John Killilea

John Killilea

3x NBA Champion as an Assistant Coach | Former CBA and NBA Coach & Scout| Defensive Mastermind

John Killilea was born on June 28, 1928. Killilea graduated from Quincy High School in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1945. After graduation, he joined the United States Army Infantry Branch and later enrolled at Boston University in 1948. He was named captain of the freshman basketball team.

In 1949, Killilea was diagnosed with bulbar polio. Upon his release from the hospital, Killilea was medically cleared to try out for the varsity Boston University basketball team. He made the team and came off the bench for the first two games of the season but was inserted into the starting lineup for the remainder of the season. In 1952, Killilea graduated from Boston University with a degree in physical education.

He was inducted into the Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame in 1976. His combined high school head coaching record was 314–90.

Coach Killilea passed away on January 27, 1996, at the age of 67. At the time of his death, Kilea was regarded as one of the best defensive coaches.

  • Overall Coaching Record: 353–135
    • High School: 314–90
    • Continental Basketball Association: 39–45

Coaching Career

John Killilea’s first basketball coaching job was at Pemetic High School in Southwest Harbor, Maine in 1952. The following year, he coached the team to the Eastern Maine Basketball Championship.

Killilea was later the head coach of the Melrose and Silver Lake high school basketball teams.

Coach Killilea became an assistant coach under Tom Heinsohn and was a scout for the Boston Celtics.

In 1974, the Boston Celtics finished with a 56–26 record, 1st in the Eastern Conference, making a deep playoff run to the NBA finals where they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in 7 games to become the 1974 NBA champions. In 1976, the Celtics finished with a 54–28 record, 1st place in the Eastern Conference, making another finals appearance, defeating John MacLeod and the Phoenix Suns in 6 games (4-2) to become 1976 NBA champions.

Coach Killilea was the first person in the Boston Celtics organization to scout Larry Bird. According to Killilea, Bird was “the best passing forward since Rick Barry.”

Notable Players Coached

  • John Havlicek
    • 8× NBA champion (1963–1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976)
    • 1974 NBA Finals MVP
    • 13× NBA All-Star (1966–1978)
    • 4× All-NBA First Team (1971–1974)
    • 7× All-NBA Second Team (1964, 1966, 1968–1970, 1975, 1976)
    • 5× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1972–1976)
    • 3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1969–1971)
    • 1963 NBA All-Rookie First Team
    • 35th, 50th, and 75th NBA anniversary team selections
    • No. 17 retired by Boston Celtics
  • Tom “Satch” Sanders
    • 8× NBA champion (1961–1966, 1968, 1969)
    • NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1969)
    • No. 16 retired by Boston Celtics
    • Future NBA Head Coach
  • Dave Bing
    • 7× NBA All-Star (1968–1969, 1971, 1973–1976)
    • 1976 NBA All-Star Game MVP
    • 2× All-NBA First Team (1968, 1971)
    • 1974 All-NBA Second Team
    • 1967 NBA Rookie of the Year
    • 1967 NBA All-Rookie Team
    • 1968 NBA scoring champion
    • 50th & 75th NBA anniversary team
    • No. 21 retired by Detroit Pistons
  • Jo Jo White
    • 2× NBA champion (1974, 1976)
    • 1976 NBA Finals MVP
    • 7× NBA All-Star (1971–1977)
    • 2× All-NBA Second Team (1975, 1977)
    • 1970 NBA All-Rookie First Team
    • No. 10 retired by Boston Celtics
  • Dave Cowens
    • 2× NBA champion (1974, 1976)
    • NBA Most Valuable Player (1973)
    • 8× NBA All-Star (1972–1978, 1980)
    • 1973 NBA All-Star Game MVP
    • 3× All-NBA Second Team (1973, 1975, 1976)
    • 1976 NBA All-Defensive First Team
    • 2× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1975, 1980)
    • 1971 NBA Rookie of the Year
    • 1971 NBA All-Rookie Team
    • 50th & 75th NBA anniversary team selections
    • No. 18 retired by Boston Celtics
  • Paul Westphal
    • 1974 NBA champion
    • 5× NBA All-Star (1977–1981)
    • 3× All-NBA First Team (1977, 1979, 1980)
    • 1978 All-NBA Second Team
    • 1983 NBA Comeback Player of the Year
    • No. 44 retired by Phoenix Suns
  • Sidney Wicks
    • 4× NBA All-Star (1972–1975)
    • 1972 NBA Rookie of the Year
    • 1972 NBA All-Rookie First Team
  • Paul Silas
    • 3× NBA champion (1974, 1976, 1979)
    • 2× NBA All-Star (1972, 1975)
    • 2× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1975, 1976)
    • 3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1971–1973)
    • Future NBA Head Coach
  • Cedric Maxwell
    • 2× NBA champion (1981, 1984)
    • 1981 NBA Finals MVP
    • No. 31 retired by Boston Celtics
  • Don Nelson
    • 5× NBA champion (1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976)
    • No. 19 retired by Boston Celtics
    • Future Top 10 NBA Head Coach of All Time
  • Kermit Washington
    • 1980 NBA All-Star
    • 2× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1980, 1981)
  • Curtis Rowe (1976 NBA All-Star)
  • Don Chaney
    • 2× NBA champion (1969, 1974)
    • 5× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1972–1975, 1977)
    • Future NBA Head Coach
  • Ernie DiGregorio
    • 1974 NBA Rookie of the Year
    • 1974 NBA All-Rookie First Team
    • 1974 NBA assists leader

Coach Killilea became an assistant coach under Don Nelson for the Milwaukee Bucks, who he coached on the Boston Celtics. In 1981, the Bucks finished with a 60–22 record, making it to the conference semifinals, but lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in 7 games.

The Bucks reached the conference finals 3 times, the furthest under Nelson. In 1983, they were eliminated by the 76ers in 5 games. The following season in 1984, they reached the conference finals again but lost this time to the Boston Celtics in 5 games. Finally, in 1986, but were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in 4 games.

Coach Killilea left the team after the 1983-1984 season.

Notable Players Coached

  • Bob Dandridge
    • 2× NBA champion (1971, 1978)
    • 4× NBA All-Star (1973, 1975, 1976, 1979)
    • 1979 All-NBA Second Team
    • 1979 NBA All-Defensive First Team
    • 1970 NBA All-Rookie First Team
    • No. 10 retired by Milwaukee Bucks
  • Marques Johnson
    • 5× NBA All-Star (1979–1981, 1983, 1986)
    • 1979 All-NBA First Team
    • 2× All-NBA Second Team (1980, 1981)
    • 1986 NBA Comeback Player of the Year
    • 1978 NBA All-Rookie First Team
    • No. 8 retired by Milwaukee Bucks
  • Brian Winters
    • 2× NBA All-Star (1976, 1978)
    • 1975 NBA All-Rookie First Team
    • No. 32 retired by Milwaukee Bucks
  • Junior Bridgeman (No. 2 retired by Milwaukee Bucks)
  • Bob Lanier
    • 8× NBA All-Star (1972–1975, 1977–1979, 1982)
    • 1974 NBA All-Star Game MVP
    • 1971 NBA All-Rookie First Team
    • No. 16 retired by Milwaukee Bucks
  • Dave Cowens
    • 2× NBA champion (1974, 1976)
    • 1973 NBA Most Valuable Player
    • 8× NBA All-Star (1972–1978, 1980)
    • 1973 NBA All-Star Game MVP
    • 3× All-NBA Second Team (1973, 1975, 1976)
    • 1976 NBA All-Defensive First Team
    • 2× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1975, 1980)
    • 1971 NBA Rookie of the Year
    • 1971 NBA All-Rookie Team
    • 50th & 75th NBA anniversary team selections
    • No. 18 retired by Boston Celtics
  • Alex English
    • 8× NBA All-Star (1982–1989)
    • 3× All-NBA Second Team (1982, 1983, 1986)
    • 1983 NBA scoring champion
    • No. 2 retired by Denver Nuggets
  • Nate 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
  • Sidney Moncrief
    • 5× NBA All-Star (1982–1986)
    • 1983 All-NBA First Team
    • 4× All-NBA Second Team (1982, 1984–1986)
    • 2× NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1983, 1984)
    • 4× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1983–1986)
    • 1982 NBA All-Defensive Second Team
    • No. 4 retired by Milwaukee Bucks
  • Quinn Buckner (Future NBA coach)
  • Ernie Grunfeld (Future NBA General Manager)

Coach Killilea became an assistant coach under Stan Albeck for the New Jersey Nets. In his first season the team finished with a 45-37 record, reaching the playoffs where they won their first playoff game since the 1976 merger against the Milwaukee Bucks, but they would lose the series in 6 games. The following season the team finished with a 42–40 record and lost in 3 games against the Detroit Pistons.

Notable Players Coached

  • Buck Williams
    • 3× NBA All-Star (1982, 1983, 1986)
    • 1983 All-NBA Second Team
    • 2× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1990, 1991)
    • 2× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1988, 1992)
    • 1982 NBA Rookie of the Year
    • 1982 NBA All-Rookie First Team
    • No. 52 retired by Brooklyn Nets
  • Otis Birdsong
    • 4× NBA All-Star (1979–1981, 1984)
    • 1981 All-NBA Second Team
  • Michael Ray Richardson
    • 4× NBA All-Star (1980–1982, 1985)
    • 2× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1980, 1981)
    • 1985 NBA Comeback Player of the Year
    • 3× NBA steals leader (1980, 1983, 1985)
    • 1980 NBA assists leader
  • Darryl Dawkins (Legendary NBA Dunker & 2× Italian All-Star)
  • Mike Gminski (1997 ACC Player of the Year)
  • Albert King
    • 1980 ACC Player of the Year
    • 1989 LBA champion
    • 1991 CBA Newcomer of the Year
  • Cliff Robinson (14‑year NBA veteran, not to be confused with Clifford Robinson who notably played with the Portland Trail Blazers)

Coach Killilea became the head coach of the Topeka Sizzlers of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). In his first season, the team finished with a 24-24 record. The following season, Killilea coached Topeka to a 13–17 record before being replaced by assistant coach John Darr. Killilea had been called for 15 technical fouls and ejected from 3 of those games before he was fired.

Coach Killilea became an assistant coach under Don Chaney and would later be retained under fellow assistant coach Rudy Tomjanovich who would later succeed Chaney in 1992.

In 1993, the Rockets finished with a 58–24 record, 2nd in the Western Conference, making a deep playoff run to the NBA finals where they defeated Pat Riley and the New York Knicks in 7 games becoming the 1994 NBA champions.

Coach Kilea did not return to the team after the season and later passed away on January 27, 1996, in Denver, Colorado at the age of 67.

Notable Players Coached

  • Hakeem Olajuwon
    • 2× NBA champion (1994, 1995)
    • 2× NBA Finals MVP (1994, 1995)
    • 1994 NBA Most Valuable Player
    • 12× NBA All-Star (1985–1990, 1992–1997)
    • 6× All-NBA First Team (1987–1989, 1993, 1994, 1997)
    • 3× All-NBA Second Team (1986, 1990, 1996)
    • 3× All-NBA Third Team (1991, 1995, 1999)
    • 2× NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1993, 1994)
    • 5× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1987, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1994)
    • 4× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1985, 1991, 1996, 1997)
    • 1985 NBA All-Rookie First Team
    • 2× NBA rebounding leader (1989, 1990)
    • 3× NBA blocks leader (1990, 1991, 1993)
    • No. 34 retired by Houston Rockets
    • 50th & 75th NBA anniversary team selections
  • Robert Horry
    • 7× NBA champion (1994, 1995, 2000–2002, 2005, 2007)
    • 1993 NBA All-Rookie Second Team
  • Kenny “The Jet” Smith
    • 2× NBA champion (1994, 1995)
    • 1988 NBA All-Rookie First Team
  • Otis Thorpe
    • 1994 NBA champion
    • 1992 NBA All-Star
  • Sleepy Floyd (1987 NBA All-Star)
  • Tree Rollins
    • 1984 NBA All-Defensive First Team
    • 1983 NBA All-Defensive Second Team
    • 1983 NBA blocks leader
  • Vernon Maxwell (2× NBA champion (1994, 1995)
  • Scott Brooks
    • 1994 NBA champion
    • Future 2010 NBA Coach of the Year
  • Larry Smith (Future 2× NBA champion (1994, 1995) as an assistant coach)
  • Avery Johnson
    • 1999 NBA champion
    • No. 6 retired by San Antonio Spurs
    • Future 2006 NBA Coach of the Year
  • Mike Woodson (Future 2004 NBA champion as an assistant coach)
  • John Lucas II
    • 1977 NBA All-Rookie First Team
    • Future NBA Coach)