Legendary coach and Hall of Famer Bill Fitch, who coached some of the NBA’s biggest names and led Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics to an NBA championship in 1981, died Wednesday at the age of 89.
Fitch, twice NBA coach of the year, topped the list of the ten best coaches of all time when the NBA celebrated its 50 best players on the 50th anniversary of the league.
Fitch was the 10th all-time NBA coach until Doc Rivers overtook him in December 2020.
During his 25 years as NBA coach, Fitch helped change many franchises. He coached the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, New Jersey Nets and Los Angeles Clippers.
He began his NBA career as the first coach of the Cavaliers expansion team in 1970, leading them to the playoffs three times after winning just 15 games in their opening season. He won his first NBA Coach of the Year award in 1975-76, leading the Miracle of Richfield team to 49 wins in the Eastern Conference finals.
Born in 1932 in Iowa, Fitch led his teams to the NBA playoffs 13 times and finished with a record of 944-1,106 during his NBA coaching career.
