Doug Moe

Doug Moe

3x ABA All-Star & 1969 ABA Champion | 1988 NBA Coach of the Year | Run & Gun Offense Innovator

Doug Moe was born on September 21, 1938, in New York City, New York. Moe was a star player for the North Carolina Tar Heels, earning All-American honors twice and later played 5 seasons for the American Basketball Association, including winning a championship with the Oakland Oaks in 1969.

After playing in the ABA, Coach Moe spent 22 seasons as an assistant and head coach in the ABA & NBA, most notably with the San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets, where at one point, he held the most coaching wins in franchise history for both teams until he was surpassed by Gregg Popovich and Michael Malone respectively.


Moe was the 2018 recipient of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award. Later that year, No. 432 was retired by the Denver Nuggets, the total amount of regular season wins he had as a head coach with the Nuggets.

Coach Moe passed away on February 17, 2026, at the age of 87.

  • Overall Coaching Record: 628-529
Read our Memorial Article of Coach Doug Moe

Coaching Career

Doug Moe started his coaching career by becoming an assistant coach under his former ABA championship teammate Larry Brown

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Coach Moe followed Larry Brown to the Denver Nuggets, who were still in the ABA at the time, and was an assistant coach for Brown. In his first season as an assistant coach, the Nuggets finished with a 65–19 record, making a deep playoff run to the Division Finals, but lost in 7 games to the Indiana Pacers.

The following season, the Nuggets finished with a 60–24 record, making another deep playoff run to the ABA finals, but lost to Kevin Loughery and the New Jersey Nets in 6 games. This would be the last season of the ABA and the Nuggets moved to the NBA.

Notable Players Coached

  • Bobby Jones
    • 1983 NBA champion
    • 4× NBA All-Star (1977, 1978, 1981, 1982)
    • 8× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1977–1984)
    • 1983 NBA Sixth Man of the Year
    • 1976 ABA All-Star (1976)
    • All-ABA Second Team (1976)
    • 2× ABA All-Defensive First Team (1975, 1976)
    • 1975 ABA All-Rookie First Team
    • No. 24 retired by Philadelphia 76ers
  • David Thompson
    • 4× NBA All-Star (1977–1979, 1983)
    • 1979 NBA All-Star Game MVP
    • 2× All-NBA First Team (1977, 1978)
    • 1976 ABA All-Star
    • 1976 ABA All-Star Game MVP
    • 1976 All-ABA Second Team
    • 1976 ABA Rookie of the Year
    • ABA All-Time Team
    • No. 33 retired by Denver Nuggets
  • Dan Issel
    • 1975 ABA champion
    • 1977 NBA All-Star
    • 6× ABA All-Star (1971–1976)
    • 1972 ABA All-Star Game MVP
    • 1972 All-ABA First Team
    • 4× All-ABA Second Team (1971, 1973, 1974, 1976)
    • 1971 ABA Rookie of the Year
    • 1971 ABA scoring champion
    • ABA All-Time Team
    • No. 44 retired by Denver Nuggets
  • Byron Beck
    • 2× ABA All-Star (1969, 1976)
    • No. 40 retired by Denver Nuggets
  • Mack Calvin
    • 5× ABA All-Star (1971–1975)
    • 3x All-ABA First Team (1971, 1974, 1975)
    • All-ABA Second Team (1973)
    • ABA All-Rookie First Team (1970)
    • ABA All-Time Team
  • Jan van Breda Kolff (1984 Italian League champion, 1984 Italian Cup winner (1984), & Future NBA coach)

Coach Moe succeeded Bob Bass, who stayed with the Spurs as an assistant, to become the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs. In his first season, the Spurs finished with a 44–38 record, qualifying for the playoffs. They were eliminated in the first round in 2 games (2-0) by Tom Heinsohn and the Boston Celtics.

The following season, the Spurs finished with a 52–30 record and were later eliminated in the conference semifinal in 6 games by Dick Motta and the Washington Bullets. In 1979, the Spurs finished with a 48–34 record, making a deep playoff run to the Conference Finals, but were eliminated in 7 games by Dick Motta and the Washington Bullets for a second year in a row.

In 1980, after a 33-33 record, Moe was fired and replaced with assistant coach Bob Bass.

Notable Players Coached

  • George Gervin
    • 9× NBA All-Star (1977–1985)
    • 1980 NBA All-Star Game MVP
    • 5× All-NBA First Team (1978–1982)
    • 2× All-NBA Second Team (1977, 1983)
    • 4× NBA scoring champion (1978–1980, 1982)
    • 3× ABA All-Star (1974–1976)
    • 2× All-ABA Second Team (1975, 1976)
    • 1973 ABA All-Rookie First Team
    • No. 44 retired by San Antonio Spurs
    • 50th & 75th NBA anniversary team selections
    • ABA All-Time Team
  • Louie Dampier
    • 1975 ABA champion
    • 7× ABA All-Star (1968–1970, 1972–1975)
    • 4× All-ABA Second Team (1968–1970, 1974)
    • 1968 ABA All-Rookie First Team
    • ABA All-Time Team
  • James Silas
    • 2× ABA All-Star (1975, 1976)
    • 1976 All-ABA First Team (1976)
    • 1975 All-ABA Second Team
    • 1973 ABA All-Rookie First Team
    • ABA All-Time Team
    • No. 13 retired by San Antonio Spurs
  • Larry Kenon
    • 1974 ABA champion
    • 3× ABA All-Star (1974–1976)
    • 2× NBA All-Star (1978, 1979)
    • 1974 ABA All-Rookie First Team
  • Mack Calvin
    • 5× ABA All-Star (1971–1975)
    • 3x All-ABA First Team (1971, 1974, 1975)
    • 1973 All-ABA Second Team
    • 1970 ABA All-Rookie First Team
    • ABA All-Time Team
  • George Karl (Future 2013 NBA Coach of the Year)
  • Mike D’Antoni (Future 2× NBA Coach of the Year (2005, 2017)
  • Allan Bristow (Future NBA Head Coach)

Coach Moe succeeded Donnie Walsh as the head coach of the Denver Nuggets. In his first season,

Later in 1980, he returned to the Nuggets organization, now as their head coach, spending 10 seasons with the team. The rosters included Alex English, Kiki VanDeWeghe, Dan Issel, Fat Lever, and T.R. Dunn.

In 1988, he was named NBA’s Coach of the Year for improving the team’s previous record of 37-45 to 54–28. Later that season, the Nuggets made a playoff run into the West Conference semifinals where they faced and lost to the Dallas Mavericks in 6 games.

In 1990, Moe announced his departure from the team due to ongoing back and forth of the new and incoming ownership. At the time of his departure, Coach Moe finished with an overall 432–357 record as the head coach, which was the most in franchise history until Michael Malone surpassed it in 2024.

Notable Players Coached

  • Dan Issel
    • 1975 ABA champion
    • 1977 NBA All-Star
    • 6× ABA All-Star (1971–1976)
    • 1972 ABA All-Star Game MVP
    • 1972 All-ABA First Team
    • 4× All-ABA Second Team (1971, 1973, 1974, 1976)
    • 1971 ABA Rookie of the Year
    • 1971 ABA scoring champion
    • ABA All-Time Team
    • No. 44 retired by Denver Nuggets
  • Alex English
    • 8× NBA All-Star (1982–1989)
    • 3× All-NBA Second Team (1982, 1983, 1986)
    • 1983 NBA scoring champion
    • No. 2 retired by Denver Nuggets
  • David Thompson
    • 4× NBA All-Star (1977–1979, 1983)
    • 1979 NBA All-Star Game MVP
    • 2× All-NBA First Team (1977, 1978)
    • 1976 ABA All-Star
    • 1976 ABA All-Star Game MVP
    • 1976 All-ABA Second Team
    • 1976 ABA Rookie of the Year
    • 1976 ABA All-Rookie First Team
    • ABA All-Time Team
    • No. 33 retired by Denver Nuggets
  • Fat Lever
    • 2× NBA All-Star (1988, 1990)
    • 1987 All-NBA Second Team
    • NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1988)
    • No. 12 retired by Denver Nuggets
  • Kiki VanDeWeghe (2× NBA All-Star (1983, 1984)
  • Calvin Natt
    • 1985 NBA All-Star
    • 1980 NBA All-Rookie First Team
  • T.R. Dunn (3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1983–1985 & Future NBA Coach)
  • Bill Hanzlik (1986 NBA All-Defensive Second Team)

Coach Moe succeeded Jim Lynam as the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers. After a 19-37 record, Moe was fired and replaced by assistant coach Fred Carter.

Notable Players Coached

  • Jeff Hornacek
    • 1992 NBA All-Star
    • 2× NBA Three-Point Contest champion (1998, 2000)
    • No. 14 retired by Utah Jazz
    • Future NBA Head Coach
  • Manute Bol
    • 1986 NBA All-Defensive Second Team
    • 2× NBA blocks leader (1986, 1989)
  • Hersey Hawkins
    • 1991 NBA All-Star
    • 1989 NBA All-Rookie First Team
  • Clarence Weatherspoon (1993 NBA All-Rookie Second Team)

Coach Moe returned to the Denver Nuggets organization as an assistant coach under George Karl. In his first season as an assistant coach, the Nuggets finished with a 44–38 record, qualifying for the playoffs. They were eliminated in the first round by Mike Dunleavy Sr. and the Los Angeles Clippers in 5 games.

The following season, the Nuggets finished with a 45–37 record, qualifying for the playoffs, but were eliminated in the first round by Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs in 5 games. In 2008, the Nuggets finished with a 50–32 record but were eliminated in the first round by Phil Jackson and the Los Angeles Lakers in 4 games.

Notable Players Coached

  • Allen Iverson
    • 2001 NBA Most Valuable Player
    • 11× NBA All-Star (2000–2010)
    • 2× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2001, 2005)
    • 3× All-NBA First Team (1999, 2001, 2005)
    • 3× All-NBA Second Team (2000, 2002, 2003)
    • 2006 All-NBA Third Team
    • 1997 NBA Rookie of the Year
    • 1997 NBA All-Rookie First Team
    • 4× NBA scoring champion (1999, 2001, 2002, 2005)
    • 3× NBA steals leader (2001–2003)
    • NBA 75th Anniversary Team selection
    • No. 3 retired by Philadelphia 76ers
  • Carmelo Anthony
    • 10× NBA All-Star (2007, 2008, 2010–2017)
    • 2× All-NBA Second Team (2010, 2013)
    • 4× All-NBA Third Team (2006, 2007, 2009, 2012)
    • 2013 NBA scoring champion
    • 2004 NBA All-Rookie First Team
    • NBA 75th Anniversary Team selection
  • Marcus Camby
    • 2007 NBA Defensive Player of the Year
    • 2× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2007, 2008)
    • 2× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2005, 2006)
    • 4× NBA blocks leader (1998, 2006–2008)
    • 1997 NBA All-Rookie First Team
  • J.R. Smith
    • 2× NBA champion (2016, 2020)
    • 2013 NBA Sixth Man of the Year
  • Kenyon Martin
    • 2004 NBA All-Star
    • 2001 NBA All-Rookie First Team
  • Andre Miller
    • 2000 NBA All-Rookie First Team
    • 2002 NBA assists leader