Jerry Colangelo
Encyclopedia
Jerry Colangelo is an American businessman and sports executive.
He formerly owned the Phoenix Suns
of the NBA
, the Phoenix Mercury
of the WNBA, the Arizona Sandsharks
of the Continental Indoor Soccer League
, the Arizona Rattlers
of the Arena Football League and the Arizona Diamondbacks
of Major League Baseball
. He was also instrumental in the relocation of the Winnipeg Jets of the NHL
to Phoenix
to become the Phoenix Coyotes
.
In the summer of 2005, Colangelo was named director of USA Basketball
whose team represented the United States in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2010 FIBA World Championship
. Colangelo also serves as Chairman of the National Italian American Foundation
(NIAF), a nonprofit nonpartisan educational foundation that promotes Italian American culture and heritage.
Colangelo has been known for a no-nonsense ownership style. Players like the Suns' Dennis Johnson
and Jason Kidd
and the Diamondbacks' Bobby Chouinard
have been traded or released after their personal problems became public.
, Illinois
where he played basketball and baseball for Bloom Township High School. He graduated from the University of Illinois
, where he captained the basketball team and was a member of Phi Kappa Psi
Fraternity.
In his autobiography, How You Play the Game, Colangelo tells of working after graduating college at the House of Charles, a tuxedo rental shop in Chicago Heights.
basketball team. In 1968, he was hired as the first general manager of the expansion team, the Phoenix Suns
. When he and his family left for Arizona, he had $200 in his wallet.
Colangelo got off to an unlucky start, losing a 1969 coin flip to the Milwaukee Bucks
for the rights to UCLA phenom Lew Alcindor (now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
). The Suns remained competitive most of the 1970s, making it to the NBA Finals in 1976
, but losing to the Boston Celtics
in six games. Colangelo had two stints as head coach during that decade, compiling a record of 59 wins and 60 losses.
During much of the 1980s, Colangelo's Suns faced trouble. Some players, including 1976 NBA Finals player Garfield Heard, were involved in an infamous drug scandal, young center Nick Vanos
perished in a 1987 plane crash and, from 1985 through 1988, the Suns failed to qualify for the playoffs. Colangelo put together a group that bought the Suns in late 1987, in the wake of the drug scandal. He subsequently made a trade for Kevin Johnson
in 1987.
The Suns made one of the biggest turnarounds in NBA history in 1988–89, nearly doubling their win total (from 28 wins to 55) and making the first of 13 straight playoff appearances. In 1989, Colangelo was an essential part of the group that planned to build America West Arena (now US Airways Center
), providing financial backing. In 1992, Colangelo traded Jeff Hornacek
, Tim Perry
, and Andrew Lang
to the Philadelphia 76ers
for Charles Barkley
. The trade proved to be productive for the Suns, and they reached the NBA Finals for the second time in 1993, this time losing to the Bulls in six games. Barkley's relationship with Colangelo, however, grew sour over the years, and in 1996, he was traded to the Houston Rockets
.
He eventually turned over the Suns' presidency to his son Bryan
(who eventually left the organization to become general manager
of the Toronto Raptors
.
A strained relationship with Charles Barkley has improved with years. Colangelo declared himself a born-again Christian, a reason that he credits for his change of heart about Barkley.
for a Suns game, Colangelo attended a Chicago Cubs
baseball game at Wrigley Field
. Soon thereafter he decided to inquire to Major League Baseball
about bringing an expansion team to Arizona. He assembled a group of investors in 1994 to buy a franchise, the year prior to MLB's proposed expansion selection meetings. In 1995, Colangelo's group was granted an expansion team, the Arizona Diamondbacks
.
The Diamondbacks began playing in 1998. For his new baseball club, Colangelo hired Joe Garagiola, Jr.
as General Manager. He also brought in Buck Showalter
coming off a successful stint as manager of the New York Yankees
. Showalter and Yankees owner George Steinbrenner
did not agree to a contract extension, so Colangelo quickly hired Showalter as future manager of the Diamondbacks. These hirings proved to be instrumental to the expansion franchise's quick success. Notable moves made by Garagiola included the signing of Randy Johnson in 1999 and a trade for Curt Schilling in 2000 from the Philadelphia Phillies
. They were co-MVPs of the 2001 World Series
when the Diamondbacks beat the Yankees in seven games. This was the first major professional sports championship for the Phoenix area.
However, his ways of spending caused the Diamondbacks to fall to near bankruptcy starting in 2003. The team was losing money at an alarming pace. He was forced to resign as managing general partner in the late summer of 2004. Ken Kendrick
took responsibility as the lead among the team's investors.
, the Phoenix Mercury
, began playing. That year, the Mercury reached the WNBA Finals
but lost to the Houston Comets
.
, gave Colangelo his first championship in 1994, and once again in 1997. The Rattlers have been playing since 1992.
In 1992, Colangelo founded the Arena Football League's Arizona Rattlers
and owned them until 2005. Under Colangelo's guidance, the Rattlers won Arena Bowl championships in 1994 and 1997. They were also one of the AFL's model franchises and were a perennial playoff team. According to published reports, the Rattlers struggled to stay afloat as a franchise after Colangelo sold the team.
(NHL) to Arizona, transferring the Winnipeg Jets to the area as the Phoenix Coyotes
in 1996. The move made Phoenix one of only a few metropolitan areas with franchises in all four major North American professional sports leagues
). The team plays in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale
.
, also helped to bring professional boxing
to Arizona. He was one of the individuals behind the construction of the Dodge Theater
in downtown Phoenix. The Dodge is currently a top boxing and performing arts venue in the American Southwest.
, California
businessman, Tucson, Arizona
native Robert Sarver
for $401 million. The sale allegedly came in part to keep his family from having to pay high estate taxes upon Colangelo's death.
Late in the 2004 baseball season, Colangelo sold his controlling interest in the Arizona Diamondbacks to a group of investors led by Jeff Moorad
. The estate tax issue played a role, though another factor was that Colangelo's partners were upset at the team's large debt. The D-Backs were almost $150 million in the red at the time, largely because of Colangelo's "win now" strategy.
. They have planned a 300,000+ residence development called Douglas Ranch and a smaller 7000 acres (28.3 km²) development called Trillium.
Colangelo purchased the bankrupt Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park, Arizona
.
four times (1976, 1981, 1989, 1993).
He has received several community awards. He is an honorary member of the Marchegiana Society of his hometown, Chicago Heights, Illinois. A street in that city bears his name.
On May 9, 2002, Colangelo was awarded an honorary degree
from Arizona State University
.
On April 4, 2004, Colangelo was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
On November 4, 2007, Colangelo was inducted into the Phoenix Suns Ring of Honor
at the halftime of a Suns game against the Cleveland Cavaliers
.
He is the National Leadership Director of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame and is also a Hall of Fame inductee. It is located in the Colangelo Building on Taylor Street in Little Italy, Chicago
.
is President of the NBA Toronto Raptors
.
He formerly owned the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
of 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...
, the Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix Mercury
The Phoenix Mercury is a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; it is one of the eight original franchises...
of the WNBA, the Arizona Sandsharks
Arizona Sandsharks
Arizona Sandsharks was a U.S. indoor soccer team that played in the Continental Indoor Soccer League . It was founded in 1992 and folded in 1997, along with the CISL.-Arizona Sandsharks:...
of the Continental Indoor Soccer League
Continental Indoor Soccer League
The Continental Indoor Soccer League was an indoor soccer league that played from 1993 to 1997.-History:When the Major Soccer League folded in the summer of 1992, two of its former teams joined a group of hockey and basketball arena owners led by Ron Weinstein who wanted to create a league to...
, the Arizona Rattlers
Arizona Rattlers
The Arizona Rattlers are a professional arena football team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Conference in the Arena Football League . The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team. They play their home games at US Airways Center...
of the Arena Football League and the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. He was also instrumental in the relocation of the Winnipeg Jets of the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
to Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
to become the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
.
In the summer of 2005, Colangelo was named director of USA Basketball
USA Basketball
USA Basketball is a non-profit organization and the governing body for basketball in the United States. The organization represents the United States in FIBA and the men's and women's national basketball teams in the United States Olympic Committee...
whose team represented the United States in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2010 FIBA World Championship
2010 FIBA World Championship
The 2010 FIBA World Championship, hosted by Turkey, was the international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams. The tournament ran from August 28 to September 12, 2010. It was co-organized by the International Basketball Federation , Turkish Basketball Federation and the...
. Colangelo also serves as Chairman of the National Italian American Foundation
National Italian American Foundation
The National Italian American Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, educational foundation that promotes Italian American culture and heritage...
(NIAF), a nonprofit nonpartisan educational foundation that promotes Italian American culture and heritage.
Colangelo has been known for a no-nonsense ownership style. Players like the Suns' Dennis Johnson
Dennis Johnson
Dennis Wayne Johnson nicknamed "DJ", was an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics and coach of the Los Angeles Clippers...
and Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball point guard who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Raised in Oakland, California, Kidd played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley and was drafted second overall by the Dallas...
and the Diamondbacks' Bobby Chouinard
Bobby Chouinard
Robert William Chouinard is a retired Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He is the only person born in The Philippines to play Major League Baseball....
have been traded or released after their personal problems became public.
Early life
Colangelo was born and raised in Chicago HeightsChicago Heights, Illinois
Chicago Heights is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 31,373 at the 2005 census. Chicago Heights is nicknamed 'Crossroads of the Nation'.-History:...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
where he played basketball and baseball for Bloom Township High School. He graduated from the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
, where he captained the basketball team and was a member of Phi Kappa Psi
Phi Kappa Psi
Phi Kappa Psi is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania on February 19, 1852. There are over a hundred chapters and colonies at accredited four year colleges and universities throughout the United States. More than 112,000 men have been...
Fraternity.
In his autobiography, How You Play the Game, Colangelo tells of working after graduating college at the House of Charles, a tuxedo rental shop in Chicago Heights.
Basketball
Colangelo was an assistant coach of the Chicago BullsChicago 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...
basketball team. In 1968, he was hired as the first general manager of the expansion team, the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
. When he and his family left for Arizona, he had $200 in his wallet.
Colangelo got off to an unlucky start, losing a 1969 coin flip to 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....
for the rights to UCLA phenom Lew Alcindor (now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
). The Suns remained competitive most of the 1970s, making it to the NBA Finals in 1976
1976 NBA Finals
The 1976 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round for the 1975-76 NBA season.-Background:The Phoenix Suns finished the season with 42 wins and 40 losses, but beat the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors in the playoffs and went on to play the Boston Celtics in the NBA...
, but losing to 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...
in six games. Colangelo had two stints as head coach during that decade, compiling a record of 59 wins and 60 losses.
During much of the 1980s, Colangelo's Suns faced trouble. Some players, including 1976 NBA Finals player Garfield Heard, were involved in an infamous drug scandal, young center Nick Vanos
Nick Vanos
Nicolaas Vanos was an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the NBA. The San Mateo, California native was selected 32nd by the Suns in the 1985 NBA Draft, after playing for Hillsdale High School and collegiately at Santa Clara University...
perished in a 1987 plane crash and, from 1985 through 1988, the Suns failed to qualify for the playoffs. Colangelo put together a group that bought the Suns in late 1987, in the wake of the drug scandal. He subsequently made a trade for Kevin Johnson
Kevin Johnson
Kevin Maurice Johnson is the current mayor of Sacramento, California. He is Sacramento's first African American mayor. Prior to entering politics, Johnson was a basketball player in the NBA, playing point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns...
in 1987.
The Suns made one of the biggest turnarounds in NBA history in 1988–89, nearly doubling their win total (from 28 wins to 55) and making the first of 13 straight playoff appearances. In 1989, Colangelo was an essential part of the group that planned to build America West Arena (now US Airways Center
US Airways Center
US Airways Center is a sports and entertainment arena located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It opened in 1992, and is the home of the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association, the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association, and the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena...
), providing financial backing. In 1992, Colangelo traded Jeff Hornacek
Jeff Hornacek
Jeffrey John Hornacek is a retired American basketball player who played at the shooting guard position in the NBA from 1986–2000.-Elementary and high school:...
, Tim Perry
Tim Perry
Timothy D. Perry is an American professional basketball player, formerly in the NBA.Following a college career at Temple University, Perry was selected seventh overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 1988 NBA Draft. Through eight NBA seasons, he averaged 6.8 points and four rebounds per game...
, and Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang (basketball)
Andrew Charles Lang Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.After a four-year career at the University of Arkansas, Lang was selected by the Phoenix Suns as the 3rd pick in the 2nd round of the 1988 NBA draft. He quickly developed a reputation as a proficient...
to the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
for Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley
Charles Wade Barkley is a former American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominating power forwards...
. The trade proved to be productive for the Suns, and they reached the NBA Finals for the second time in 1993, this time losing to the Bulls in six games. Barkley's relationship with Colangelo, however, grew sour over the years, and in 1996, he was traded to 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...
.
He eventually turned over the Suns' presidency to his son Bryan
Bryan Colangelo
Bryan Colangelo is the President and General Manager of the Toronto Raptors of the NBA. He is the son of Phoenix sports mogul, Jerry Colangelo. He attended Cornell University. He was the 2005 and 2007 recipient of the NBA Executive of the Year Award.-Phoenix:Bryan began his NBA front-office career...
(who eventually left the organization to become general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
of the Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
.
A strained relationship with Charles Barkley has improved with years. Colangelo declared himself a born-again Christian, a reason that he credits for his change of heart about Barkley.
Colangelo's additional sports activities
Colangelo has been involved in many professional sports teams in Arizona.Baseball
While in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
for a Suns game, Colangelo attended a Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
baseball game at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
. Soon thereafter he decided to inquire to Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
about bringing an expansion team to Arizona. He assembled a group of investors in 1994 to buy a franchise, the year prior to MLB's proposed expansion selection meetings. In 1995, Colangelo's group was granted an expansion team, the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
.
The Diamondbacks began playing in 1998. For his new baseball club, Colangelo hired Joe Garagiola, Jr.
Joe Garagiola, Jr.
Joe Garagiola, Jr. is the senior vice president of standards and on-field operations for Major League Baseball. He was previously senior vice president of baseball operations, and before that the General Manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks....
as General Manager. He also brought in Buck Showalter
Buck Showalter
William Nathaniel "Buck" Showalter III is an American Major League Baseball manager for the Baltimore Orioles. He has previously served in a similar capacity with the New York Yankees , Arizona Diamondbacks , and Texas Rangers...
coming off a successful stint as manager of the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. Showalter and Yankees owner George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. During Steinbrenner's 37-year ownership from 1973 to his death in July 2010, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned seven World Series...
did not agree to a contract extension, so Colangelo quickly hired Showalter as future manager of the Diamondbacks. These hirings proved to be instrumental to the expansion franchise's quick success. Notable moves made by Garagiola included the signing of Randy Johnson in 1999 and a trade for Curt Schilling in 2000 from the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. They were co-MVPs of the 2001 World Series
2001 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 27, 2001 at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, ArizonaArizona showed no fear and chased Yankees starter Mike Mussina after just three innings. The Yankees gave up five unearned runs and the Diamondbacks rode Curt Schilling's seven strong innings to a 9–1 rout...
when the Diamondbacks beat the Yankees in seven games. This was the first major professional sports championship for the Phoenix area.
However, his ways of spending caused the Diamondbacks to fall to near bankruptcy starting in 2003. The team was losing money at an alarming pace. He was forced to resign as managing general partner in the late summer of 2004. Ken Kendrick
Ken Kendrick
Earl G. "Ken" Kendrick Jr. is a baseball executive with the National League Arizona Diamondbacks. He became part-owner with the team's inception in 1995 and Managing General Partner in 2004, replacing Jerry Colangelo after a lengthy disagreement over Colangelo's role with the franchise he founded;...
took responsibility as the lead among the team's investors.
Women's basketball
In 1997, Colangelo's team in the Women's National Basketball AssociationWomen's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
, the Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix Mercury
The Phoenix Mercury is a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; it is one of the eight original franchises...
, began playing. That year, the Mercury reached the WNBA Finals
WNBA Finals
The WNBA Finals is the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association and the conclusion of the sport's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002....
but lost to the Houston Comets
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
.
Arena football
Another Colangelo team, the Arena Football League's Arizona RattlersArizona Rattlers
The Arizona Rattlers are a professional arena football team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Conference in the Arena Football League . The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team. They play their home games at US Airways Center...
, gave Colangelo his first championship in 1994, and once again in 1997. The Rattlers have been playing since 1992.
In 1992, Colangelo founded the Arena Football League's Arizona Rattlers
Arizona Rattlers
The Arizona Rattlers are a professional arena football team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Conference in the Arena Football League . The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team. They play their home games at US Airways Center...
and owned them until 2005. Under Colangelo's guidance, the Rattlers won Arena Bowl championships in 1994 and 1997. They were also one of the AFL's model franchises and were a perennial playoff team. According to published reports, the Rattlers struggled to stay afloat as a franchise after Colangelo sold the team.
Hockey
Colangelo was also involved in bringing National Hockey LeagueNational Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) to Arizona, transferring the Winnipeg Jets to the area as the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
in 1996. The move made Phoenix one of only a few metropolitan areas with franchises in all four major North American professional sports leagues
U.S. cities with teams from four major sports
There are 12 U.S. cities with teams from four major sports, where "city" is defined as the entire metropolitan area, and "major professional sports leagues" as:...
). The team plays in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale
Glendale, Arizona
Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721....
.
Boxing
Colangelo, as a friend of promoter Bob ArumBob Arum
Robert "Bob" Arum is the founder and CEO of Top Rank, a professional boxing promotion company based in Las Vegas. He also worked for the US Attorney's Office for the southern district of New York in the tax division....
, also helped to bring professional boxing
Professional Boxing
Professional boxing, or prizefighting, emerged in the early twentieth century as boxing gradually attained legitimacy and became a regulated, sanctioned sport. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse which is divided among the fighters and promoters as determined by contract...
to Arizona. He was one of the individuals behind the construction of the Dodge Theater
Dodge Theater
Comerica Theatre is an indoor concert hall and arena in Phoenix. The venue seats 5,500 people and hosts many musical artists and shows...
in downtown Phoenix. The Dodge is currently a top boxing and performing arts venue in the American Southwest.
Exit from sports
In April 2004, Colangelo sold the Suns, Mercury and Rattlers to an investment group headed by San DiegoSan Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
businessman, Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
native Robert Sarver
Robert Sarver
Robert Sarver is the current majority owner of the Phoenix Suns. He bought the NBA franchise from Jerry Colangelo in the spring of 2004....
for $401 million. The sale allegedly came in part to keep his family from having to pay high estate taxes upon Colangelo's death.
Late in the 2004 baseball season, Colangelo sold his controlling interest in the Arizona Diamondbacks to a group of investors led by Jeff Moorad
Jeff Moorad
Jeff Moorad is a former sports agent and is currently lead owner of the San Diego Padres and part-owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team.He is an Assyrian American...
. The estate tax issue played a role, though another factor was that Colangelo's partners were upset at the team's large debt. The D-Backs were almost $150 million in the red at the time, largely because of Colangelo's "win now" strategy.
Other interests
Jerry Colangelo is part of an investment group planning development in Buckeye, ArizonaBuckeye, Arizona
Buckeye is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States and is the westernmost suburb in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The population of the town as of Census 2010 was 50,876, a 678% increase from the 2000 population of 6,537.-Geography:...
. They have planned a 300,000+ residence development called Douglas Ranch and a smaller 7000 acres (28.3 km²) development called Trillium.
Colangelo purchased the bankrupt Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park, Arizona
Litchfield Park, Arizona
Litchfield Park is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. In 2010 it had a population of 5,476.-History:The town of Litchfield Park is named for its founder, Paul Weeks Litchfield...
.
Awards
Colangelo has been named the NBA's Executive of the YearNBA Executive of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Executive of the Year Award is an annual award given since the 1972–73 NBA season, to the league's best general managers. Before 2009, the Executive of the Year is presented annually by Sporting News, although it is officially recognized by the NBA. Since then,...
four times (1976, 1981, 1989, 1993).
He has received several community awards. He is an honorary member of the Marchegiana Society of his hometown, Chicago Heights, Illinois. A street in that city bears his name.
On May 9, 2002, Colangelo was awarded an honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
from Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
.
On April 4, 2004, Colangelo was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
On November 4, 2007, Colangelo was inducted into the Phoenix Suns Ring of Honor
Phoenix Suns Ring of Honor
The Ring of Honor is an award given to prominent players and employees of the professional basketball team, the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association . Awardees are selected to recognize the significant role the individual has had for the Suns organization .-Recipients:...
at the halftime of a Suns game against the Cleveland Cavaliers
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...
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He is the National Leadership Director of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame and is also a Hall of Fame inductee. It is located in the Colangelo Building on Taylor Street in Little Italy, Chicago
Little Italy, Chicago
Little Italy is a neighborhood on the Near West Side of Chicago, Illinois. The current boundaries of Little Italy are Ashland Avenue on the west and Morgan Street on the east — bracketed by Harrison Street on the north and Roosevelt Road; i.e., 12th Street, on the south...
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Works
- Colangelo, Jerry; Sherman, Len. How You Play the Game: Lessons for Life from the Billion-Dollar Business of Sports, AMACOM, 1999. ISBN 081440488X
Personal life
Colangelo's son Bryan ColangeloBryan Colangelo
Bryan Colangelo is the President and General Manager of the Toronto Raptors of the NBA. He is the son of Phoenix sports mogul, Jerry Colangelo. He attended Cornell University. He was the 2005 and 2007 recipient of the NBA Executive of the Year Award.-Phoenix:Bryan began his NBA front-office career...
is President of the NBA Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
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