George Irvine

George Irvine started his coaching career with the Denver Nuggets under Larry Brown, who he only played for the year prior. In his first season as an assistant coach, the Nuggets finished with a 48–34 recorded, qualifying for the playoffs. They were eliminated in the Western Conference finals in 7 games by Lenny Wilkens and the Seattle SuperSonics.

The following season, Larry Brown resigned after a 28-25 record, allowing assistant coach Donnie Walsh to become the next head coach. The team finished with a 47–35 record, qualifying for the playoffs, but were eliminated in the first round by Jerry West and the Los Angeles Lakers in 3 games (2-1).

Irvine was retained under Walsh for the 1979-1980 season. The Nuggets finished with a 30–52 record, missing the playoffs.

Notable Players Coached

• Bobby Jones
  • 1983 NBA champion
  • 4× NBA All-Star (1977, 1978, 1981, 1982)
  • 8× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1977–1984)
  • 1983 NBA Sixth Man of the Year
  • 1976 ABA All-Star (1976)
  • All-ABA Second Team (1976)
  • 2× ABA All-Defensive First Team (1975, 1976)
  • 1975 ABA All-Rookie First Team
  • No. 24 retired by Philadelphia 76ers
• David Thompson
  • 4× NBA All-Star (1977–1979, 1983)
  • 1979 NBA All-Star Game MVP
  • 2× All-NBA First Team (1977, 1978)
  • 1976 ABA All-Star
  • 1976 ABA All-Star Game MVP
  • 1976 All-ABA Second Team
  • 1976 ABA Rookie of the Year
  • ABA All-Time Team
  • No. 33 retired by Denver Nuggets
• Dan Issel
  • 1975 ABA champion
  • 1977 NBA All-Star
  • 6× ABA All-Star (1971–1976)
  • 1972 ABA All-Star Game MVP
  • 1972 All-ABA First Team
  • 4× All-ABA Second Team (1971, 1973, 1974, 1976)
  • 1971 ABA Rookie of the Year
  • 1971 ABA scoring champion
  • ABA All-Time Team
  • No. 44 retired by Denver Nuggets
• Alex English
  • Future 8× NBA All-Star (1982–1989)
  • Future 3× All-NBA Second Team (1982, 1983, 1986)
  • Future 1983 NBA scoring champion
  • No. 2 retired by Denver Nuggets
• George McGinnis
  • 3× NBA All-Star (1976, 1977, 1979)
  • All-NBA First Team (1976)
  • 2× ABA champion (1972, 1973)
  • ABA Playoffs MVP (1973)
  • 1975 ABA MVP
  • 3× ABA All-Star (1973–1975)
  • 2× All-ABA First Team (1974, 1975)
  • ABA All-Rookie First Team (1972)
  • 1975 ABA scoring champion
  • ABA All-Time Team
• Mack Calvin
  • 5× ABA All-Star (1971–1975)
  • 3x All-ABA First Team (1971, 1974, 1975)
  • All-ABA Second Team (1973)
  • ABA All-Rookie First Team (1970)
  • ABA All-Time Team

Coach Irvine became an assistant coach under Jack McKinney for the Indiana Pacers. In his first season as an assistant, the Pacers finished with a 44–38 record, qualifying for the playoffs. They were eliminated in the first round by Billy Cunningham and the Philadelphia 76ers in 2 games (2-0).

The following season, the Pacers finished with a 35–47 record, missing the playoffs.

Notable Players Coached

• George McGinnis
  • 3× NBA All-Star (1976, 1977, 1979)
  • 1976 All-NBA First Team
  • 1977 All-NBA Second Team
  • 2× ABA champion (1972, 1973)
  • 1973 ABA Playoffs MVP
  • 1975 ABA MVP
  • 3× ABA All-Star (1973–1975)
  • 2× All-ABA First Team (1974, 1975)
  • 1973 All-ABA Second Team (1973)
  • 1972 ABA All-Rookie First Team
  • 1975 ABA scoring champion
  • ABA All-Time Team
  • No. 30 retired by Indiana Pacers
• Don Buse
  • 1973 ABA champion
  • 1977 NBA All-Star
  • 1976 ABA All-Star
  • 1976 All-ABA Second Team
  • 1976 ABA steals leader
  • 4× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1977–1980)
  • 2× ABA All-Defensive First Team (1975, 1976)
  • 1977 NBA assists leader
  • 1977 NBA steals leader
• Billy Knight
  • 2x NBA All-Star (1977, 1978)
  • 1976 ABA All-Star
  • 1976 All-ABA First Team
  • 1975 ABA All-Rookie First Team
• Dudley Bradley (1981 NBA All-Defensive Second Team)
• Johnny Davis (1977 NBA champion & Future NBA Head Coach)
• Jerry Sichting (1986 NBA champion & Future NBA Coach)
• Herb Williams (Future NBA & WNBA Coach)
• Butch Carter (Future NBA Head Coach)

After taking a season off in 1983, Irvine returned to become the head coach of the Indiana Pacers, succeeding his former boss, Jack McKinney. In his first season as the head coach, the Pacers finished with a 22–60 record, missing the playoffs.

The following season, the Pacers finished with a 26–56 record, missing the playoffs. After the season, assistant coach Donnie Walsh was promoted to General Manager and Jack Ramsay was named the new Head Coach.

Notable Players Coached

• Clark Kellogg (1983 NBA All-Rookie First Team)
• Steve Stipanovich (1984 NBA All-Rookie First Team)
• Jerry Sichting (1986 NBA champion & Future NBA Coach)
• Herb Williams (Future NBA & WNBA Coach)
• Tony Brown (Future NBA coach)

Coach Irvine returned to the Indiana Pacers as an assistant coach under Bob Hill. In his first returning season as an assistant, the Pacers finished with a 40–42 record, qualifying for the playoffs. They were eliminated in the first round by Chris Ford and the Boston Celtics in 3 games (3-0).

The following season, the Pacers finished with a 41–41 record, reaching the playoffs, but were eliminated in 4 games (3-1) by Pat Riley and the New York Knicks. After the season, Irvine reunited with former Nuggets coach Larry Brown when he succeeded Bob Hill as the head coach of the Pacers.

In 1994, the Pacers finished with a 47–35 record, making a deep playoff run to the Eastern Conference Finals but were eliminated in 7 games by the New York Knicks.

Notable Players Coached

• Reggie Miller
  • 5× NBA All-Star (1990, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000)
  • 3× All-NBA Third Team (1995, 1996, 1998)
  • 75th NBA Anniversary team selection
  • No. 31 retired by Indiana Pacers
• Detlef Schrempf
  • 3× NBA All-Star (1993, 1995, 1997)
  • All-NBA Third Team (1995)
  • 2× NBA Sixth Man of the Year (1991, 1992)
• Mark Jackson
  • 1989 NBA All-Star (1989)
  • 1988 NBA Rookie of the Year (1988)
  • 1988 NBA All-Rookie First Team (1988)
  • Future 1997 NBA assists leader
  • Future NBA Head Coach
• Rik Smits
  • Future 1998 NBA All-Star
  • 1989 NBA All-Rookie First Team
• Chuck Person
  • 1987 NBA Rookie of the Year
  • 1987 NBA All-Rookie First Team
• Dale Davis (Future 2000 NBA All-Star)
• Antonio Davis (Future 2001 NBA All-Star)
• Byron Scott
  • 3× NBA champion (1985, 1987, 1988)
  • 1984 NBA All-Rookie First Team
  • Future 2008 NBA Coach of the Year
• Malik Sealy (No. 2 retired by Minnesota Timberwolves)
• Sam Mitchell (Future 2007 NBA Coach of the Year)
• Randy Wittman (Future NBA Head Coach)

Coach Irvine became an assistant coach under Rick Adelman for the Golden State Warriors. In his first season as an assistant, the Warriors finished with a 36–46 record, missing the playoffs. The following season, the Warriors finished with a 30–52 record, missing the playoffs again.

Notable Players Coacheed

• 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
• Mark Price
  • 4× NBA All-Star (1989, 1992–1994)
  • 1993 All-NBA First Team
  • 3× All-NBA Third Team (1989, 1992, 1994)
  • 2× NBA Three-Point Contest champion (1993, 1994)
  • No. 25 retired by Cleveland Cavaliers
• Latrell Sprewell
  • 4× NBA All-Star (1994, 1995, 1997, 2001)
  • 1994 All-NBA First Team
  • 1994 NBA All-Defensive Second Team
  • 1993 NBA All-Rookie Second Team
• B.J. Armstrong
  • 3× NBA champion (1991–1993)
  • 1994 NBA All-Star
• Kevin Willis
  • 2003 NBA champion
  • 1992 NBA All-Star
  • 1992 All-NBA Third Team
• Rony Seikaly (1990 NBA Most Improved Player)
• Joe Smith (1996 NBA All-Rookie First Team)

Coach Irvine became an assistant coach under Alvin Gentry for the Detroit Pistons. After a 28-30 start, Gentry was fired and Irvine became the head coach, leading the team to an overall record of 42–40, qualifying for the playoffs. They were eliminated in 3 games by Pat Riley and the Miami Heat.

Notable Players Coached

• Grant Hill
  • 7× NBA All-Star (1995–1998, 2000, 2001, 2005)
  • 1997 All-NBA First Team
  • 4× All-NBA Second Team (1996, 1998–2000)
  • 1995 NBA Rookie of the Year
  • 1995 NBA All-Rookie First Team
• Jerry Stackhouse
  • 2× NBA All-Star (2000, 2001)
  • 1996 NBA All-Rookie First Team
• Christian Laettner
  • 1997 NBA All-Star
  • 1993 NBA All-Rookie First Team
• Jud Buechler (3× NBA champion (1996–1998)
• Lindsey Hunter
  • Future 2× NBA champion (2002, 2004)
  • 1994 NBA All-Rookie Second Team
• Michael Curry (Future NBA Coach & Detroit Pistons Head Coach)

Coach Irvine entered his first and only full-time season as the head coach of the Detroit Pistons after succeeding Alvin Gentry the season before. The Pistons finished with a 32–50, missing the playoffs.

Notable Players Coached

• Ben Wallace
  • Future 2004 NBA champion
  • Future 4× NBA All-Star (2003–2006)
  • Future 3× All-NBA Second Team (2003, 2004, 2006)
  • Future 2× All-NBA Third Team (2002, 2005)
  • Future 4× NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006)
  • Future 5× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2002–2006)
  • Future NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2007)
  • Future 2× NBA rebounding leader (2002, 2003)
  • Future 2002 NBA blocks leader
  • No. 3 retired by Detroit Pistons
  • Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (Class of 2021)
• Dana Barros
  • 1995 NBA All-Star
  • 1995 NBA Most Improved Player
• Corliss Williamson
  • Future 2004 NBA champion
  • Future 2002 NBA Sixth Man of the Year
• Lindsey Hunter
  • Future 2× NBA champion (2002, 2004)
  • 1994 NBA All-Rookie Second Team
• Michael Curry (Future NBA Coach & Detroit Pistons Head Coach)