Del Harris
Encyclopedia
Delmer William Harris (born June 18, 1937) is a basketball coach, currently the head coach for the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League
. He was an assistant coach for the NBA
's New Jersey Nets
, Chicago Bulls
, and Dallas Mavericks
. He also served as an NBA head coach
for the Houston Rockets
, Milwaukee Bucks
, and Los Angeles Lakers
.
in northeast Tennessee, where his basketball career landed him in the school's Athletic Hall of Fame. Early in his career Harris was coach at Earlham College
in Richmond, Indiana
before entering professional ranks in 1975 as an assistant coach for the Utah Stars
of the American Basketball Association
, under head coach Tom Nissalke
. When that franchise folded, Nissalke and Harris were hired as head and assistant coach, respectively for the NBA's Houston Rockets
. When Nissalke was let go by the club, Harris was asked to take over head coaching duties. Harris led the Rockets to the NBA Finals
in the 1981 season, where they were defeated by the Boston Celtics
four games to two. Don Nelson
brought Harris to Milwaukee as his assistant for the Milwaukee Bucks
team, where he later became head coach and, later, also General Manager.
After his stint with the Bucks, Harris became head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers
, winning NBA Coach of the Year honors in '94-'95. The Lakers fired Harris after leading them to a 6–6 start at the beginning of the lockout-shortened 1998–1999 season
.
Harris was assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks
from 2000 to 2007.
Harris is a 1955 graduate of Plainfield High School (Indiana)
in Plainfield, Indiana
, a school with rich basketball tradition. He was one of the first inductees into Plainfield High School's Hall of Fame.
He has four sons (Larry, Alex, Stan and Dominic) and one daughter (Carey). All of his children played basketball at the collegiate level (Eastern New Mexico, Eastern New Mexico, University of North Texas, Dallas Baptist University, and Marquette University respectively). He is the father of former Bucks general manager Larry Harris
and comedian Dominic Harris.
On July 3, 2008, the Chicago Tribune
reported that Harris agreed to become an assistant coach for the Chicago Bulls
along with former Charlotte Bobcats
head coach Bernie Bickerstaff
and longtime NBA assistant Bob Ociepka
. Along with Bickerstaff and Ociepka, Harris was expected to help establish a veteran presence on the coaching staff and help rookie head coach Vinny Del Negro
.
In June 2009, it was reported that Harris would step down as assistant coach to the Bulls, and retire after a career spanning 50 years.
On November 30, 2009, it was announced that Harris would be the top assistant coach of the New Jersey Nets
.
On October 3, 2011, it was announced that Harris would be the new head coach for the Dallas Mavericks' NBA Development League
affiliate the Texas Legends.
He was an assistant coach under Rudy Tomjanovich
with the US national team in the 1998 FIBA World Championship
, winning the bronze medal. The team was handicapped by only using college players as there was a lockout in the NBA.
Harris also served as coach of the Chinese national men's team
, where he coached NBA All-Star center Yao Ming
and led China to a surprising upset victory over Serbia and Montenegro
in the 2004 Athens Olympic basketball tournament
.
Prior to becoming the Lakers' head coach Harris was also a special consultant of Canadian national men's basketball team
and their then head coach Ken Shields
. The team finished 5th in the 1994 World Games in Toronto.
In the fall of 2011, Harris assisted coach John Calipari with the Dominican Republic national team. They won bronze in the Cup of Americas pre-Olympic trial tournament in Argentina (the first major basketball medal in the Dominic Republic's history).
| align="left" |HOU
| align="left" |
|82||41||41||.500|| align="center" |2nd in Central||7||2||5||.286
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|-
| align="left" |HOU
| align="left" |
|82||40||42||.561|| align="center" |2nd in Midwest||21||12||9||.571
| align="center" |Lost in NBA Finals
|-
| align="left" |HOU
| align="left" |
|82||46||36||.561|| align="center" |2nd in Midwest||3||1||2||.333
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-
| align="left" |HOU
| align="left" |
|82||14||68||.171|| align="center" |6th in Midwest||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |MIL
| align="left" |
|82||42||40||.512|| align="center" |4th in Central||5||2||3||.400
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-
| align="left" |MIL
| align="left" |
|82||49||33||.598|| align="center" |4th in Central||9||3||6||.333
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|-
| align="left" |MIL
| align="left" |
|82||44||38||.537|| align="center" |3rd in Central||4||1||3||.250
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-
| align="left" |MIL
| align="left" |
|82||48||34||.585|| align="center" |3rd in Central||3||0||3||.000
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-
| align="left" |MIL
| align="left" |
|17||8||9||.471|| align="center" |(resigned)||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |—
|-
| align="left" |LAL
| align="left" |
|82||48||34||.585|| align="center" |3rd in Pacific||10||5||5||.500
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|-
| align="left" |LAL
| align="left" |
|82||53||29||.646|| align="center" |2nd in Pacific||4||1||3||.250
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-
| align="left" |LAL
| align="left" |
|82||56||26||.683|| align="center" |2nd in Pacific||9||4||5||.444
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|-
| align="left" |LAL
| align="left" |
|82||61||21||.744|| align="center" |1st in Pacific||13||7||6||.538
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Finals
|-
| align="left" |LAL
| align="left" |
|12||6||6||.500|| align="center" |(fired)||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |—
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |Career
| ||1013||556||457||.549|| ||88||38||50||.432
Hall of Fame, the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame
, and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
Hall of Fame.
NBA Development League
The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
. He was an assistant coach for the 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...
's New Jersey Nets
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...
, Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
, and Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
. He also served as an NBA 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...
for the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
, Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
, and Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.
United States
Harris is a graduate of Milligan CollegeMilligan College
Milligan College is a Christian liberal arts college founded in 1866 and located immediately outside of Elizabethton in Carter County, Tennessee, United States. The school has a student population of just over 1,100 students as well as a campus that is located just minutes from downtown Johnson City...
in northeast Tennessee, where his basketball career landed him in the school's Athletic Hall of Fame. Early in his career Harris was coach at Earlham College
Earlham College
Earlham College is a liberal arts college in Richmond, Indiana. It was founded in 1847 by Quakers and has approximately 1,200 students.The president is John David Dawson...
in Richmond, Indiana
Richmond, Indiana
Richmond is a city largely within Wayne Township, Wayne County, in east central Indiana, United States, which borders Ohio. The city also includes the Richmond Municipal Airport, which is in Boston Township and separated from the rest of the city...
before entering professional ranks in 1975 as an assistant coach for the Utah Stars
Utah Stars
The Utah Stars was an American Basketball Association team based in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.Under head coach Bill Sharman the Stars were the first major professional basketball team to use a pre-game shootaround.-History:...
of the American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
, under head coach Tom Nissalke
Tom Nissalke
Thomas Edward "Tom" Nissalke is a retired former American professional basketball coach in the NBA and American Basketball Association...
. When that franchise folded, Nissalke and Harris were hired as head and assistant coach, respectively for the NBA's Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
. When Nissalke was let go by the club, Harris was asked to take over head coaching duties. Harris led the Rockets to the NBA Finals
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 the 1981 season, where they were defeated by the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
four games to two. Don Nelson
Don Nelson
Donald Arvid "Don" Nelson is a former NBA player and head coach. He coached the Milwaukee Bucks, the New York Knicks, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Golden State Warriors....
brought Harris to Milwaukee as his assistant for the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
team, where he later became head coach and, later, also General Manager.
After his stint with the Bucks, Harris became head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, winning NBA Coach of the Year honors in '94-'95. The Lakers fired Harris after leading them to a 6–6 start at the beginning of the lockout-shortened 1998–1999 season
1998–99 Los Angeles Lakers season
The 1998-99 Los Angeles Lakers season was the 53rd season of the franchise, 51st in the National Basketball Association and 39th in Los Angeles. It was the Lakers' final season at the Great Western Forum. The attendance for the Lakers was 430,007...
.
Harris was assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
from 2000 to 2007.
Harris is a 1955 graduate of Plainfield High School (Indiana)
Plainfield High School (Indiana)
Plainfield High School in Plainfield, Indiana, USA, is a public high school of the Plainfield Community School Corporation.-History:...
in Plainfield, Indiana
Plainfield, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 18,396 people, 7,051 households, and 4,914 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,023.1 people per square mile . There were 7,449 housing units at an average density of 414.3 per square mile...
, a school with rich basketball tradition. He was one of the first inductees into Plainfield High School's Hall of Fame.
He has four sons (Larry, Alex, Stan and Dominic) and one daughter (Carey). All of his children played basketball at the collegiate level (Eastern New Mexico, Eastern New Mexico, University of North Texas, Dallas Baptist University, and Marquette University respectively). He is the father of former Bucks general manager Larry Harris
Larry Harris
Larry Harris served as the General Manager of the Milwaukee Bucks from 2003 until March 19, 2008. He is currently an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors.Harris is the son of former National Basketball Association coach Del Harris...
and comedian Dominic Harris.
On July 3, 2008, the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
reported that Harris agreed to become an assistant coach for the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
along with former Charlotte Bobcats
Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA...
head coach Bernie Bickerstaff
Bernie Bickerstaff
Bernard Tyrone "Bernie" Bickerstaff is an assistant coach for the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. Prior to the Trail Blazers, Bickerstaff was an assistant for the Chicago Bulls and Executive Vice President of the Charlotte Bobcats...
and longtime NBA assistant Bob Ociepka
Bob Ociepka
Bob Ociepka is an NBA assistant coach for the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. He has served as coach within the NBA for eighteen seasons.-Early life:...
. Along with Bickerstaff and Ociepka, Harris was expected to help establish a veteran presence on the coaching staff and help rookie head coach Vinny Del Negro
Vinny Del Negro
Vincent Joseph "Vinny" Del Negro is a retired American basketball player. He is the current head coach of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers, and was the head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 2008 until 2010.-Early life:...
.
In June 2009, it was reported that Harris would step down as assistant coach to the Bulls, and retire after a career spanning 50 years.
On November 30, 2009, it was announced that Harris would be the top assistant coach of the New Jersey Nets
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...
.
On October 3, 2011, it was announced that Harris would be the new head coach for the Dallas Mavericks' NBA Development League
NBA Development League
The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
affiliate the Texas Legends.
International
Harris coached seven seasons in Puerto Rico’s National Superior League (1969–75), posting a 176-61 record and winning three national championships (1973–75).He was an assistant coach under Rudy Tomjanovich
Rudy Tomjanovich
Rudolph Tomjanovich, Jr. , nicknamed Rudy T., is an American retired basketball player and coach who coached the Houston Rockets to two consecutive NBA championships. He is currently a scout for the Los Angeles Lakers.-Early life:...
with the US national team in the 1998 FIBA World Championship
1998 FIBA World Championship
The 1998 FIBA World Championship was the 13th FIBA World Championship, an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation and hosted in Athens, Greece from July 29 to August 9, 1998...
, winning the bronze medal. The team was handicapped by only using college players as there was a lockout in the NBA.
Harris also served as coach of the Chinese national men's team
China national basketball team
The Chinese men's national basketball team is the basketball team representing China in international competitions. The governing body of Chinese basketball operations is the Basketball Association of China...
, where he coached NBA All-Star center Yao Ming
Yao Ming
Yao Ming is a retired Chinese professional basketball player who last played for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association...
and led China to a surprising upset victory over Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia national basketball team
The Serbian national basketball team represents Serbia in international basketball matches....
in the 2004 Athens Olympic basketball tournament
Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics took place at the Helliniko Olympic Indoor Arena in Athens, Greece for the preliminary rounds, with the latter stages being held in the Olympic Indoor Hall at the Athens Olympic Sports Complex....
.
Prior to becoming the Lakers' head coach Harris was also a special consultant of Canadian national men's basketball team
Canadian national men's basketball team
The Canadian national men's basketball team represents Canada in international basketball competitions. The team is currently ranked 24th by FIBA. Athletes for this team are selected by Canada Basketball...
and their then head coach Ken Shields
Ken Shields (Canadian basketball)
Kenneth William Daniel Shields, CM is a basketball coach, the one with the most wins in Canadian Interuniversity Sport men's basketball history with the University of Victoria, and former head coach of Canadian national men's basketball team....
. The team finished 5th in the 1994 World Games in Toronto.
In the fall of 2011, Harris assisted coach John Calipari with the Dominican Republic national team. They won bronze in the Cup of Americas pre-Olympic trial tournament in Argentina (the first major basketball medal in the Dominic Republic's history).
Coaching record
|-| align="left" |HOU
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
| align="left" |
|82||41||41||.500|| align="center" |2nd in Central||7||2||5||.286
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
1980 NBA Playoffs
The 1980 NBA Playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1979-1980 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers four games to two in the Finals...
|-
| align="left" |HOU
| align="left" |
|82||40||42||.561|| align="center" |2nd in Midwest||21||12||9||.571
| align="center" |Lost in NBA Finals
1981 NBA Finals
The 1981 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1980-81 NBA season, pitting the Boston Celtics against the Houston Rockets.-Houston Rockets:...
|-
| align="left" |HOU
| align="left" |
|82||46||36||.561|| align="center" |2nd in Midwest||3||1||2||.333
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
1982 NBA Playoffs
The 1982 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1981-1982 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers, four games to two in the NBA Finals...
|-
| align="left" |HOU
| align="left" |
|82||14||68||.171|| align="center" |6th in Midwest||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |MIL
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
| align="left" |
|82||42||40||.512|| align="center" |4th in Central||5||2||3||.400
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
1988 NBA Playoffs
The 1988 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1987-1988 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons four games to three in the Finals...
|-
| align="left" |MIL
| align="left" |
|82||49||33||.598|| align="center" |4th in Central||9||3||6||.333
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
1989 NBA Playoffs
The 1989 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1988-89 NBA season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers, who were severely hampered by injuries, four...
|-
| align="left" |MIL
| align="left" |
|82||44||38||.537|| align="center" |3rd in Central||4||1||3||.250
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
1990 NBA Playoffs
The 1990 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1989-1990 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons successfully defending their championship by beating the Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers...
|-
| align="left" |MIL
| align="left" |
|82||48||34||.585|| align="center" |3rd in Central||3||0||3||.000
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
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" |MIL
| align="left" |
|17||8||9||.471|| align="center" |(resigned)||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |—
|-
| align="left" |LAL
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| align="left" |
|82||48||34||.585|| align="center" |3rd in Pacific||10||5||5||.500
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
1995 NBA Playoffs
The 1995 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1994-1995 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets winning their second consecutive NBA championship by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic...
|-
| align="left" |LAL
| align="left" |
|82||53||29||.646|| align="center" |2nd in Pacific||4||1||3||.250
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
1996 NBA Playoffs
The 1996 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1995-1996 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their first NBA championship in three years by defeating the Western Conference champion Seattle...
|-
| align="left" |LAL
| align="left" |
|82||56||26||.683|| align="center" |2nd in Pacific||9||4||5||.444
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
1997 NBA Playoffs
The 1997 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1996–97 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning the NBA championship by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazzfour games to two...
|-
| align="left" |LAL
| align="left" |
|82||61||21||.744|| align="center" |1st in Pacific||13||7||6||.538
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Finals
1998 NBA Playoffs
The 1998 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1997-98 NBA season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their sixth championship of the decade by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazz four...
|-
| align="left" |LAL
| align="left" |
|12||6||6||.500|| align="center" |(fired)||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |—
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |Career
| ||1013||556||457||.549|| ||88||38||50||.432
Awards
Harris was inducted into the Plainfield High School (Indiana)Plainfield High School (Indiana)
Plainfield High School in Plainfield, Indiana, USA, is a public high school of the Plainfield Community School Corporation.-History:...
Hall of Fame, the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame
Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame
The Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame is a sports museum and hall of fame in New Castle, Indiana. It honors men and women associated with high school, college and professional basketball in Indiana....
, and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
Hall of Fame.