Jerry Sloan and the 10 Best Coaches To Never Win a NBA Championship
The abrupt ending of the Jerry Sloan era in Utah shocked the world. The longest tenured coach in professional sports called it quits this week without winning the big one.
Sloan had a few close calls but was never able to win a championship in his 23-years with the Jazz.
But Sloan isn’t the only Hall of Fame caliber resume and zero titles. Here are the top 10 coaches in NBA history who failed to win a championship.
10. Frank Layden
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Layden is remembered for once trying to play a fan in the third quarter of a game after he had made a half court shot during halftime of the game.
This is the guy that Jerry Sloan replaced back in 1988. Layden was the one that righted the ship in Utah—and drafted John Stockton and Karl Malone.
As head coach from 1981-1988, he turned a franchise going nowhere into fringe contenders in a matter of two years. He won the 1984 coach of the year award and won NBA executive of the year.
He paved the way for Sloan when he retired in the middle of the 1988 season. Ironically, Sloan thought he was only replacing him till the team found somebody else.
Guess they are still looking.
9. Rick Adelman
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Since 1989, Adelman has been a NBA head coach in all but two seasons. He has compiled an overall record of 927-606.
He started off with the Blazers from 1989-1994 before a brief tenure with the Golden St. Warriors in 1996-1997.
His most memorable gig was with the Sacramento Kings from 1998-2006. His high scoring teams that included Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, Mike Bibby and Peja Stojakovic were regularly among the elite in the NBA.
His closest shot at a championship was the 2002 Kings squad. His team led by double digits in the pivotal Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals against the Lakers. Shaq and Kobe led a furious comeback that knocked the Kings out.
Now he resides over the Houston Rockets—still searching for that first ring.
8. Mike D’Antoni
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D’Antoni was deemed an offensive genius after his high-flying tenure with the Phoenix Suns. From 2003-2008, the Suns were the most explosive offense in the NBA. His “pick-in-pop” play that was perfected by Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire and now Amare and Raymond Felton in NYC is incredibly hard for defenses to stop.
Now as coach of the Knicks, he has been charged with the task of taking a broken franchise back to the promise land. He is off to a good start; the Knicks are currently the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference.
That’s major progress from when he took over the run-down franchise.
In his career he has a .544 winning percentage and a 26-25 playoff record. He is one Robert Horry hockey check from possibly avoiding this list.
7. Byron Scott
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Ok so he may reside over possibly the worst team in NBA history right now, but he still has a rock solid coaching resume.
He was in charge of the New Jersey Nets from 2001-2004 when the team was in it's prime. Headlined by Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin, the Scott led Nets made back-to-back Finals appearances.
Too bad Shaq and Kobe were in the way.
He also revived basketball in New Orleans after Katrina during his 2004-2009 tenure with the Hornets. He won NBA coach of the year in 2008.
He agreed to become the Cavs head coach before "The Decision" and has regretted it ever since. Will the Cavs ever win again this season? This mess is not Scott's fault.
6. Kevin Loughery
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He won two championships...in the ABA with Juilus Erving and the New Jersey Nets. He went on to coach the Hawks (1981-1983), Bulls (1983-1985), Bullets (1985-1988), and the Heat (1991-1995).
But it's is Bulls tenure that left a lasting impression.
He coached Michael Jordan during his first two seasons in the NBA and had a major influence on a young M.J.
In the book The Jordan Rules M.J. was quoted as saying that Loughery was the most fun coach he ever played for and that he allowed him to free-lance and play the style he wanted.
5. Mike Fratello
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The "czar of the telestrator" was a great head coach once upon a time before becoming a great analyst for TNT.
He was the Atlanta Hawks coach for eight years in the 1980's before being in charge of the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1993-1999.
He won a coach of the year award with the Hawks in 1986.
He then took over for another guy on this list when he coached the Memphis Grizzles from 2004-2006.
Fratello ranks 19 on the NBA's all-time win list and 21 in games coached. His teams made the postseason in 11 of his 16 seasons.
Who is the man that Fratello took over for in Memphis?
4. Hubie Brown
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You may know him as the guy that has mastered the art of talking in third person on ESPN NBA broadcasts, but he was a great coach once upon a time.
He had head coaching stints with the Atlanta Hawks (1976-1981), New York Knicks (1982-1986), and the Memphis Grizzlies (2002-2004).
He won coach of the year on two separate occasions and was even able to take the Grizz to their first ever playoff appearance. In 2005 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
As great an X’s and O’s as any coach in history, it’s too bad Hubie never had a shot at a title. That’s what happens when you have a 14-24 record in the playoffs.
3. George Karl
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In late 2010 Karl became just the seventh coach in NBA history to reach 1,000 career victories. He has coached the Cavaliers, Warriors, Sonics, Bucks and his current team, the Denver Nuggets over a 27-year period.
His closest shot at a title was his ’96 Supersonics led by Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp. They reached the NBA Finals before running into the buzz saw also known as Michael Jordan and the Bulls.
His biggest victory was over the throat cancer he had last season. He had to miss the playoffs last year for treatment and watched his team fall on it's face without him.
Now a healthy Karl is rejuvenated and as good a coach as ever.
2. Jerry Sloan
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The longest tenure coach in sports today decided to say goodbye.
It’s a sad day in Utah considering they know nothing else. Sloan has been in charge sine 1988!
Did you know that he was also the head honcho for the Bulls from 1979-1982?
But Sloan will always be remembered as a member of the Jazz and the glory days of Karl Malone and John Stockton.
There is no doubt in my mind that those late-90’s Jazz teams would have won at least one title if it weren’t for M.J.
His career record stands at 1,121-803—with 98 of those wins in the playoffs.
1. Don Nelson
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The coach with the most wins in NBA history is stuck settling for No. 1 on this list.
He had 1,335 wins as coach of the Bucks, Warriors, Mavericks and Knicks. He also holds the record for most Budweiser cans consumed in a post game interview.
His teams were known for high-powered and unconventional offenses, often relying on a "point forward" to begin plays.
Nellie was named NBA Coach of the Year three times: in 1983, 1985 and 1992. His problem was the mediocre 75-91 playoff record.
