List of Houston Rockets head coaches explained

The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. They are a member of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). They have played their home games at Toyota Center since 2003. Founded by Robert Breitbard in San Diego, the team first joined the NBA in 1967 as an expansion team.[1] After four losing seasons,[2] however, the team was sold to a group of investors based in Houston.[1] The group subsequently relocated the team to Houston, where the Rockets have remained for 37 seasons.[2] The franchise won its only two NBA titles in 1994 and 1995.[3]

There have been 15 head coaches for the Houston Rockets franchise. Jack McMahon, the team's first head coach, compiled a 61–129 record during his tenure.[4] Rudy Tomjanovich, 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.[5] [3] Alex Hannum, Tex Winter, Kevin McHale, Bill Fitch, Rudy Tomjanovich and Rick Adelman have been enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[6] Tom Nissalke, Don Chaney and Mike D'Antoni were named Coach of the Year during their tenures as head coaches. Both Tex Winter and Johnny Egan have spent their entire NBA head coaching careers with the Rockets.[7] [8] [9] Egan, Tomjanovich, and Rick Adelman formerly played for the Rockets.[10] [11] [12]

Key

GCGames coached
WWins
LLosses
Win%Winning percentage
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 .

NameTermGCWLWin%GCWLWin%AchievementsReference
Regular seasonPlayoffs
San Diego Rockets
1 190 61 129624
2 138 58 80
Houston Rockets
3 129 51 78
4 281 129 152835
5 246 124 1221468 NBA Coach of the Year[13]
6 328 141 187311516[14]
7 410 216 194392118One of the top 10 coaches in NBA history[15] [16]
8 298 164 1341129 NBA Coach of the Year[17]
9 900 503 3979051392 NBA championships (1994, 1995)
10 328 182 14619712[18]
11 328 193 135199104th longest winning streak in NBA history[19]
12 323 193 130291316[20] [21]
13 71 37 34514[22]
14 318 217 101512823 NBA Coach of the Year[23] [24]
15 236 59 177[25]
16–present 82 41 41[26]

Notes

References

General
Specific

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Owners, fans waited years before Rockets took off. September 20, 2001. Houston Chronicle. Hearst Newspapers. May 13, 2008. May 4, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100504171038/http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/first100/1050922.html. live.
  2. Web site: Houston Rockets. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. May 19, 2008. June 26, 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040626085012/https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/HOU/. live.
  3. Web site: Rudy Tomjanovich Coaching Record. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. May 19, 2008. March 20, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190320190923/https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/tomjaru01c.html. live.
  4. Web site: Jack McMahon Coaching Record. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. May 19, 2008. June 2, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110602013443/http://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/mcmahja01c.html. live.
  5. Web site: Houston Rockets Coach Register. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. May 17, 2008. February 8, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210208164740/https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/HOU/coaches.html. live.
  6. Web site: Alex Hannum Coaching Record. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. May 19, 2008. March 23, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190323195542/https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/hannual01c.html. live.
  7. Web site: Tex Winter Coaching Record. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. May 19, 2008. August 7, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110807022606/http://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/wintete99c.html. live.
  8. Web site: Johnny Egan Coaching Record. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. May 19, 2008. January 25, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210125225813/https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/eganjo01c.html. live.
  9. Web site: Tom Nissalke Coaching Record. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. May 19, 2008. March 9, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110309125921/http://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/nissato99c.html. live.
  10. Web site: Johnny Egan Statistics. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. May 19, 2008. April 3, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100403091339/http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/eganjo01.html. live.
  11. Web site: Rudy Tomjanovich Statistics. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. May 19, 2008. May 12, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130512192615/http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/maravpe01.html. live.
  12. Web site: Rick Adelman Statistics. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. May 19, 2008. June 16, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100616150729/http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/adelmri01.html. live.
  13. Web site: Coach of the Year. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. May 19, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20100915001144/http://www.nba.com/history/awards_coachofyear.html. September 15, 2010. dead.
  14. Web site: Del Harris Coaching Record. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. May 19, 2008. March 9, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110309152917/http://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/harride99c.html. live.
  15. Web site: Top 10 Coaches in NBA History. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. May 19, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20120209033542/http://www.nba.com/history/top_10_coaches.html. February 9, 2012. dead.
  16. Web site: Bill Fitch Coaching Record. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. May 19, 2008. April 14, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090414154459/http://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/fitchbi99c.html. live.
  17. Web site: Don Chaney Coaching Record. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. May 19, 2008. January 17, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130117192716/http://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/chanedo01c.html. live.
  18. Web site: Jeff Van Gundy Coaching Record. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. May 19, 2008. August 3, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110803083552/http://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/vanguje99c.html. live.
  19. Web site: Rick Adelman Coaching Record. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. May 19, 2008. March 1, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110301134631/http://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/adelmri01c.html. live.
  20. Web site: Kevin McHale Coaching Record. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. December 18, 2012. February 1, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210201000008/https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/mchalke01c.html. live.
  21. Web site: Joseph . Adi . Kevin McHale fired as coach of 4-7 Houston Rockets, report says . Sporting News . 25 October 2018 . 18 November 2015 . 26 October 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181026025126/http://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/kevin-mchale-fired-coach-houston-rockets-jb-bickerstaff/gl3akg3sjbbt1gz6j01d3qmwq . live .
  22. Web site: J.B. Bickerstaff Coaching Record. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. May 27, 2016. January 26, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210126083614/https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/bickejb01c.html. live.
  23. Web site: Maloney . Jack . NBA Awards: Houston Rockets' Mike D'Antoni wins 2016-17 Coach of the Year . CBS Sports . 25 October 2018 . 27 June 2017 . 12 April 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190412004639/https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-awards-houston-rockets-mike-dantoni-wins-2016-17-coach-of-the-year/ . live .
  24. Web site: Mike D'Antoni Coaching Record. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. June 1, 2016. October 4, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111004003221/http://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/dantomi01c.html. live.
  25. Web site: Stephen Silas Coaching Record. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. April 10, 2023. May 17, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210517215102/https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/silasst01c.html. live.
  26. Web site: Ime Udoka Coaching Record . basketball-reference.com . Sports Reference LLC . April 26, 2022 . November 23, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211123015143/https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/udokaim01c.html . live .