Dick McGuire
Detroit Pistons Head Coach | New York Knicks Head Coach | Hall of Fame Player
Dick McGuire was born on January 25, 1926, in New York. He played college basketball at St. John's University and Dartmouth College before being selected by the New York Knicks in the 1949 BAA Draft.
McGuire played 11 NBA seasons and became one of the league's premier playmaking guards before moving directly into coaching with the Detroit Pistons during his final season as a player.
He later coached the New York Knicks and returned to the franchise as an assistant coach, helping New York win the 1973 NBA championship.
McGuire finished his NBA head-coaching career with a 197-261 record. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1993 and passed away on February 3, 2010, at the age of 84.
- Overall Coaching Record: 197-261
Coaching Career
McGuire became head coach of the Detroit Pistons during the 1959-1960 season while finishing his playing career.
Detroit reached the playoffs in each of McGuire's four seasons as head coach. The Pistons advanced to the Western Division Finals in 1962 before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers.
McGuire resigned after the 1962-1963 season and finished his Detroit coaching tenure with a 122-158 regular-season record.
Notable Players Coached
- Gene Shue
- 5× NBA All-Star
- Bailey Howell
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- 6× NBA All-Star
- Don Ohl
- 5× NBA All-Star
McGuire returned to the New York Knicks as head coach during the 1965-1966 season.
New York improved during his tenure and returned to the playoffs in 1967. McGuire was replaced by Red Holzman during the 1967-1968 season.
He finished his Knicks head-coaching tenure with a 75-103 record.
Notable Players Coached
- Willis Reed
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- 2× NBA champion
- 1970 NBA MVP
- 2× NBA Finals MVP
- Walt Bellamy
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- 4× NBA All-Star
- Dick Barnett
- 2× NBA champion
McGuire later returned to the Knicks as an assistant coach and remained on the staff for seven seasons.
During that run, New York won the 1973 NBA championship and continued to feature many of the players from the franchise's championship era.
The assistant-coaching seasons do not count toward McGuire's 197-261 NBA head-coaching record.
Notable Players Coached
- Walt Frazier
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- 2× NBA champion
- 7× NBA All-Star
- Dave DeBusschere
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- 2× NBA champion
- 8× NBA All-Star
- Earl Monroe
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- 1973 NBA champion
- 4× NBA All-Star