Chuck Daly
Encyclopedia
Charles Jerome "Chuck" Daly (July 20, 1930 – May 9, 2009) was an American
basketball
head coach
. He led the Detroit Pistons
to consecutive National Basketball Association (NBA)
Championships
in 1989
and 1990
, and the Dream Team to the men's basketball gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics
. He had a 14-year NBA coaching career.
, to Earl and Geraldine Daly on July 20, 1930, Daly attended Kane Area High School
in nearby Kane
. He matriculated at St. Bonaventure University
for one year before transferring to Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
, where he graduated
in 1952. After serving two years in the military, he began his basketball coaching career in 1955 at Punxsutawney (PA)
High School.
High School, Daly moved on to the college level in 1963 as an assistant coach under Vic Bubas
at Duke University
. During his six seasons at Duke, the Blue Devils
won the Atlantic Coast Conference
championship and advanced to the Final Four
, both in 1964 and 1966. Daly then replaced Bob Cousy
as head coach at Boston College
in 1969. The Eagles recorded an 11–13 record in Daly's first year at the school, and improved to 15–11 in 1971.
Daly became the head coach at the University of Pennsylvania
in 1971, succeeding Dick Harter
. Penn won twenty or more games and captured the Ivy League
title in each of its first four seasons with Daly at the helm. The most successful campaign was his first in 1972, when the Quakers recorded a 25–3 record overall (13–1 in their conference), and advanced to the NCAA East Regional Final, eventually losing to North Carolina
. An additional significant success for Daly was in 1979, when all five starters on Pennsylvania's Final Four team had initially been recruited by Daly. His overall record after six seasons at the University of Pennsylvania
was 125–38 (74–10 within the Ivy League).
's NBA Playoff coverage.
Daly was named head coach of the U.S. "Dream Team" that won the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics, before moving his NBA career onto the New Jersey Nets for the 1992-93 NBA season. Daly stayed with the Nets for two seasons, before his first retirement.
Daly again took up a role as colour commentator for TNT's NBA coverage during the mid-1990's before coming out of retirement to coach the Orlando Magic at the beginning of the 1997-98 season. Daly stayed two seasons with the Magic and then retired permanently.
Daly coached a total of 14 NBA seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, New Jersey Nets and Orlando Magic. He compiled a 564–379 (.598) career record, 13th best among all coaches and ninth best by percentage. On the combined NBA/ABA victory list, Daly's 564 wins places him 17th all-time. His 74–48 playoff record ranks fourth best in NBA history by wins and eighth best by percentage (.607). He is the only Hall of Fame coach to win both an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal.
in March 2009, which he died of on May 9, 2009, at the age of 78. He is survived by his wife Terry and their daughter Cydney. He is buried at Riverside Memorial Park in Tequesta
, Florida
.
| align="left" |CLE
| align="left" |
|41||9||32||.220|| align="center" |(fired)||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |—
|-
| align="left" |DET
| align="left" |
|82||49||33||.598|| align="center" |2nd in Central||5||2||3||.400
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-
| align="left" |DET
| align="left" |
|82||46||36||.561|| align="center" |2nd in Central||9||5||4||.566
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|-
| align="left" |DET
| align="left" |
|82||46||36||.561|| align="center" |3rd in Central||4||1||3||.250
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-
| align="left" |DET
| align="left" |
|82||52||30||.634|| align="center" |2nd in Central||15||10||5||.667
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Finals
|-
| align="left" |DET
| align="left" |
|82||54||28||.659|| align="center" |1st in Central||23||14||9||.609
| align="center" |Lost in NBA Finals
|-
| align="left" |DET
| align="left" |
|82||63||19||.768|| align="center" |1st in Central||17||15||2||.882
| align="center" |Won NBA Championship
|-
| align="left" |DET
| align="left" |
|82||59||23||.720|| align="center" |1st in Central||20||15||5||.750
| align="center" |Won NBA Championship
|-
| align="left" |DET
| align="left" |
|82||50||32||.610|| align="center" |2nd in Central||15||7||8||.467
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Finals
|-
| align="left" |DET
| align="left" |
|82||48||34||.585|| align="center" |3rd in Central||5||2||3||.400
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-
| align="left" |NJN
| align="left" |
|82||43||39||.524|| align="center" |3rd in Atlantic||5||2||3||.400
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-
| align="left" |NJN
| align="left" |
|82||45||37||.549|| align="center" |3rd in Atlantic||4||1||3||.250
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-
| align="left" |ORL
| align="left" |
|82||41||41||.500|| align="center" |5th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |ORL
| align="left" |
|50||33||17||.660|| align="center" |1st in Atlantic||4||1||3||.250
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |Career
| ||1075||638||437||.593|| ||126||75||51||.595
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
. He led the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
to consecutive National Basketball Association (NBA)
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
Championships
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
in 1989
1989 NBA Finals
The 1989 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1988–89 NBA season. The series was a rematch of the previous year's championship round between the Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Lakers....
and 1990
1990 NBA Finals
The 1990 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1989-90 NBA season. The series pitted the Detroit Pistons against the Portland Trail Blazers...
, and the Dream Team to the men's basketball gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
. He had a 14-year NBA coaching career.
Early life
Born in St. Marys, PennsylvaniaSt. Marys, Pennsylvania
St. Marys is a city in Elk County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 14,502 at the 2000 census. Originally a small, Bavarian Catholic town, St. Marys was founded December 8, 1842. It is home to Straub Brewery and the first Benedictine convent in the United States. In 1992, the...
, to Earl and Geraldine Daly on July 20, 1930, Daly attended Kane Area High School
Kane Area School District
The Kane Area School District is a small, rural, public school district located in southwestern McKean County and parts of Elk County in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States, near the Allegheny National Forest. They are known as the Kane Wolves...
in nearby Kane
Kane, Pennsylvania
Kane is a borough in McKean County, Pennsylvania, east by south of Erie. It was founded in 1863 by Civil War general Thomas L. Kane at an elevated site 2210 feet above sea level. In the early part of the twentieth century, Kane had large glassworks, bottle works, lumber mills, and manufactures of...
. He matriculated at St. Bonaventure University
St. Bonaventure University
St. Bonaventure University is a private, Franciscan Catholic university, located in Allegany, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students....
for one year before transferring to Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, commonly referred to as Bloomsburg, BU or Bloom, is a public university in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, United States...
, where he graduated
Graduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
in 1952. After serving two years in the military, he began his basketball coaching career in 1955 at Punxsutawney (PA)
Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
Punxsutawney is a borough in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, United States, northeast of Pittsburgh. In 1907, Punxsutawney and Claysville boroughs were consolidated and incorporated as Greater Punxsutawney. A high-grade soft coal was mined in the surrounding region...
High School.
College Career
After compiling a 111–70 record in eight seasons at Punxsutawney (PA)Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
Punxsutawney is a borough in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, United States, northeast of Pittsburgh. In 1907, Punxsutawney and Claysville boroughs were consolidated and incorporated as Greater Punxsutawney. A high-grade soft coal was mined in the surrounding region...
High School, Daly moved on to the college level in 1963 as an assistant coach under Vic Bubas
Vic Bubas
Vic Bubas is a former basketball coach of Duke University.-Early life:Bubas graduated from Gary Lew Wallace High School in 1944. He then went on to North Carolina State University where he played for Everett Case. Bubas was an All-Southern Conference selection twice...
at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
. During his six seasons at Duke, the Blue Devils
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
won the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
championship and advanced to the Final Four
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
, both in 1964 and 1966. Daly then replaced Bob Cousy
Bob Cousy
Robert Joseph "Bob" Cousy is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6'1" , 175-pound Cousy played point guard with the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics from 1951 to 1963 and briefly with the Cincinnati Royals in the 1969–70 season...
as head coach at Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
in 1969. The Eagles recorded an 11–13 record in Daly's first year at the school, and improved to 15–11 in 1971.
Daly became the head coach at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in 1971, succeeding Dick Harter
Dick Harter
Dick Harter is an American basketball coach, who has served as both a head and assistant coach in both the NBA and NCAA.-Coaching career:...
. Penn won twenty or more games and captured the Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
title in each of its first four seasons with Daly at the helm. The most successful campaign was his first in 1972, when the Quakers recorded a 25–3 record overall (13–1 in their conference), and advanced to the NCAA East Regional Final, eventually losing to North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history...
. An additional significant success for Daly was in 1979, when all five starters on Pennsylvania's Final Four team had initially been recruited by Daly. His overall record after six seasons at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
was 125–38 (74–10 within the Ivy League).
NBA/Int'l career
In 1978, Daly joined the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers as an assistant coach. During the 1981 season, he was hired as head coach by the Cleveland Cavaliers, but was fired before the season ended. He then returned to the 76ers as a broadcaster until he was hired in 1983 by the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons, a club that had never recorded back-to-back winning seasons before Daly's tenure, made the NBA playoffs each year he was head coach (1983-1992), as well as reaching the NBA finals three times, winning two consecutive NBA championships in 1989 and 1990. While serving as the Pistons coach, Daly was also a color commentator for TBSNBA on TBS
The NBA on TBS debuted in the 1984-1985 season under a four year contract, where they shared the NBA package along with CBS.-Coverage:...
's NBA Playoff coverage.
Daly was named head coach of the U.S. "Dream Team" that won the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics, before moving his NBA career onto the New Jersey Nets for the 1992-93 NBA season. Daly stayed with the Nets for two seasons, before his first retirement.
Daly again took up a role as colour commentator for TNT's NBA coverage during the mid-1990's before coming out of retirement to coach the Orlando Magic at the beginning of the 1997-98 season. Daly stayed two seasons with the Magic and then retired permanently.
Daly coached a total of 14 NBA seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, New Jersey Nets and Orlando Magic. He compiled a 564–379 (.598) career record, 13th best among all coaches and ninth best by percentage. On the combined NBA/ABA victory list, Daly's 564 wins places him 17th all-time. His 74–48 playoff record ranks fourth best in NBA history by wins and eighth best by percentage (.607). He is the only Hall of Fame coach to win both an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal.
Death
Daly was diagnosed with pancreatic cancerPancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
in March 2009, which he died of on May 9, 2009, at the age of 78. He is survived by his wife Terry and their daughter Cydney. He is buried at Riverside Memorial Park in Tequesta
Tequesta, Florida
Tequesta is an incorporated village in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,273 at the 2000 census. It is the northernmost municipality in the South Florida metropolitan area, which in 2007 had an estimated population of 5,413. According to the U.S...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
College coaching record
| Season | School (Conference) | Overall Record | Conference Record (Position) | Postseason Tournaments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969–70 | Boston College (independent) | 11–13 | ||
| 1970–71 | Boston College (independent) | 15–11 | ||
| 1971–72 | Pennsylvania (Ivy League) | 25–3 | 13–1 (1st) | NCAA, Regional Final |
| 1972–73 | Pennsylvania (Ivy League) | 21–7 | 12–2 (1st) | NCAA, Second Round |
| 1973–74 | Pennsylvania (Ivy League) | 21–6 | 13–1 (1st) | NCAA, First Round |
| 1974–75 | Pennsylvania (Ivy League) | 23–5 | 13–1 (1st) | NCAA, First Round |
| 1975–76 | Pennsylvania (Ivy League) | 17–9 | 11–3 (2nd) | |
| 1976–77 | Pennsylvania (Ivy League) | 18–8 | 12–2 (2nd) | |
| Totals | 8 seasons | 151–62 | 74–10 |
Professional coaching record
|-| align="left" |CLE
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
| align="left" |
|41||9||32||.220|| align="center" |(fired)||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |—
|-
| align="left" |DET
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
| align="left" |
|82||49||33||.598|| align="center" |2nd in Central||5||2||3||.400
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
1984 NBA Playoffs
The 1984 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1983-84 season. This was the first postseason allowing sixteen teams to qualify, a format that is still in use as of 2011...
|-
| align="left" |DET
| align="left" |
|82||46||36||.561|| align="center" |2nd in Central||9||5||4||.566
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
1985 NBA Playoffs
The 1985 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1984-85 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics, four games to two, in the NBA Finals...
|-
| align="left" |DET
| align="left" |
|82||46||36||.561|| align="center" |3rd in Central||4||1||3||.250
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
1986 NBA Playoffs
The 1986 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1985-86 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets, four games to two, in the NBA Finals. The Celtics won...
|-
| align="left" |DET
| align="left" |
|82||52||30||.634|| align="center" |2nd in Central||15||10||5||.667
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Finals
1987 NBA Playoffs
The 1987 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1986-1987 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics four games to two in the Finals...
|-
| align="left" |DET
| align="left" |
|82||54||28||.659|| align="center" |1st in Central||23||14||9||.609
| align="center" |Lost in NBA Finals
1988 NBA Finals
The 1988 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1987–88 NBA season.One of Los Angeles Lakers head coach Pat Riley's most famous moments came when he promised the crowd a repeat championship during the Lakers' 1986-87 championship parade in downtown Los Angeles...
|-
| align="left" |DET
| align="left" |
|82||63||19||.768|| align="center" |1st in Central||17||15||2||.882
| align="center" |Won NBA Championship
1989 NBA Finals
The 1989 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1988–89 NBA season. The series was a rematch of the previous year's championship round between the Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Lakers....
|-
| align="left" |DET
| align="left" |
|82||59||23||.720|| align="center" |1st in Central||20||15||5||.750
| align="center" |Won NBA Championship
1990 NBA Finals
The 1990 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1989-90 NBA season. The series pitted the Detroit Pistons against the Portland Trail Blazers...
|-
| align="left" |DET
| align="left" |
|82||50||32||.610|| align="center" |2nd in Central||15||7||8||.467
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Finals
1991 NBA Playoffs
The 1991 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1990–91 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their first NBA championship via a four-games-to-one victory over the Western Conference champion Los...
|-
| align="left" |DET
| align="left" |
|82||48||34||.585|| align="center" |3rd in Central||5||2||3||.400
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
1992 NBA Playoffs
NBA Champions: Chicago BullsThe 1992 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament following the National Basketball Association's 1991-1992 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their second consecutive NBA championship by defeating the Western...
|-
| align="left" |NJN
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| align="left" |
|82||43||39||.524|| align="center" |3rd in Atlantic||5||2||3||.400
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
1993 NBA Playoffs
The 1993 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1992-1993 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their third consecutive championship by defeating the Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns four...
|-
| align="left" |NJN
| align="left" |
|82||45||37||.549|| align="center" |3rd in Atlantic||4||1||3||.250
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
1994 NBA Playoffs
The 1994 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1993-94 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets defeating the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals...
|-
| align="left" |ORL
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
| align="left" |
|82||41||41||.500|| align="center" |5th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |ORL
| align="left" |
|50||33||17||.660|| align="center" |1st in Atlantic||4||1||3||.250
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
1999 NBA Playoffs
The 1999 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1998-99 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs by defeating the eighth-seeded Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks four games to one...
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |Career
| ||1075||638||437||.593|| ||126||75||51||.595