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...

 are an American professional 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...

 team based in Houston, Texas

Houston, Texas

Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...

. They are a member of the Southwest Division

Southwest Division (NBA)

The Southwest Division is one of the three divisions in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association . The division consists of five teams, the Dallas Mavericks, the Houston Rockets, the Memphis Grizzlies, the New Orleans Hornets and the San Antonio Spurs...

 of the Western Conference

Western Conference (NBA)

Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....

 in 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...

 (NBA). They have played their home games at Toyota Center

Toyota Center (Houston)

The Toyota Center is an indoor arena located in downtown Houston, Texas. It is named after the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The arena is home to the Rockets of the National Basketball Association, the principal owners of the building, and the Aeros of the American Hockey League.Rockets...

 since 2003. Founded by Robert Breitbard in San Diego, the team first joined the NBA in 1967

1967-68 NBA season

The 1967–68 NBA season was the 22nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals.- Notable occurrences :...

 as an expansion team

Expansion team

An expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...

. After four losing seasons, however, the team was sold to a group of investors based in Houston

Houston, Texas

Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...

. The group subsequently relocated the team to Houston, where the Rockets have remained for 37 seasons. The franchise won its only two NBA titles

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 1994

1994 NBA Finals

The 1994 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1993–94 National Basketball Association season, featuring the Western Conference's Houston Rockets defeating the Eastern Conference's New York Knicks....

 and 1995

1995 NBA Finals

The 1995 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1994–95 NBA season. The series pitted the Orlando Magic against the Houston Rockets. The pre-series hype and build-up of the Finals was centered around the meeting of the two centers Shaquille O'Neal of the Magic and Hakeem Olajuwon of the Rockets...

.

There have been 12 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...

es for the Houston Rockets franchise. Jack McMahon

Jack McMahon

John Joseph McMahon was a professional basketball player and coach. A 6'1" guard from St. John's University, McMahon was selected by the Rochester Royals in the 1952 NBA Draft. He played 8 seasons in the NBA, for Rochester and the St...

, the team's first head coach, compiled a 61–129 record during his tenure. 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:...

, who led the Rockets to their two championships, is the franchise's all-time leader in both regular-season and playoff games coached and wins. Alex Hannum

Alex Hannum

Alexander Murray Hannum was a professional basketball player and Hall-of-Fame coach.-Coaching career:Hannum is mostly known for coaching the Wilt Chamberlain-led Philadelphia 76ers of 1966-67 to the NBA championship, ending the eight-year title streak of the Boston Celtics. He had also coached the...

 is the only Rockets coach to have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Tom Nissalke

Tom Nissalke

Thomas Edward "Tom" Nissalke is a retired former American professional basketball coach in the NBA and American Basketball Association...

 and Don Chaney

Don Chaney

Donald Ray Chaney is an American former professional basketball player and coach, most notable for his long stints as a player on the Boston Celtics.-Career as a player:...

 were named Coach of the Year

NBA Coach of the Year Award

The National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1962–63 NBA season. The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named in honor of the head coach who led the Boston Celtics to nine NBA Championships from 1956 to 1966...

 during their tenures as head coaches. Both Tex Winter

Tex Winter

Morice Fredrick "Tex" Winter is a Hall-of-Fame American basketball coach, and innovator of the triangle offense.-Early life:...

 and Johnny Egan

Johnny Egan

John Francis "Johnny" Egan is a retired American professional basketball player and coach.A 5' 11" guard from Weaver High School and Providence College, he played 11 seasons in the NBA, spending time with the Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Baltimore Bullets, Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland...

 have spent their entire coaching career with the Rockets. Egan, Tomjanovich, and Rick Adelman

Rick Adelman

Richard Leonard "Rick" Adelman is an American former basketball professional player and current basketball coach. He is the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA. Confirmation of the hiring came from the Timberwolves on September 13, 2011...

 formerly played for the Rockets.

Key

GC	Games coached
W	Wins
L	Losses
Win%	Winning percentage Winning percentage In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...
#	Number of coaches
*	Spent entire NBA head coaching career with the Rockets
	Elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach

Coaches

Note: Statistics are correct through the end of the .

#	Name	Term	GC	W	L	Win%	GC	W	L	Win%	Achievements	Reference
			Regular season				Playoffs
1		–	190	61	129	.321	6	2	4	.333
2		–	138	58	80	.420	—	—	—	—
3	*	–	129	51	78	.395	—	—	—	—
4	*	–	281	129	152	.459	8	3	5	.375
5		–	246	124	122	.504	14	6	8	.429	NBA Coach of the Year NBA Coach of the Year Award The National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1962–63 NBA season. The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named in honor of the head coach who led the Boston Celtics to nine NBA Championships from 1956 to 1966...
6		–	328	141	187	.430	31	15	16	.484
7		–	410	216	194	.527	39	21	18	.538	One of the top 10 coaches in NBA history
8		–	298	164	134	.550	11	2	9	.182	NBA Coach of the Year NBA Coach of the Year Award The National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1962–63 NBA season. The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named in honor of the head coach who led the Boston Celtics to nine NBA Championships from 1956 to 1966...
9		–	900	503	397	.559	90	51	39	.567	2 NBA 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....  (1994 1994 NBA Finals The 1994 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1993–94 National Basketball Association season, featuring the Western Conference's Houston Rockets defeating the Eastern Conference's New York Knicks.... , 1995 1995 NBA Finals The 1995 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1994–95 NBA season. The series pitted the Orlando Magic against the Houston Rockets. The pre-series hype and build-up of the Finals was centered around the meeting of the two centers Shaquille O'Neal of the Magic and Hakeem Olajuwon of the Rockets... )
10		–	328	182	146	.555	19	7	12	.368
11		–	328	193	135	.588	19	9	10	.474
12		–present