Dave Cowens

Dave Cowens began his coaching career while still playing in the NBA. After head coach Tom “Satch” Sanders was dismissed after a 2-12 start, Cowens was named the interim head coach while still playing for the team. He finished with a coaching record of 27-41.

Notable Players Coached

• Bob McAdoo
  • 2× NBA champion (1982, 1985)
  • 1975 NBA Most Valuable Player
  • 5× NBA All-Star (1974–1978)
  • 1975 All-NBA First Team
  • 1974 All-NBA Second Team
  • 1973 NBA Rookie of the Year
  • 1973 NBA All-Rookie Team
  • 3× NBA scoring champion (1974–1976)
  • NBA 75th Anniversary Team
• Nate “Tiny” Archibald
  • 1981 NBA champion
  • 6× NBA All-Star (1973, 1975, 1976, 1980–1982)
  • 1981 NBA All-Star Game MVP
  • 3× All-NBA First Team (1973, 1975, 1976)
  • 2× All-NBA Second Team (1972, 1981)
  • 1973 NBA scoring champion
  • 1973 NBA assists leader
  • 50th & 75th NBA anniversary team selections
  • No. 1 retired by Sacramento Kings
• Cedric Maxwell
  • 2× NBA champion (1981, 1984)
  • 1981 NBA Finals MVP
  • No. 31 retired by Boston Celtics
• Don Chaney
  • 2× NBA champion (1969, 1974)
  • 5× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1972–1975, 1977)
  • Future NBA Head Coach
• Chris Ford
  • 1981 NBA champion as a player
  • 2× NBA champion (1984, 1986) as a Boston Celtics assistant coach
• Curtis Rowe (1976 NBA All-Star)

Coach Cowens became the head coach of the Bay State Bombardiers of the Continental Basketball Association. In his first and only season with the team, they finished with a 28-20 record, missing the CBA playoffs.

Coach Cowens returned to the NBA to become an assistant coach under Bob Hill for the San Antonio Spurs. In his first season as an assistant, the Spurs finished with a 62–20 record, 1st place in the Western Conference, making a deep playoff run to the conference finals where they were eliminated in 6 games (4-2) by the Houston Rockets, who would become the 1995 NBA champions.

The following season, the Spurs finished with a record of 59–23, 2nd in the Western Conference, qualifying for the playoffs, but were eliminated in 6 games (4-2) by Jerry Sloan and the Utah Jazz in the semifinals.

Notable Players Coached

• Moses Malone
  • 1983 NBA champion
  • 1983 NBA Finals MVP
  • 3× NBA Most Valuable Player (1979, 1982, 1983)
  • 12× NBA All-Star (1978–1989)
  • 1975 ABA All-Star
  • 4× All-NBA First Team (1979, 1982, 1983, 1985)
  • 1983 NBA All-Defensive First Team
  • 1975 ABA All-Rookie Team
  • 6× NBA rebounding leader (1979, 1981–1985)
  • 50th & 75th NBA anniversary team selections
  • ABA All-Time Team
  • No. 2 retired by Philadelphia 76ers
  • No. 24 retired by Houston Rockets
• David Robinson
  • 2× NBA champion (1999, 2003)
  • 1995 NBA Most Valuable Player
  • 10× NBA All-Star (1990–1996, 1998, 2000, 2001)
  • 4× All-NBA First Team (1991, 1992, 1995, 1996)
  • 1992 NBA Defensive Player of the Year
  • 4× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1991, 1992, 1995, 1996)
  • 1994 NBA scoring champion
  • 1991 NBA rebounding leader
  • 1992 NBA blocks leader
  • 1990 NBA Rookie of the Year
  • 1990 NBA All-Rookie First Team
  • 50th & 75th NBA anniversary team selections
  • No. 50 retired by San Antonio Spurs
• Dennis Rodman
  • 5× NBA champion (1989, 1990, 1996–1998)
  • 2× NBA All-Star (1990, 1992)
  • 2× All-NBA Third Team (1992, 1995)
  • 2× NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1990, 1991)
  • 7× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1989–1993, 1995, 1996)
  • 1994 NBA All-Defensive Second Team
  • 7× NBA rebounding champion (1992–1998)
  • NBA 75th Anniversary Team selection
  • No. 10 retired by Detroit Pistons
• Terry Cummings
  • 2× NBA All-Star (1985, 1989)
  • 1985 All-NBA Second Team
  • 1989 All-NBA Third Team
  • 1983 NBA Rookie of the Year
  • 1983 NBA All-Rookie First Team
• Sean Elliot
  • 1999 NBA champion
  • 2× NBA All-Star (1993, 1996)
  • 1990 NBA All-Rookie Second Team
  • No. 32 retired by San Antonio Spurs
• Doc Rivers
  • 1988 NBA All-Star
  • Future 2008 NBA champion as Head Coach
  • Future Top 15 NBA Head Coaches of All-Time
• Avery Johnson
  • 1999 NBA champion
  • No. 6 retired by San Antonio Spurs
  • Future 2006 Coach of the Year
• Monty Williams (Future 2022 NBA Coach of the Year & 2× NBCA Coach of the Year (2021, 2022)
• Vinny Del Negro (Future NBA Head Coach)

Coach Cowens succeeded Allan Bristow as the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets. In his first season, the Hornets finished with a 54–28 record, qualifying for the playoffs. They were eliminated in the first round by the New York Knicks in 3 games (3-0).

The following season, the Hornets finished with a 51–31 record, qualifying for the playoffs. They reached the conference semifinals but were eliminated in 5 games (4-1) by Phil Jackson and the Chicago Bulls.

In the beginning of the 1998-1999 season, Coach Cowens resigned after a 4-11 start. He was replaced by assistant coach Paul Silas.

Notable Players Coached

• Glen Rice
  • 2000 NBA champion
  • 3× NBA All-Star (1996–1998)
  • 1997 NBA All-Star Game MVP
  • 1997 All-NBA Second Team
  • 1998 All-NBA Third Team
  • 1990 NBA All-Rookie Second Team
  • 1995 NBA Three-Point Contest champion
• B.J. Armstrong
  • 3× NBA champion (1991–1993)
  • 1994 NBA All-Star
• Derrick Coleman
  • 1994 NBA All-Star
  • 2× All-NBA Third Team (1993, 1994)
  • 1991 NBA Rookie of the Year
  • 1991 NBA All-Rookie First Team
• Vlade Divac
  • 2001 NBA All-Star
  • 1990 NBA All-Rookie First Team
  • No. 21 retired by Sacramento Kings
• Anthony Mason
  • 2001 NBA All-Star
  • 1997 All-NBA Third Team
  • 1997 NBA All-Defensive Second Team
  • 1995 NBA Sixth Man of the Year
• Ricky Pierce
  • 1991 NBA All-Star
  • 2× NBA Sixth Man of the Year (1987, 1990)
• Dell Curry
  • 1994 NBA Sixth Man of The Year
  • No. 30 retired by Charlotte Hornets
• Chuck Person
  • 1987 NBA Rookie of the Year
  • 1987 NBA All-Rookie First Team
• Malik Rose (2× NBA champion (1999, 2003)
• Muggsy Bogues

Coach Cowens succeeded P. J. Carlesimo as the head coach of the Golden State Warriors. In his first and only season as the head coach, the Warriors finished with a 17–65 record. The following season, he was fired after an 8-15 start, he was replaced by assistant coach Brian Winters.

Notable Players Coached

• Chris Mullin
  • 5× NBA All-Star (1989–1993)
  • 1992 All-NBA First Team
  • 2× All-NBA Second Team (1989, 1991)
  • 1990 All-NBA Third Team
  • No. 17 retired by Golden State Warriors
• Antawn Jamison
  • 2× NBA All-Star (2005, 2008)
  • Future 2004 NBA Sixth Man of the Year
  • 1999 NBA All-Rookie Second Team
  • 1998 National college player of the year
• Mookie Blaylock
  • NBA All-Star (1994)
  • 2× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1994, 1995)
  • 4× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1996–1999)
  • 2× NBA steals leader (1997, 1998)
• Larry Hughes
  • 2005 NBA All-Defensive First Team
  • 2005 NBA steals leader

Coach Cowens became the head coach of the Chicago Sky of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). In his first and only season, the Sky finished with a 5–29 record, missing the playoffs.

Notable Players Coached

• Candice Dupree
  • Future 2014 WNBA champion
  • 7× WNBA All-Star (2006, 2007, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019)
  • 2006 WNBA All-Rookie Team
• Stacey Dales
  • 2002 WNBA All-Star
  • 2002 Women’s Basketball Academic All-American of the Year
• Jia Perkins
  • Future 2017 WNBA champion
  • Future 2009 WNBA All-Star
  • Future 2013 WNBA All-Defensive Second Team
• Chelsea Newton
  • 2005 WNBA champion
  • 2005 WNBA All-Rookie Team
  • 2007 WNBA All-Defensive Second Team
• Elaine Powell (3× WNBA champion (2003, 2006, 2008)
• Brooke Wyckoff (Future Flordia State Seminoles Head Coach & No. 21 retired by Florida State Seminoles)

Coach Cowens returned to the NBA for a second time to become an assistant coach under Flip Saunders for the Detroit Pistons. In his first season as an assistant coach, the Pistons finished with a 53–29 record, 1st place in the Eastern Conference, making a deep playoff run to the conference finals, but were eliminated in 6 games by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The following season, the Pistons finished with a 59–23 record, 2nd in the Eastern Conference, making another playoff run to the Conference Finals, where they were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in 6 games, who would later become the 2008 champions.

Notable Players Coached

• Chauncy Billups
  • 2004 NBA champion
  • 2004 NBA Finals MVP
  • 5× NBA All-Star (2006–2010)
  • 2006 All-NBA Second Team
  • 2× All-NBA Third Team (2007, 2009)
  • 2× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2005, 2006)
  • No. 1 retired by Detroit Pistons
• Chris Webber
  • 5× NBA All-Star (1997, 2000–2003)
  • 2001 All-NBA First Team
  • 3× All-NBA Second Team (1999, 2002, 2003)
  • 2000 All-NBA Third Team
  • 1994 NBA Rookie of the Year
  • 1994 NBA All-Rookie First Team
  • 1999 NBA rebounding leader
  • No. 4 retired by Sacramento Kings
• Richard Hamilton
  • 2004 NBA champion
  • 3× NBA All-Star (2006–2008)
  • No. 32 retired by Detroit Pistons
• Rasheed Wallace
  • 2004 NBA champion
  • 4× NBA All-Star (2000, 2001, 2006, 2008)
  • 1996 NBA All-Rookie Second Team
• Antonio McDyess
  • 2001 NBA All-Star
  • 1999 All-NBA Third Team
  • 1996 NBA All-Rookie First Team
• Theo Ratliff
  • 2001 NBA All-Star
  • 2× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1999, 2004)
  • 3× NBA blocks leader (2001, 2003, 2004)
• Tayshaun Prince
  • 2004 NBA champion
  • 4× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2005–2008)
• Dale Davis (2000 NBA All-Star)
• Lindsay Hunter
  • 2× NBA champion (2002, 2004)
  • 1994 NBA All-Rookie Second Team