastern Division. Incredibly, the Colonels lost the 1972 Eastern Division Semifinals to the 44-40 New York Nets, 4-2. Mullaney coached the East team to a 142-115 win in the ABA All Star game that season. In the 1972–73 season the Colonels finished 56-28, good for 2nd in the Eastern Division. The Colonels beat the

Virginia Squires The Virginia Squires were a basketball team based in Norfolk, Virginia, and playing in several other Virginia cities. They were members of the American Basketball Association from 1970 to 1976. The team originated in 1967 as the Oakland Oaks, a ...

4-1 in the Eastern Division Semifinals, beat the

Carolina Cougars The Carolina Cougars were a basketball franchise in the American Basketball Association that existed from 1969 through 1974. The Cougars were originally a charter member of the ABA as the Houston Mavericks in 1967. The Mavericks moved to North Ca ...

4-3 in the Eastern Division Finals, and lost the ABA Finals 4-3 to the Indiana Pacers. After the 1972–73 season Mullaney left the Colonels to coach the

Utah Stars The Utah Stars were an American Basketball Association (ABA) team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Under head coach Bill Sharman the Stars were the first major professional basketball team to use a pre-game shootaround. History prior to moving to ...

. Remember the ABA: Utah Stars
Mullaney was replaced in Kentucky by

. Oddly, McCarthy and Mullaney both were named co-ABA Coach of the Year for the 1974–75 season. During the 1973–74 season Mullaney coached the

to a 51-33 record, finishing 1st in the Western Division. The Stars defeated the

San Diego Conquistadors The San Diego Conquistadors (known as the San Diego Sails in their final, partial season), were an American Basketball Association (ABA) team based in San Diego. The "Q's", as they were popularly known, played from 1972 to 1975. As the Sails, the ...

4-2 in the 1974 Western Division Semifinals and the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...

4-3 in the 1974 Western Division Finals, losing the 1974 ABA Finals to the

New York 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, ...

4-1. Mullaney coached the West in the 1974 ABA All-Star Game, losing to the McCarthy-coached East 128-112. Mullaney was replaced as coach of the Stars by Morris "Bucky" Buckwalter after that season in Utah. During the 1974–75 season Mullaney coached the

Memphis Sounds The Memphis Sounds were an American professional sports franchise that played in Memphis, Tennessee from 1970 until 1975 as a member of the American Basketball Association. The team was founded as the New Orleans Buccaneers in 1967. Known durin ...

, finishing with a record of 27-57 and 4th place in the Eastern Division.Remember the ABA: 1974-75 Regular Season Standings and Playoff Results
Their season was ended by Mullaney's old team, the

, en route to the Colonels' 1975 ABA Championship. At the start of the 1975–1976 season Mullaney was the coach of the

Baltimore Claws The Baltimore Claws were an American basketball team which was supposed to appear in the 1975–76 season in the American Basketball Association. The team collapsed before the season started, playing only three exhibition games, all losses, in it ...

but the team folded after a few preseason exhibition games. In December 1975 Mullaney became coach of the

Spirits of St. Louis The Spirits of St. Louis were a basketball franchise based in St. Louis that played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) from 1974 to 1976. This was the third and last city of a franchise that had begun as a charter member in 1967 as the ...

. Mullaney took the helm in St. Louis in midseason after the team opened with a 20-27 record under coach

Rod Thorn Rodney King Thorn (born May 23, 1941) is an American basketball executive and a former professional player and coach, Olympic Committee Chairman, with a career spanning over 50 years. In 2018, Thorn was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Baske ...

. Mullaney was the final coach of the Spirits of St. Louis, as at the end of the 1975–1976 season the Spirits, along with the Kentucky Colonels, were the only two ABA teams that did not join the NBA in the

ABA–NBA merger The ABA-NBA merger was a major pro sports business maneuver in 1976 when the American Basketball Association (ABA) combined with the National Basketball Association (NBA), after multiple attempts over several years. The NBA and ABA had entered ...

.Remember the ABA: Spirits of St. Louis

Post ABA career

After the 1975–76 season Mullaney coached the

Buffalo Braves The Buffalo Braves were an American professional basketball franchise based in Buffalo, New York. The Braves competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division from 1970 ...

of the

NBA 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 St ...

. Mullaney was brought on board by the Braves' new owner, John Y. Brown Jr., who had previously had an ownership interest in Mullaney's old team, the

. Despite Adrian Dantley earning Rookie of the Year the Braves finished in 4th with a 30-52 record. Mullaney coached in Italy and then for

Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...

from 1978 through 1981.

Death

Mullaney died of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...

on March 8, 2000, aged 75. He is buried in East Greenwich, Rhode Island.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mullaney, Joe 1924 births 2000 deaths American men's basketball coaches American men's basketball players Baltimore Claws coaches Basketball coaches from New York (state) Basketball players from New York (state) Boston Celtics draft picks Boston Celtics players Brown Bears men's basketball coaches Buffalo Braves head coaches Burials in Rhode Island College men's basketball head coaches in the United States Continental Basketball Association coaches Deaths from cancer in Rhode Island Guards (basketball) Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball players Kentucky Colonels head coaches Los Angeles Lakers head coaches Norwich Cadets men's basketball coaches People from Long Island Providence Friars men's basketball coaches Spirits of St. Louis coaches Sportspeople from Providence, Rhode Island Utah Stars coaches