Larry Costello
1971 NBA Champion Coach | First Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach | 430 NBA Coaching Wins
Lawrence Ronald Costello was born July 2, 1931, in Minoa, New York. A former NBA All-Star guard and player on the Philadelphia 76ers’ 1967 championship team, he entered coaching as the expansion Milwaukee Bucks’ first head coach in 1968.
Costello led Milwaukee from 27 wins in its debut year to 56 wins the next season and a 66-16 championship campaign in 1970-71. His Bucks later reached another NBA Finals in 1974.
His NBA regular-season head-coaching record was 430-300 over 730 games with Milwaukee and Chicago. He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor in 2022.
He died on December 13, 2001, at the age of 70.
- Overall Coaching Record: 430-300
Coaching Career
Costello launched Milwaukee’s expansion franchise in 1968-69 and guided the Bucks to a 27-55 debut.
The arrival of Lew Alcindor, later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, helped lift the Bucks to 56-26 in 1969-70. With Oscar Robertson added the following season, Milwaukee went 66-16 and beat Baltimore 4-0 in the 1971 NBA Finals.
The Bucks stayed among the league’s strongest teams, winning 63 games in 1971-72, 60 in 1972-73 and 59 in 1973-74. They lost the 1974 Finals to Boston in seven games.
Costello remained in Milwaukee through an 18-game start to 1976-77, when he resigned. His Bucks tenure concluded at 410-264 across 674 regular-season games.
Notable Players Coached
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- Six-time NBA MVP and 1971 Finals MVP
- Oscar Robertson
- Hall of Fame guard and 1971 champion
- Bobby Dandridge
- All-Star forward and future two-time NBA champion
After a season away from NBA head coaching, Costello took over the Chicago Bulls in 1978-79.
He went 20-36 over 56 games before being replaced. That final assignment brought his NBA coaching record to 430-300.
Notable Players Coached
- Artis Gilmore
- Hall of Fame center and multiple-time All-Star
- Reggie Theus
- Two-time NBA All-Star guard
- Scott May
- Former Indiana star and Bulls forward
