Jeff Van Gundy
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Jeff Van Gundy (born January 19, 1962 in Hemet, California) is a basketball head coach in the National Basketball Association since 1996. Van Gundy attended Nazareth College (1985) and is the current head coach of the Houston Rockets.
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[edit] Career
Van Gundy began his basketball coaching career at McQuaid Jesuit High School in Rochester, New York. After one season at McQuaid (1985-86), he served in several Assistant Coach positions at the college and professional level.
From March 8, 1996 to his resignation on December 8, 2001, Van Gundy was the head coach of the New York Knicks. He led the Knicks to the playoffs six times, including an appearance in the 1999 NBA Finals. He is the brother of former Miami Heat head coach Stan Van Gundy.
He is currently in his fourth season as the head coach of the NBA's Houston Rockets. While achieving some past success, he has not matched the level of success of other elite coaches such as Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich, and Pat Riley.
[edit] Coaching record
| Team | Year | Regular Season | Post Season | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| NY | 95/96 | 23 | 13 | 10 | .565 | 2nd in Atlantic Division | 4 | 4 | .500 | Conf. Semifinals |
| NY | 96/97 | 82 | 57 | 25 | .695 | 2nd in Atlantic Division | 6 | 4 | .600 | Conf. Semifinals |
| NY | 97/98 | 82 | 43 | 39 | .524 | 2nd in Atlantic Division | 4 | 6 | .400 | Conf. Semifinals |
| NY | 98/99 | 50 | 27 | 23 | .540 | 4th in Atlantic Division | 12 | 8 | .600 | NBA Finals |
| NY | 99/00 | 82 | 50 | 32 | .610 | 1st in Atlantic Division | 9 | 7 | .563 | Conf. Finals |
| NY | 00/01 | 82 | 48 | 34 | .585 | 3rd in Atlantic Division | 2 | 3 | .400 | 1st Round |
| NY | 01/02 | 19 | 10 | 9 | .526 | - | - | - | - | - |
| NY Total | 420 | 248 | 172 | .590 | - | 37 | 32 | .536 | - | |
| HOU | 03/04 | 82 | 45 | 37 | .540 | 5th in Midwest Division | 1 | 4 | .200 | 1st Round |
| HOU | 04/05 | 82 | 51 | 31 | .610 | 3rd in Southwest Division | 3 | 4 | .429 | 1st Round |
| HOU | 05/06 | 82 | 34 | 48 | .415 | 5th in Southwest Division | - | - | - | - |
| HOU | 06/07 | 76* | 47 | 29 | .618 | 3rd in Southwest Division | ||||
| HOU Total | 322 | 177 | 145 | .550 | - | 4 | 8 | .333 | - | |
| Total | 742 | 425 | 317 | .573 | - | 41 | 40 | .506 | - | |
* Season in progress; updated 7 April 2007.
[edit] Trivia
"JVG", as he is called in Internet fandom, created a memorable scene in the 1998 NBA playoffs series between the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat. When the Heat's Alonzo Mourning and the Knicks' Larry Johnson engaged in a violent, bench-clearing brawl, Van Gundy unsuccessfully tried to break up the fight. He was knocked down, hung on Mourning's leg and held on for his life while Mourning dragged him across the floor. This has become a hallmark scene in the intense Knicks-Heat rivalry.
In May 2005, he was fined $100,000 by the NBA for accusing referees for investigating the on-court actions of Rockets' center Yao Ming on the recommendation of Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. This is the largest fine ever handed down to a coach in NBA history.
[edit] External links
- BasketballReference.com: Jeff Van Gundy
- Why Houston Rockets Coach Jeff Van Gundy Is a More Fitting Free Speech Hero Than New York Times Reporter Judith Miller - Michael C. Dorf, FindLaw, May 11, 2005
| Preceded by Don Nelson |
New York Knicks Head Coach 1996–2001 |
Succeeded by Don Chaney |
| Preceded by Rudy Tomjanovich |
Houston Rockets Head Coach 2003– |
Succeeded by Current Coach |
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