Roy Clifford
Cleveland Rebels Head Coach | BAA Coach | Western Reserve Basketball Coach
Roy Clifford was born on June 14, 1900, in Lansing, Michigan. He attended Western Michigan and spent many years coaching basketball in the Cleveland area before entering professional basketball.
During the inaugural 1946-1947 Basketball Association of America (BAA) season, Clifford became the second head coach of the Cleveland Rebels. He took over during the season and went 13-10, helping Cleveland finish with a 30-30 record and reach the playoffs.
The Cleveland coaching job became Clifford’s only head coaching position in the BAA or NBA.
Coach Clifford passed away on June 12, 1996, at the age of 95.
- Overall Coaching Record: 13-10
Coaching Career
Roy Clifford became head coach of the Cleveland Rebels on February 12, 1947, after the team fired Dutch Dehnert. Dehnert had gone 17-20 before the coaching change.
Clifford went 13-10 over the final 23 games of the regular season. Cleveland finished 30-30, placed third in the Western Division, and qualified for the BAA playoffs.
The Rebels faced the New York Knickerbockers in the BAA Quarterfinals and lost the series in 3 games. Cleveland folded after the season, making the 1946-1947 season the franchise’s only year in the BAA.
Clifford’s 23-game stint became his only head coaching experience in the BAA or NBA.
Notable Players Coached
- Frankie Baumholtz
- 1947 All-BAA Second Team
- Kenny Sailors
- 1949 All-BAA Second Team
- Played 5 seasons in the BAA/NBA