Al Bianchi
1971 ABA Coach of the Year | Former NBA & ABA Head Coach | Former NBA Executive
Al Bianchi was born on March 26, 1932, in New York City, New York. He played the point guard position and played college basketball for the Green Falcons men’s basketball at the Bowling Green State University.
He was selected with the 18th overall pick in the 2nd round of the 1954 NBA Draft by the Minneapolis Lakers but would not play an NBA game until 1956 when he played 10 seasons with the Syracuse Nationals (now known as the Philadelphia 76ers). Shortly after he retired and transitioned into coaching.
After coaching, Bianchi was the New York Knicks General Manager from 1987 to 1991. In 1991, he was a college scout for the Phoenix Suns, and from 2004-2009, he was a consultant and scout for the Golden State Warriors.
In September 2007, he was inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and in 2016, he was inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame.
Coach Bianchi passed away on October 28, 2019, at the age of 87.
- Overall Coaching Record: 283-392
Coaching Career
Al Bianchi started his coaching career under Johnny Red Kerr for the Chicago Bulls. In his first and only season with the team, the Bulls finished with a 33–48 record, qualifying for the playoffs. They were eliminated in the semifinals by the St. Louis Hawks in 3 games.
Notable Players Coached
- Jerry Sloan
- 2× NBA All-Star (1967, 1969)
- 4× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1969, 1972, 1974–1975)
- 2× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1970–1971)
- No. 4 retired by Chicago Bulls
- Future NBA Head Coach
- Guy Rodgers
- 4× NBA All-Star (1963, 1964, 1966, 1967)
- 2× NBA assists leader (1963, 1967)
- Bob Boozer
- 1971 NBA champion
- 1968 NBA All-Star
Coach Bianchi became the first head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics in 1967. In his first season, the team finished with a 23–59 record, missing the playoffs. The following season, the team finished with a record of 30–52, missing the playoffs.
In 1969, Bianchi resigned before the season and was succeeded by player-coach Lenny Wilkens. At the time of his resignation, his overall record with the team was 53–111.
Notable Players Coached
- Lenny Wilkens
- 9× NBA All-Star (1963–1965, 1967–1971, 1973)
- 1971 NBA All-Star Game MVP
- 1970 NBA assists leader
- 50th & 75th NBA anniversary team selections
- No. 19 retired by Seattle SuperSonics
- Bob Kauffman
- 3× NBA All-Star (1971–1973)
- Future NBA Head Coach
- Tom Meschery
- 1963 NBA All-Star
- No. 14 retired by Golden State Warriors
- Walt Hazzard (1968 NBA All-Star)
- Bob Rule
- 1970 NBA All-Star
- 1968 NBA All-Rookie First Team
- Bob Weiss (1967 NBA champion & Future NBA Head Coach)
Coach Bianchi was named the head coach and general manager of the Washington Caps of the American Basketball Association (ABA). In his first season, the Caps finished with a 44–40, qualifying the post-season. They were eliminated in the Western Division semifinals by the Denver Rockets in 7 games, who were coached by Joe Belmont.
After the season, the team relocated to Virginia to become the Squires.
Notable Players Coached
- Rick Barry
- 1975 NBA champion
- 1975 NBA Finals MVP
- 1969 ABA champion
- 8× NBA All-Star (1966, 1967, 1973–1978)
- 1967 NBA All-Star Game MVP
- 5× All-NBA First Team (1966, 1967, 1974–1976)
- 4× ABA All-Star (1969–1972)
- 4× All-ABA First Team (1969–1972)
- 1966 NBA Rookie of the Year
- 1967 NBA scoring champion
- 1975 NBA steals leader
- 50th & 75th NBA anniversary team selections
- ABA All-Time Team
- No. 24 retired by Golden State Warriors
- Warren Jabali
- 1969 ABA champion
- ABA All-Time Team
- 4x ABA All-Star (1970, 1972–1974)
- 1973 All-ABA First Team
- 1969 ABA Rookie of the Year
- 1969 ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award
- 1973 ABA All-Star Game MVP
- Jim Eakins
- 2× ABA champion (1969, 1976)
- 1974 ABA All-Star
- Larry Brown
- 1969 ABA champion
- 3× ABA All-Star (1968–1970)
- 1968 ABA All-Star MVP
- 3× ABA assists leader (1968–1970)
- Future NBA Head Coach
- George Carter (1971 ABA All-Star)
- Fatty Taylor (2× ABA All-Defensive First Team (1973, 1974)
Coach Bianchi was named the head coach of the Virginia Squires of the American Basketball Association (ABA). In their first season in Virginia, the team finished with a 55–29 record, qualifying for the playoffs. They reached the division finals but were eliminated by the New York Nets in 6 games. In 1971, Bianchi won the ABA Coach of the Year award.
The following season in 1972, the Squires finished with a 45–39 record, qualifying for the playoffs, reaching the division finals, but were once again defeated by the New York Nets in 7 games.
In 1973, the Squires finished with a 42–42 record and were eliminated in the playoff semifinals by the Kentucky Colonels in 5 games (4-1). The following season in 1974, the Squires finished the season with a 28–56, still qualifying for the playoffs. They were eliminated in 5 games (4-1) against the New York Nets.
In 1975, The Squires finished with a 15–69 record, missing the playoffs. After a 1-6 start of the 1975-1976 season, Coach Bianchi resigned and was replaced by Mack Calvin.
Notable Players Coached
- Julius Erving
- 1983 NBA champion
- 2× ABA champion (1974, 1976)
- 2× ABA Playoffs MVP (1974, 1976)
- 1981 NBA Most Valuable Player
- 3× ABA Most Valuable Player (1974–1976)
- 11× NBA All-Star (1977–1987)
- 5× ABA All-Star (1972–1976)
- 5× All-NBA First Team (1978, 1980–1983)
- 4× All-ABA First Team (1973–1976)
- 1976 ABA All-Defensive First Team
- 1972 ABA All-Rookie First Team
- 3× ABA scoring champion (1973, 1974, 1976)
- 1976 ABA Slam Dunk champion
- ABA All-Time Team
- ABA All-time MVP
- 35th, 50th, 75th NBA anniversary team selections
- 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
- Doug Moe
- 1969 ABA champion
- 3× ABA All-Star (1968–1970)
- 1968 All-ABA First Team
- 1969 All-ABA Second Team
- Charles Scott
- 1976 NBA champion
- 3× NBA All-Star (1973–1975)
- 2× ABA All-Star (1971, 1972)
- 1971 All-ABA First Team
- 1972 All-ABA Second Team
- 1972 ABA Rookie of the Year
- 1971 ABA All-Rookie First Team
- ABA All-Time Team
- Neil Johnson (1971 ABA All-Star)
- Jim Ligon (1969 ABA All-Star)
- Adrian Smith
- 1966 NBA All-Star
- 1966 NBA All-Star Game MVP
- Fatty Taylor (2× ABA All-Defensive First Team (1973, 1974)
- George Irvine (Future NBA coach)
Coach Bianchi was named an assistant coach under John MacLeod for the Phoenix Suns. in 1976, the Phoenix Suns finished with a 42–40 record, making a deep playoff run to the finals, but were eliminated in 6 games against the Boston Celtics. This was the season that was nicknamed the “Sunderella Suns”.
In 1978, the Suns returned to the playoffs since their finals run with a record of 49–33 but lost in the first round to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2 games (2-0). The following season, the Suns finished with a 50–32 record, making a deep playoff run to the conference finals, but were eliminated by Lenny Wilkens and the Seattle Supersonics in 7 games.
In 1981, the Phoenix Suns finished with a 57-25 record, 1st place in the western conference, the first and only time they would finish in first under MacLeod. In 1984, the Suns made a deep playoff run to the conference finals, facing off against the Los Angeles Lakers and were eliminated in 6 games.
The Suns made their last playoff appearance under MacLeod in 1985 where they were eliminated in the first round by the Los Angeles Lakers in 3 games (3-0).
Notable Players Coached
- Dick Van Arsdale
- 3× NBA All-Star (1969–1971)
- NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1974)
- NBA All-Rookie First Team (1966)
- No. 5 retired by Phoenix Suns
- Paul Westphal
- 1974 NBA champion
- 5× NBA All-Star (1977–1981)
- 3× All-NBA First Team (1977, 1979, 1980)
- 1978 All-NBA Second Team
- 1983 NBA Comeback Player of the Year
- No. 44 retired by Phoenix Suns
- Walter Davis
- 6× NBA All-Star (1978–1981, 1984, 1987)
- 2× All-NBA Second Team (1978, 1979)
- 1978 NBA Rookie of the Year
- 1978 NBA All-Rookie First Team
- No. 6 retired by Phoenix Suns
- Maurice Lucas
- 1977 NBA champion (1977)
- 4× NBA All-Star (1977–1979, 1983)
- 1976 ABA All-Star
- All-NBA Second Team (1978)
- 1978 NBA All-Defensive First Team
- 1979 NBA All-Defensive Second Team
- ABA All-Time Team
- No. 20 retired by Portland Trail Blazers
- Dennis Johnson
- 3× NBA champion (1979, 1984, 1986)
- 1979 NBA Finals MVP
- 5× NBA All-Star (1979–1982, 1985)
- 1981 All-NBA First Team
- 1980 All-NBA Second Team
- 6× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1979–1983, 1987)
- 3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1984–1986)
- No. 3 retired by Boston Celtics
- Larry Nance
- 3× NBA All-Star (1985, 1989, 1993)
- 1989 NBA All-Defensive First Team
- 2× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1992, 1993)
- 1984 NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion
- No. 22 retired by Cleveland Cavaliers
- Tom Van Arsdale
- 3× NBA All-Star (1970–1972)
- 1966 NBA All-Rookie First Team
- Alvan Adams
- 1976 NBA All-Star
- 1976 NBA Rookie of the Year
- 1976 NBA All-Rookie First Team
- No. 33 retired by Phoenix Suns
- Truck Robinson
- 2× NBA All-Star (1978, 1981)
- 1978 All-NBA First Team
- 1978 NBA rebounding leader
- Ted McClain
- 2× ABA champion (1975–1976)
- 1974 ABA All-Star
- 1974 ABA All-Defensive First Team
- 1974 ABA steals leader
- Jeff Hornacek
- 1992 NBA All-Star
- 2× NBA Three-Point Contest champion (1998, 2000)
- No. 14 retired by Utah Jazz
- Future Suns Head Coach
- John Wetzel (Future NBA coach)