Arnold "Red" Auerbach

(1917 - )

 

As head coach of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Boston Celtics l950 - 1966, Red’s team's won nine World Championships -- eight in succession, nine within ten years -- and 11 Division titles. The Auerbach-coached Celtics won 1,037-lost 548. Red is considered the most successful professional basketball coach of all-time. He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1968.

He also coached the Basketball Association of America's (BAA) Washington Capitols l946-49, and the NBA's Tri-Cities l949-50. (The BAA and NBA merged in l949). His l946-47 and 1948-49 Capitols won Division titles.

As Celtics General Manager following his coaching career, Boston won NBA titles in l968, 1969, 1974, l980, and l981--the year he was named "NBA Executive of the Year".

In 1971, during the NBA's 25th Anniversary commemoration, Red was named the "Silver Anniversary Coach", signifying the League's honor as best coach of its first quarter century.

Courtesy of:

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Auerbach.html