Joe Mullaney
Encyclopedia
Joseph A. Mullaney was a successful American basketball
player and coach.
, New York. After graduating from Chaminade High School
in Mineola he played college basketball
at Holy Cross
and with Bob Cousy
was on the team that won the 1947 NCAA Championship
. He played briefly for the Boston Celtics
of the National Basketball Association
.
in Vermont
.
Mullaney became head basketball coach at Providence College
in 1955. He coached the Friars from that time until 1969. He returned to Providence as head coach in 1981 and remained there until 1985. Mullaney won 319 games in his 18 seasons at Providence, losing 164 for a career winning percentage there of .660. Mullaney won the 1961 and 1963 National Invitation Tournament
championships at Providence. Mullaney also took the Friars to the NIT four other times and into the NCAA tournament three times. His assistant and protégé at Providence, Dave Gavitt
, went on to be a successful coach of the Friars in his own right, taking them to the 1973 Final Four and eventually providing the catalyst to the founding of the Big East Conference
.
of the National Basketball Association
, succeeding Butch van Breda Kolff who took the Lakers to the NBA Finals that year, losing 4 games to 3 to the Boston Celtics
.
In the 1969-70 season the Lakers overcame several injury problems and finished 46-36, first in the Western Division. Wilt Chamberlain
was lost to injury early in the season and Elgin Baylor
was also lost to injury later; both returned in time for the playoffs. The Lakers were the NBA runner up that year. They defeated the Phoenix Suns
in the division semifinals and Atlanta in the division finals. The Lakers lost a tight NBA Championship series 4 games to 3 to the New York Knicks
.
In the 1970-71 season the Lakers finished 48-34, first in the new Pacific Division. The Lakers defeated the Chicago Bulls
in the conference semifinal but lost to the Milwaukee Bucks
in the Western Conference Finals.
of the American Basketball Association
, succeeding Frank Ramsey
in 1971. Mullaney coached the Colonels for two seasons before Babe McCarthy
succeeded him for the 1973-74 season.
In the 1971-72 season the talent-laden Colonels finished with a remarkable record of 68-16, the best ever record in the history of the ABA, finishing first in the Eastern Division. Incredibly, the Colonels lost the 1972 Eastern Division Semifinals to the 44-40 New York Nets, 4 games to 2. Mullaney coached the East team to a 142-115 win in the ABA All Star game that season.
In the 1972-73 season the Colonels finished 56-28, good for second place in the Eastern Division. The Colonels beat the Virginia Squires
4 games to 1 in the Eastern Division Semifinals, beat the Carolina Cougars
4 games to 3 in the Eastern Division Finals, and lost the American Basketball Association Championship 4 games to 3 to the Indiana Pacers.
After the 1972-73 season Mullaney left the Colonels to coach the Utah Stars
.
Mullaney was replaced in Kentucky by Babe McCarthy
. Oddly, McCarthy and Mullaney both were named co-ABA Coach of the Year for the 1974-75 season.
In the 1973-74 season Mullaney coached the Utah Stars
of the American Basketball Association to a 51-33 record, finishing first in the Western Division. The Stars defeated the San Diego Conquistadors
4 games to 2 in the 1974 Western Division Semifinals and the Indiana Pacers
4 games to 3 in the 1974 Western Division Finals but lost in the 1974 ABA Championship to the New York Nets 4 games to 1. Mullaney coached the West team in the 1974 ABA All-Star Game
, losing to the McCarthy-coached East squad 128-112. Mullaney was replaced as coach of the Stars by Morris "Bucky" Buckwalter
after that single season in Utah.
During the 1974-75 season Mullaney coached the Memphis Sounds
of the American Basketball Association. The Sounds finished with a record of 27-57 and in fourth place in the Eastern Division. Their season was ended by Mullaney's old team, the Kentucky Colonels
, en route to the Colonels' 1975 ABA Championship
.
At the start of the 1975-1976 season Mullaney was the coach of the Baltimore Claws
but the team folded after a few preseason exhibition games and before the start of the regular season.
In December 1975 Mullaney became coach of the Spirits of St. Louis
. Mullaney took the helm in St. Louis in midseason after the team opened with a record of 20 wins and 27 losses under coach Rod Thorn. Mullaney was the final coach of the Spirits of St. Louis, as at the end of the 1975-1976 season the Spirits, along with the Kentucky Colonels, were the only two ABA teams that did not join the NBA in the ABA-NBA merger
.
of the National Basketball Association
. Mullaney was brought on board by the Braves' new owner, John Y. Brown Jr., who had previously had an ownership interest in Mullaney's old team, the Kentucky Colonels
. Despite Adrian Dantley
earning Rookie of the Year the Braves finished in fourth place at 30-52.
Mullaney coached in Italy and then for Brown University
from 1978 through 1981 before returning to Providence College
to coach the program from 1981 to 1985.
Mullaney died of cancer
in Providence, Rhode Island
on March 8, 2000, aged 74. He is buried in East Greenwich, Rhode Island
.
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...
player and coach.
Biography
Mullaney was born at in Long IslandLong Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, New York. After graduating from Chaminade High School
Chaminade High School
Chaminade High School is a Roman Catholic college preparatory high school for young men. Located in Mineola, New York, the school was founded in 1930 by the Society of Mary , an international Roman Catholic teaching order of priests and religious Brothers. The school is named for Father William...
in Mineola he played college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
at Holy Cross
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
and with 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...
was on the team that won the 1947 NCAA Championship
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...
. He played briefly for 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...
of the National Basketball Association
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...
.
College coaching career
After college, Mullaney was with the FBI before returning to basketball as coach at Norwich UniversityNorwich University
Norwich University is a private university located in Northfield, Vermont . The university was founded in 1819 at Norwich, Vermont, as the American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy. It is the oldest of six Senior Military Colleges, and is recognized by the United States Department of...
in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
.
Mullaney became head basketball coach at Providence College
Providence College
Providence College is a private, coeducational, Catholic university located about two miles west of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States, the state's capital city. With a 2010–2011 enrollment of 3,850 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students, the College specializes in academic...
in 1955. He coached the Friars from that time until 1969. He returned to Providence as head coach in 1981 and remained there until 1985. Mullaney won 319 games in his 18 seasons at Providence, losing 164 for a career winning percentage there of .660. Mullaney won the 1961 and 1963 National Invitation Tournament
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
championships at Providence. Mullaney also took the Friars to the NIT four other times and into the NCAA tournament three times. His assistant and protégé at Providence, Dave Gavitt
Dave Gavitt
David "Dave" Gavitt was a American college basketball coach and athletic director at Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island...
, went on to be a successful coach of the Friars in his own right, taking them to the 1973 Final Four and eventually providing the catalyst to the founding of the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
.
Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers
Mullaney left Providence in 1969 to coach the Los Angeles LakersLos 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...
of the National Basketball Association
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...
, succeeding Butch van Breda Kolff who took the Lakers to the NBA Finals that year, losing 4 games to 3 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 the 1969-70 season the Lakers overcame several injury problems and finished 46-36, first in the Western Division. Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
was lost to injury early in the season and Elgin Baylor
Elgin Baylor
Elgin Gay Baylor is a retired Hall of Fame American basketball player and former NBA general manager who played 13 seasons as a forward for the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers/Los Angeles Lakers....
was also lost to injury later; both returned in time for the playoffs. The Lakers were the NBA runner up that year. They defeated 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...
in the division semifinals and Atlanta in the division finals. The Lakers lost a tight NBA Championship series 4 games to 3 to the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.
In the 1970-71 season the Lakers finished 48-34, first in the new Pacific Division. The Lakers defeated 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...
in the conference semifinal but lost 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....
in the Western Conference Finals.
ABA coaching years
In 1971 Mullaney became the fifth coach of the Kentucky ColonelsKentucky Colonels
The Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of any franchise in the league's history, but the team did...
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:...
, succeeding Frank Ramsey
Frank Ramsey (basketball)
Frank Vernon Ramsey, Jr. is a former professional basketball player and coach. A 6-3 guard, he played his entire nine-year NBA career with the Boston Celtics and played a major role in the early part of their dynasty, winning seven championships...
in 1971. Mullaney coached the Colonels for two seasons before Babe McCarthy
Babe McCarthy
James Harrison "Babe" McCarthy , sometimes called "Ol' Magnolia Mouth" or just "Magnolia Mouth", was an American professional and collegiate basketball coach. McCarthy was originally from Baldwyn, Mississippi...
succeeded him for the 1973-74 season.
In the 1971-72 season the talent-laden Colonels finished with a remarkable record of 68-16, the best ever record in the history of the ABA, finishing first in the Eastern Division. Incredibly, the Colonels lost the 1972 Eastern Division Semifinals to the 44-40 New York Nets, 4 games to 2. Mullaney coached the East team to a 142-115 win in the ABA All Star game that season.
In the 1972-73 season the Colonels finished 56-28, good for second place in the Eastern Division. The Colonels beat the Virginia Squires
Virginia Squires
The Virginia Squires were a basketball franchise in the former American Basketball Association from 1970 until just before the ABA-NBA merger in 1976.-In Oakland :...
4 games to 1 in the Eastern Division Semifinals, beat the Carolina Cougars
Carolina Cougars
Carolina Cougars was a basketball franchise in the former American Basketball Association that existed from late 1969 through 1974. The Cougars were originally a charter member of the ABA as the Houston Mavericks in 1967. The Mavericks moved to North Carolina in late 1969 after two unsuccessful...
4 games to 3 in the Eastern Division Finals, and lost the American Basketball Association Championship 4 games to 3 to the Indiana Pacers.
After the 1972-73 season Mullaney left the Colonels to coach 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:...
.
Mullaney was replaced in Kentucky by Babe McCarthy
Babe McCarthy
James Harrison "Babe" McCarthy , sometimes called "Ol' Magnolia Mouth" or just "Magnolia Mouth", was an American professional and collegiate basketball coach. McCarthy was originally from Baldwyn, Mississippi...
. Oddly, McCarthy and Mullaney both were named co-ABA Coach of the Year for the 1974-75 season.
In the 1973-74 season Mullaney coached 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 to a 51-33 record, finishing first in the Western Division. The Stars defeated the San Diego Conquistadors
San Diego Conquistadors
The San Diego Conquistadors, nicknamed the "Q's", were an American Basketball Association team based in San Diego, California. They were the only expansion team in the history of the ABA. The team played from 1972 to 1975. They were replaced in the ABA by the San Diego Sails.-San Diego...
4 games to 2 in the 1974 Western Division Semifinals and the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
4 games to 3 in the 1974 Western Division Finals but lost in the 1974 ABA Championship to the New York Nets 4 games to 1. Mullaney coached the West team in the 1974 ABA All-Star Game
1974 ABA All-Star Game
GAME 7: at Norfolk Scope, Norfolk, Virginia, January 30, 1974MVP: Artis Gilmore, Kentucky ColonelsCoaches:* East: Babe McCarthy, Kentucky Colonels* West: Joe Mullaney, Utah Stars-Western Conference: -Eastern Conference: -Score by Periods:...
, losing to the McCarthy-coached East squad 128-112. Mullaney was replaced as coach of the Stars by Morris "Bucky" Buckwalter
Bucky Buckwalter
Morris "Bucky" Buckwalter is a former National Basketball Association coach and executive, as well as a former coach in the American Basketball Association.Buckwalter grew up in La Grande, Oregon, and played high school basketball at La Grande High School...
after that single season in Utah.
During the 1974-75 season Mullaney coached the Memphis Sounds
Memphis Sounds
Memphis Sounds was the final name of a franchise in the American Basketball Association. The team had begun as the New Orleans Buccaneers, and after three seasons in New Orleans, Louisiana moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where it had occasionally played some home games in the past to reasonable crowds...
of the American Basketball Association. The Sounds finished with a record of 27-57 and in fourth place in the Eastern Division. Their season was ended by Mullaney's old team, the Kentucky Colonels
Kentucky Colonels
The Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of any franchise in the league's history, but the team did...
, en route to the Colonels' 1975 ABA Championship
1975 ABA Playoffs
The 1975 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the American Basketball Association's 1974-1975 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Kentucky Colonels defeating the Western Division champion Indiana Pacers, four games to one in the ABA Finals.The Kentucky...
.
At the start of the 1975-1976 season Mullaney was the coach of the Baltimore Claws
Baltimore Claws
The Baltimore Claws was an American basketball team which was supposed to appear in the 1975-76 season in the American Basketball Association. The team collapsed before the season started, playing only three exhibition games in its brief history.-Background:...
but the team folded after a few preseason exhibition games and before the start of the regular season.
In December 1975 Mullaney became coach of the Spirits of St. Louis
Spirits of St. Louis
The Spirits of St. Louis were one of two teams still in existence at the end of the American Basketball Association that did not survive the ABA-NBA merger. They were a member of the ABA in its last two seasons, 1974–75 and 1975–76, while playing their home games at the St...
. Mullaney took the helm in St. Louis in midseason after the team opened with a record of 20 wins and 27 losses under coach Rod Thorn. Mullaney was the final coach of the Spirits of St. Louis, as at the end of the 1975-1976 season the Spirits, along with the Kentucky Colonels, were the only two ABA teams that did not join the NBA in the ABA-NBA merger
ABA-NBA merger
The ABA–NBA merger was the merger of the American Basketball Association with the National Basketball Association, which after multiple attempts over several years finally occurred in 1976.- Origins of ABA-NBA competition :...
.
Post ABA career
After the 1975-76 season Mullaney coached the Buffalo BravesBuffalo Braves
The Buffalo Braves were a team in the National Basketball Association. They later moved to San Diego, California to become the San Diego Clippers then subsequently the Los Angeles Clippers....
of the National Basketball Association
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...
. Mullaney was brought on board by the Braves' new owner, John Y. Brown Jr., who had previously had an ownership interest in Mullaney's old team, the Kentucky Colonels
Kentucky Colonels
The Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of any franchise in the league's history, but the team did...
. Despite Adrian Dantley
Adrian Dantley
Adrian Delano Dantley is a retired American basketball player who played 15 seasons in the NBA, including seven as a member of the Utah Jazz. A forward/guard and six-time NBA All-Star, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008...
earning Rookie of the Year the Braves finished in fourth place at 30-52.
Mullaney coached in Italy and then for Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
from 1978 through 1981 before returning to Providence College
Providence College
Providence College is a private, coeducational, Catholic university located about two miles west of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States, the state's capital city. With a 2010–2011 enrollment of 3,850 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students, the College specializes in academic...
to coach the program from 1981 to 1985.
Mullaney died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
on March 8, 2000, aged 74. He is buried in East Greenwich, Rhode Island
East Greenwich, Rhode Island
East Greenwich is a town in and the county seat of Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 13,146 at the 2010 census. East Greenwich is the wealthiest municipality within the state of Rhode Island....
.