Fred Scolari
Baltimore Bullets Player-Coach | 2× NBA All-Star | All-BAA Guard
Fred Scolari was born on March 1, 1922, in San Francisco, California. He played college basketball at the University of San Francisco before beginning a professional career in the Basketball Association of America (BAA).
Scolari played 9 seasons in the BAA/NBA and became a 2-time NBA All-Star. During the 1951-1952 season, he also served as the player-coach of the Baltimore Bullets.
Scolari coached 39 games with Baltimore and finished with a 12-27 record before Chick Reiser took over the team.
Coach Scolari passed away on October 17, 2002, at the age of 80.
- Overall Coaching Record: 12-27
Coaching Career
Fred Scolari joined the Baltimore Bullets before the 1951-1952 season and served as a player-coach during the year.
Scolari coached 39 games and went 12-27 before the Bullets made a coaching change. Chick Reiser replaced him and went 8-19 over the remainder of the season.
Baltimore finished with a 20-46 record and missed the playoffs. Scolari continued to play during the season and was selected to the 1952 NBA All-Star Game.
The season became Scolari’s only NBA head coaching stint.
Notable Players Coached
- Don Barksdale
- 1953 NBA All-Star
- 1948 Olympic Gold Medalist
- First African American to play in an NBA All-Star Game
- Alex Hannum
- Future 2× NBA Champion Head Coach
- Future ABA Champion Head Coach