John Richard Motta (born September 3, 1931) is an American former

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

coach whose career 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 St ...

(NBA) spanned 25 years. Motta coached 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 ...

to the 1978 NBA Championship, and he won the 1971

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 ...

with 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 ...

. Motta is eighth all-time with 1,952 games as coach, while ranking 13th in wins and fourth in losses; he has the most wins of eligible coaches not currently inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. In 25 seasons as a coach, he reached the postseason fourteen times. Known as a strict disciplinarian with high expectations for his players, Motta developed a reputation for putting together well-conditioned, tough, physical teams. He was known for his eccentric personality and fiery temper, which included infamously throwing his jacket at a referee, kicking a basketball into the stands and throwing a dollar bill onto the court and demanding it to play after a GM traded one of his players for cash considerations. He retired from coaching in 1997 and ran a

bed and breakfast Bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. Bed and breakfasts are often private family homes and typically have between four and eleven rooms, wit ...

with his wife in Bear Lake,

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...

Early coaching career

After graduating from

Utah State University Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public land-grant research university in Logan, Utah. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. With nearly 20,000 students living on or near campus, USU is Utah ...

in Logan, Motta started coaching at Grace High School in

Grace, Idaho Grace is a city in Caribou County, Idaho, Caribou County, Idaho, United States. The population was 915 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. History The area of Grace was once inhabited by the Shoshone Indians. The Oregon Trail passed w ...

, where he taught seventh grade and coached for two years before being drafted in the armed services, then returned. He once said in an interview that winning the state championship (AA) at Grace in 1959 was his greatest thrill as a coach, even topping the

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 ...

he won two decades later. Motta coached at

Weber State Weber State University (pronounced ) is a public university in Ogden, Utah. It was founded in 1889 as Weber Stake Academy. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. History Weber State University was founded ...

in Ogden, Utah. Under the direction of Motta and assistant coach Phil Johnson, Weber State won three Big Sky Conference championships (1965, 1966, 1968)

NBA coaching career

Chicago Bulls (1968–1976)

Motta was hired as head coach of the

in 1968 after a six-year stint at Weber State. He replaced

Johnny Kerr John Graham "Red" Kerr (July 17, 1932 – February 26, 2009) was an American basketball player, coach, and color commentator. He played in the NBA from 1954 to 1966, mainly as a member of the Syracuse Nationals. He later held several coaching ...

, who had led the team to two playoff appearances despite subpar records of 33-48 and 29-53, respectively. Motta coached the team for eight seasons, coaching 656 games. From 1970 to 1974 he led the Bulls to four consecutive 50 win seasons, winning the

in 1971. However this did not translate to playoff success as the Bulls won just one playoff series (1974) in that span. However, they advanced to the Conference Finals in the 1974-75 season, beating the

Kansas City Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Pacific Division ( ...

to play the Golden State Warriors, losing in 7 games. The team went an NBA-worst 24–58 in 1975–76.Goldaper, Sam. "Motta to Coach Bullets," ''The New York Times'', Saturday, May 29, 1976.
Retrieved December 4, 2020 He was eventually replaced by

Ed Badger Ed Badger (born November 5, 1932) is a former college and professional basketball coach. Early life Badger played junior varsity college basketball at the University of Iowa, and later for the U.S. Air Force and division teams. He got his first ...

on August 25, 1976.

Washington Bullets (1976–1980)

Motta had two years left on his contract with the Bulls who allowed him to negotiate with the

. He left the Bulls to succeed K. C. Jones in a similar capacity with the Bullets on May 28, 1976. In his first season, the Bullets went 48-34 while advancing to the Semifinals again after beating the Cavaliers in the First Round, although they lost to the Houston Rockets in six games. The next year was the pinnacle for the team and Motta's career. They went 44-38, but they advanced all the way to the

1978 NBA Finals The 1978 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1977–78 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. The series featured the Western Conference champion Seattle SuperS ...

, where they beat the

Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Confe ...

in seven games to win the NBA championship. The following year, the team went 54-28 while winning the Atlantic Division. This was not only their sixth division title in eight years, it was also their last division title until 2017. The Bullets went to the 1979 NBA Finals, although they had to fight the full seven games in both the Semifinals and the Conference Finals, nearly blowing a 3-1 series lead to the

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 Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

in the semifinals and having to come back from a 3-1 series deficit from the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...

in the conference finals. In the Finals that year, they played the

once again. The Bullets won Game 1 at home 99–97, but the SuperSonics won the following four games to win the NBA championship. The following year, the Bullets went 39-43, although they qualified for a playoff berth. They were beaten by the Philadelphia 76ers in two games. He resigned as head coach on May 27, 1980 despite having one year left on his contract. He had an agreement to honor that remaining year by joining the Bullets front office as a special consultant to general manager

Bob Ferry Robert Dean Ferry (May 31, 1937 – October 27, 2021) was an American professional basketball player, assistant coach, and general manager (GM) in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played for the St. Louis Hawks, Detroit Pistons, and ...

if he didn't get any head coaching appointments from other teams. He was succeeded by

Gene Shue Eugene William Shue (December 18, 1931 – April 3, 2022) was an American professional basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Shue was one of the top guards of the early days of the NBA and an influential figure ...

"The opera isn't over 'til the fat lady sings!"

Motta is sometimes erroneously credited with coining the celebrated phrase: '' The opera ain't over 'til the fat lady sings.'' In fact, the first recorded use of the phrase was by Texas Tech sports information director Ralph Carpenter, as reported in the '' Dallas Morning News'' on 10 March 1976. During a KENS-TV broadcast of the 1978 NBA Eastern Conference semi-finals between the

and the

, KENS Sports anchor Dan Cook used the phrase in an attempt to encourage Spurs fans, as their team was down three games to one against the Bullets. Motta heard the broadcast and adopted his own rendition of the expression — "The '

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

' isn't over 'til the fat lady sings" — to warn Bullets fans against braggadocio. The odds were against the

underdog An underdog is a person or group in a competition, usually in sports and creative works, who is largely expected to lose. The party, team, or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the case where an underdog wins, the ...

Bullets, and sportswriters were forecasting a grim finale, so Motta rebounded with the upbeat ostinato, "Wait for the fat lady!" The Bullets won the Eastern Conference against the Atlantic Division Champion Philadelphia 76ers, and went on to beat the Western Conference Champion

four games to three for the 1978 NBA title. The victory gave Washington, D.C. fans their first professional championship team in any sport since the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

won the NFL title in 1942. (In Motta's second year as coach, the Bullets had become only the third team to win the NBA championship in a seventh game on the road). That 1978 championship remains the franchise's only NBA championship. After the climactic Game 7 victory to claim the title, Motta celebrated with his team wearing a beer-soaked ''The Opera Isn't Over 'Til The Fat Lady Sings'' T-shirt.

What made the championship so great was that we weren’t supposed to win it. We came a long way. Most people didn’t give us a chance, but I felt all along we could. I really did. — Dick Mott

/blockquote> In a Nov. 5, 2003 interview in the Utah Statesman, the student newspaper of his alma mater
Utah State University Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public land-grant research university in Logan, Utah. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. With nearly 20,000 students living on or near campus, USU is Utah ...
, Motta said opera lovers were angry with him at first. "My wife said they were going to kill me when I said that." But that as time passed, Motta said, he was extended friendly invitations to a variety of events with "operatic" themes ranging from the Metropolitan Opera in New York to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

Dallas Mavericks (1980–1987)
Motta was the first head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, hired by the team on July 16, 1980. His first team went 15-67, dead last in the league. They did not lose as many games again until 1992 when they lost 60 games. Motta's Mavericks gradually rose up in prominence, rising in finishes in the Midwest Division from 6th in the first season to 4th by the third year. His fourth season ( 1983-84) was the start of something big for the team, as they went 43-39 while qualifying for the playoffs for the first time. They defeated the
Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Confe ...
in the First Round to advance to the Semifinals, where they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games. The following year, the Mavs went to the playoffs once again after a 44-38 season, although they lost to the
Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...
in the First Round. They went to the Semifinals the following year after a 44-38 year and defeating 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), ...
in the First Round, although it ended with another loss to the Lakers. The next season was Motta's last, and it was his best with the team as they went 55-27 and finished 2nd in the Western Conference, winning their first Midwest Division title (the Mavericks did not win a division title again for twenty seasons). However, they lost to the SuperSonics in the First Round in four games. Motta resigned on May 20.

Sacramento Kings (1990–91)
On January 4, 1990, Motta was hired by the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
in the middle of the season, replacing Jerry Reynolds, who had led the team to a 7-21 record. Motta coached the Kings to a 16-38 record, finishing with a 23-59. The next season, the Kings went 25-57 while finishing dead last in the Pacific Division. After a 7-18 start, Motta was fired on Christmas Eve in 1991.

Dallas Mavericks (1994–1996)
On May 17, 1994, Dallas hired him back as coach of the team, replacing Quinn Buckner, who went 13-69. Motta led the team to a 23 game improvement with a 36-46 record. His second and final season went less successful as they went 26-56. He was reassigned from his head coach role on May 1, 1996.

Denver Nuggets (1996–97)
The Denver Nuggets hired Motta on November 26, 1996, replacing Bernie Bickerstaff, who had gotten off to a 4-9 start. The Nuggets went into a tailspin, going 17-52 while losing 26 of their final 30 games to finish 21-61 and 12th in the Western Conference. Motta was fired on April 21, 1997.

Head coaching record
, - , align="left" ,
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, align="left" , , 82, , 33, , 49, , .402, , align="center" , 5th in West, , —, , —, , —, , — , align="center" , Missed Playoffs , - , align="left" ,
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, align="left" , , 82, , 39, , 43, , .476, , align="center" , 3rd in West, , 5, , 1, , 4, , .200 , align="center" , Lost in
Division Semifinals Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics * Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military * Division (military), a formation typically consistin ...
, - , align="left" ,
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, align="left" , , 82, , 51, , 31, , .622, , align="center" , 2nd in Midwest, , 7, , 3, , 4, , .429 , align="center" , Lost in Conf. Semifinals , - , align="left" ,
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, align="left" , , 82, , 57, , 25, , .695, , align="center" , 2nd in Midwest, , 4, , 0, , 4, , .000 , align="center" , Lost in Conf. Semifinals , - , align="left" ,
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, align="left" , , 82, , 51, , 31, , .622, , align="center" , 2nd in Midwest, , 7, , 3, , 4, , .429 , align="center" , Lost in Conf. Semifinals , - , align="left" ,
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, align="left" , , 82, , 54, , 28, , .659, , align="center" , 2nd in Midwest, , 11, , 4, , 7, , .364 , align="center" , Lost in Conf. Finals , - , align="left" ,
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, align="left" , , 82, , 47, , 35, , .573, , align="center" , 1st in Midwest, , 13, , 7, , 6, , .538 , align="center" , Lost in Conf. Finals , - , align="left" ,
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, align="left" , , 82, , 24, , 58, , .293, , align="center" , 4th in Midwest, , —, , —, , —, , — , align="center" , Missed Playoffs , - , align="left" ,
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
, align="left" , , 82, , 48, , 34, , .585, , align="center" , 2nd in Central, , 9, , 4, , 5, , .444 , align="center" , Lost in Conf. Semifinals , - ! style="background:#FDE910;" , align="left" ,
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
, align="left" , , 82, , 44, , 38, , .537, , align="center" , 2nd in Central, , 21, , 14, , 7, , .667 , 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 ...
, - , align="left" ,
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
, align="left" , , 82, , 54, , 28, , .659, , align="center" , 1st in Atlantic, , 19, , 9, , 10, , .474 , align="center" , Lost in NBA Finals , - , align="left" ,
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
, align="left" , , 82, , 39, , 43, , .476, , align="center" , 3rd in Atlantic, , 2, , 0, , 2, , .000 , align="center" , Lost in First Round , - , align="left" ,
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, align="left" , , 82, , 15, , 67, , .183, , align="center" , 6th in Midwest, , —, , —, , —, , — , align="center" , Missed Playoffs , - , align="left" ,
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, align="left" , , 82, , 28, , 54, , .341, , align="center" , 5th in Midwest, , —, , —, , —, , — , align="center" , Missed Playoffs , - , align="left" ,
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, align="left" , , 82, , 38, , 44, , .463, , align="center" , 4th in Midwest, , —, , —, , —, , — , align="center" , Missed Playoffs , - , align="left" ,
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, align="left" , , 82, , 43, , 39, , .524, , align="center" , 2nd in Midwest, , 10, , 4, , 6, , .400 , align="center" , Lost in Conf. Semifinals , - , align="left" ,
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, align="left" , , 82, , 44, , 38, , .537, , align="center" , 3rd in Midwest, , 4, , 1, , 3, , .250 , align="center" , Lost in First Round , - , align="left" ,
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, align="left" , , 82, , 44, , 38, , .537, , align="center" , 3rd in Midwest, , 10, , 5, , 5, , .500 , align="center" , Lost in Conf. Semifinals , - , align="left" ,
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, align="left" , , 82, , 55, , 27, , .671, , align="center" , 1st in Midwest, , 4, , 1, , 3, , .250 , align="center" , Lost in First Round , - , align="left" ,
Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
, align="left" , , 54, , 16, , 38, , .296, , align="center" , 7th in Pacific, , —, , —, , —, , — , align="center" , Missed Playoffs , - , align="left" ,
Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
, align="left" , , 82, , 25, , 57, , .305, , align="center" , 7th in Pacific, , —, , —, , —, , — , align="center" , Missed Playoffs , - , align="left" ,
Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
, align="left" , , 25, , 7, , 18, , .280, , align="center" , (fired), , —, , —, , —, , — , align="center" , — , - , align="left" ,
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, align="left" , , 82, , 36, , 46, , .439, , align="center" , 5th in Midwest, , —, , —, , —, , — , align="center" , Missed Playoffs , - , align="left" ,
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, align="left" , , 82, , 26, , 56, , .317, , align="center" , 5th in Midwest, , —, , —, , —, , — , align="center" , Missed Playoffs , - , align="left" ,
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, align="left" , , 69, , 17, , 52, , .246, , align="center" , 5th in Midwest, , —, , —, , —, , — , align="center" , Missed Playoffs , -class="sortbottom" , align="left" , Career , , , 1,952, , 935, , 1,017, , .479, , , , 126, , 56, , 70, , .444

Personal life
After being fired by the Denver Nuggets, Motta retired from coaching. He returned to his native
Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
, where he and his wife Jan opened a bed and breakfast, The Bluebird Inn, at Bear Lake on the border of Utah and
Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...
.

References

Bibliography
* Dyani Gordon.
When Washington Went to the Opera
* NBA Encyclopedia.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Motta, Dick 1931 births Living people American men's basketball coaches Basketball coaches from Utah Chicago Bulls head coaches Dallas Mavericks head coaches Denver Nuggets head coaches Detroit Pistons announcers High school basketball coaches in the United States American people of Italian descent Junior college men's basketball coaches in the United States National Basketball Association championship-winning head coaches People from Midvale, Utah Sacramento Kings head coaches Utah State University alumni Washington Bullets head coaches Weber State Wildcats men's basketball coaches