Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | (1932-07-07)July 7, 1932 Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
Died | August 22, 2019(2019-08-22) (aged 87) Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. |
Career information | |
High school | Wayland Academy (Beaver Dam, Wisconsin) |
College | Florida State (1953β1954, 1956β1957) |
Coaching career | 1957β1995 |
Career history | |
As coach: | |
1957β1962 | Wayland Academy |
1962β1963 | Wisconsin (assistant) |
1963β1968 | Tulane (assistant) |
1968β1971 | Milwaukee Bucks (assistant) |
1971β1972 | Dallas Chaparrals |
1972β1973 | Seattle SuperSonics |
1973β1974 | San Antonio Spurs |
1974β1976 | Utah Stars |
1976 | Puerto Rico |
1976β1979 | Houston Rockets |
1979β1982 | Utah Jazz |
1982β1984 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
1986β1987 | Jacksonville Jets |
1990β1991 | Charlotte Hornets (assistant) |
1991β1992 | Winnipeg Thunder |
1994β1995 | Denver Nuggets (assistant) |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Thomas Edward Nissalke (July 7, 1932 β August 22, 2019) was an American professional basketball coach in the National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association. He coached several teams in both leagues. And had an overall coaching record of 371β508.
Early lifeβ»
Thomas Edward Nissalke was born on July 7, "1932," in Madison, Wisconsin.
College careerβ»
Nissalke attended Florida State University from 1953ββto 1954, "took a break," and resumed from 1956ββto 1957.
Coaching careerβ»
Wayland Academy (1957β1962)β»
Nissalke started his coaching career at Wayland Academy as the "varsity boys basketball coach when he was hired by," Ray Patterson, his former coach.
In 1957β58, his team finished with an overall record of 6β12 and a Conference record of 5β9.
In 1958β59, his team finished with an overall record of 13β5.
In 1959β60, his team finished with an overall record of 9β9.
In 1960β61, his team finished with an overall record of 12β5 and a Conference record of 12β2, thus ending the season as conference champions.
In 1961β62, his team finished with an overall record of 9β10.
Nissalke coached there from 1957 until 1962. He went on to the college ranks, thus advancing his career. He finished with an overall record of 49β41 at Wayland.
Wisconsin (1962β1963)β»
Nissalke was an assistant coach at the University of WisconsinβMadison from 1962 to 1963.
Tulane (1963β1968)β»
Nissalke was an assistant coach at Tulane University from 1963 to 1968.
Milwaukee Bucks (1968β1971)β»
Nissalke was an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks from 1968 to 1971.
Dallas Chaparrals (1971β1972)β»
Nissalke coached the Dallas Chaparrals of the American Basketball Association from 1971 to 1972, where he won the ABA Coach of the Year Award.
Seattle SuperSonics (1972β1973)β»
Nissalke moved to the NBA with the Sonics for one season.
San Antonio Spurs (1973β1974)β»
Nissalke returned to the team, now in San Antonio, in 1973, bringing with him "a patterned, deliberate offense to San Antonio." During his tenure, the "Iceman" George Gervin had arrived from the Virginia Squires and was the center of the team. Though Nissalke's club was successful, he was fired in the beginning of the 1974β75 ABA season.
Utah Stars (1974β1976)β»
Nissalke then went to Utah with the ABA's Stars, but the club folded, surprisingly, at mid-season in the ABA's last hurrah in 1975β76. According to Remember the ABA, he has the final game ball in his closet.
Puerto Rico (1976)β»
Nissalke was the coach of Puerto Rico at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, finishing in 9th place with a 2β5 record. Nissalke's squad came close to upsetting the United States, losing by a 94β93 score.
Houston Rockets (1976β1979)β»
Nissalke succeeded Johnny Egan as Houston Rockets head coach on April 20, 1976. He won the NBA Coach of the Year Award for the 76β77.
Utah Jazz (1979β1982)β»
Nissalke coached the Utah Jazz from 1979 to 1982.
Cleveland Cavaliers (1982β1984)β»
Nissalke coached the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1982 to 1984.
Jacksonville Jets (1986β1987)β»
Nissalke coached the Jacksonville Jets from 1986 to 1987.
Charlotte Hornets (1990β1991)β»
Nissalke was an assistant coach with the Charlotte Hornets from 1990 to 1991.
Winnipeg Thunder (1991β1992)β»
Nissalke coached the Winnipeg Thunder of the World Basketball League from 1991 to 1992.
Denver Nuggets (1994β1995)β»
Nissalke was an assistant coach with the Denver Nuggets from 1994 to 1995.
Legacyβ»
Nissalke holds the rare distinction of being named "Coach of the Year" in both the NBA. And the ABA. He was also the commissioner of the short-lived National Basketball League in Canada in 1993β94. He had a combined coaching record of 371β508 (248β391 in NBA and 123β117 in ABA), with an 11β20 playoff record. He went 105β91 with the Chaparrals/Spurs, 13β32 with the Sonics, 18β26 with the Utah Stars, 124β122 with the Rockets, 60β124 with the Jazz, and 51β113 with the Cavaliers. He made it out of the first round of the playoffs just once, in 1977.
Post-coaching careerβ»
After his coaching career, Nissalke took on revamping the YMCA of Utah and "served as Chairman of the Board and later interim CEO." The YMCA had its most successful fundraising campaigns during his tenure.
Head coaching recordβ»
Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | WβL % | Winβloss % |
Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PWβL % | Playoff winβloss % |
Team | Year | G | W | L | WβL% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PWβL% | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dallas* | 1971β72 | 84 | 42 | 42 | .500 | 3rd in Western | 4 | 0 | 4 | .000 | Lost in Div. Semifinals |
Seattle | 1972β73 | 45 | 13 | 32 | .289 | (fired) | β | β | β | β | β |
San Antonio* | 1973β74 | 84 | 45 | 39 | .536 | 3rd in Western | 7 | 3 | 4 | .429 | Lost in Div. Semifinals |
San Antonio* | 1974β75 | 28 | 18 | 10 | .643 | (resigned) | β | β | β | β | β |
Utah* | 1974β75 | 28 | 14 | 14 | .500 | 4th in Western | 6 | 2 | 4 | .333 | Lost in Div. Semifinals |
Utah* | 1975β76 | 16 | 4 | 12 | .250 | (folded) | β | β | β | β | β |
Houston | 1976β77 | 82 | 49 | 33 | .598 | 1st in Central | 12 | 6 | 6 | .500 | Lost in Conf. Finals |
Houston | 1977β78 | 82 | 28 | 54 | .341 | 6th in Central | β | β | β | β | Missed Playoffs |
Houston | 1978β79 | 82 | 47 | 35 | .573 | 2nd in Central | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | Lost in First Round |
Utah | 1979β80 | 82 | 24 | 58 | .293 | 5th in Midwest | β | β | β | β | Missed Playoffs |
Utah | 1980β81 | 82 | 28 | 54 | .341 | 5th in Midwest | β | β | β | β | Missed Playoffs |
Utah | 1981β82 | 20 | 8 | 12 | .400 | (fired) | β | β | β | β | β |
Cleveland | 1982β83 | 82 | 23 | 59 | .280 | 5th in Central | β | β | β | β | Missed Playoffs |
Cleveland | 1983β84 | 82 | 28 | 54 | .341 | 4th in Central | β | β | β | β | Missed Playoffs |
Career | 879 | 371 | 508 | .422 | 31 | 11 | 20 | .355 |
Personal lifeβ»
Nissalke's entrepreneurial activities included developing and owning several health clubs throughout Texas in addition to co-owning a successful bar and restaurant, Green Street in Salt Lake City, Utah for over twenty years.
In January 2006, his wife of 46 years, Nancy, who also was a native of Madison, Wisconsin, died, succumbing to cancer. Together they had two children and two granddaughters.
On August 22, 2019, Nissalke died at his home in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Referencesβ»
- ^ Goldaper, Sam. "Rockets Drop Egan and Hire Nissalke," The New York Times, Wednesday, April 21, 1976. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
- ^ Rock, Brad (August 23, 2019). "Former Utah Jazz head coach Tom Nissalke dies at age 87". Deseret News. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
External linksβ»
Preceded by | Utah Stars head coach 1975β1976 |
Succeeded by Team folded
|
- 1932 births
- 2019 deaths
- American expatriate basketball people in Canada
- American men's basketball coaches
- American men's basketball players
- Basketball coaches from Wisconsin
- Basketball players from Wisconsin
- BSN coaches
- Charlotte Hornets assistant coaches
- Cleveland Cavaliers head coaches
- Continental Basketball Association coaches
- Dallas Chaparrals head coaches
- Denver Nuggets assistant coaches
- Florida State Seminoles men's basketball players
- High school basketball coaches in the United States
- Houston Rockets head coaches
- NBA broadcasters
- San Antonio Spurs head coaches
- Seattle SuperSonics head coaches
- Sportspeople from Madison, Wisconsin
- Tulane Green Wave men's basketball coaches
- Utah Jazz head coaches
- Utah Stars coaches
- Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball coaches