Richie Guerin
1968 NBA Coach of the Year | St. Louis and Atlanta Hawks Head Coach | Hall of Fame Player
Richard V. “Richie” Guerin was born May 29, 1932, in New York City. A prolific New York Knicks guard and six-time NBA All-Star, he became head coach of the St. Louis Hawks midway through the 1964-65 season.
Guerin coached the Hawks through their relocation from St. Louis to Atlanta and won the 1968 NBA Coach of the Year award after leading St. Louis to a 56-26 record.
He directed the franchise for eight seasons, going 327-291 in NBA regular-season play and taking the Hawks to the playoffs in every season he coached. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 2013.
- Overall Coaching Record: 327-291
Coaching Career
Guerin replaced Harry Gallatin during the 1964-65 campaign and guided the Hawks to a 28-19 mark over the final 47 games.
St. Louis finished 36-44 in 1965-66 and 39-42 in 1966-67, reaching the postseason in each campaign. Guerin frequently balanced coaching with the final years of his playing career.
In 1967-68, the Hawks surged to 56-26 and captured the Western Division regular-season crown. Guerin was named NBA Coach of the Year, although San Francisco eliminated St. Louis in the division finals.
The Hawks relocated to Atlanta after that season.
Notable Players Coached
- Lenny Wilkens
- Hall of Fame point guard who played for Guerin in St. Louis
- Zelmo Beaty
- Two-time NBA All-Star center and later ABA standout
- Lou Hudson
- Six-time NBA All-Star scoring guard-forward
Guerin remained in charge when the franchise relocated to Atlanta in 1968. His teams went 48-34 in both 1968-69 and 1969-70 and made strong playoff runs.
Atlanta finished first in the Western Division in 1969-70 but fell to the Lakers in the division finals. During Guerin’s later seasons, the Hawks rebuilt around scorers such as Lou Hudson and Pete Maravich.
He completed his Atlanta tenure after 1971-72, having gone 168-160 with the relocated team. Combined with St. Louis, his NBA record stood at 327-291.
Notable Players Coached
- Lou Hudson
- Six-time NBA All-Star and prolific Hawks scorer
- Pete Maravich
- Hall of Fame guard drafted by Atlanta in 1970
- Walt Bellamy
- Hall of Fame center who played for Atlanta during Guerin’s tenure