Brian Hill (basketball coach)

This article is about the basketball coach. For other uses, see Brian Hill (disambiguation).

Brian Hill

Personal information
Born	(1947-09-19) September 19, 1947 East Orange, New Jersey
Nationality	American
Listed height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Listed weight	175 lb (79 kg)
Career history
As coach:
1993–1997	Orlando Magic
1997–1999	Vancouver Grizzlies
2005–2007	Orlando Magic

Brian Hill (born September 19, 1947 in East Orange, New Jersey) is an American basketball coach who is currently an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons in the NBA.

Coaching career

Hill has more than 30 years of coaching experience at the high school, collegiate, and professional level. He has been assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic, New Orleans Hornets, and New Jersey Nets. He was the head coach of the Orlando Magic from 1993 to 1997 and is the Magic's most successful coach with a record of 191–104. During that time period, he led the Magic to their first NBA Finals in 1995 and also led the team to a 60-22 record the following season. However, following the loss of star center Shaquille O'Neal to free agency during the off-season, he was fired mid-season in 1997 after a player revolt was led by disgruntled star Penny Hardaway.

Following his firing from the Magic, he became head coach of the expansion Vancouver Grizzlies, only entering their third year in the league. Hill was fired early in his third season. Following that, he became an assistant coach of the New Jersey Nets, where he remained until the end of the postseason. He was then rehired by the Magic and he led the team to a 36–46 record in the 2005–2006 season.

On May 23, 2007, after multiple media sources reported that Hill would not return to coach the Orlando Magic for the 2007-08 NBA season, but would instead be offered another position within the organization, the Magic released a statement that he would not return as coach of the Magic, although it was reported he was actually fired by general manager Otis Smith. It was a position he had held since May 24, 2005. It was his second stint with the team.

Coaching record

Team	Year	Regular Season				Post Season
		Won	Lost	Win %	Finish	Won	Lost	Win %	Result
ORL	1993–94	50	32	.610	2nd in Atlantic Division	0	3	.000	1st round
ORL	1994–95	57	25	.695	1st in Atlantic Division	11	10	.524	NBA Finals
ORL	1995–96	60	22	.732	1st in Atlantic Division	7	5	.583	Conf. Finals
ORL	1996–97	24	25	.490	3rd in Atlantic Division
VAN	1997–98	19	63	.232	6th in Midwest Division
VAN	1998–99	8	42	.160	7th in Midwest Division
VAN	1999-00	4	18	.182	7th in Midwest Division
ORL	2005–06	36	46	.439	3rd in Southeast Division
ORL	2006–07	40	42	.488	3rd in Southeast Division	0	4	.000	1st round
9 seasons		298	315	.486	-	18	22	.450	-

Source: Brian Hill Coaching Record – Basketball-Reference.com

Personal life

Hill, a graduate of John F. Kennedy College in Nebraska, has two adult children. One, the daughter, has cystic fibrosis, and as a result, Hill has supported cystic fibrosis research by appearing at fundraisers and speaking to crowds about the disease. He and his wife live in Orlando, Florida, where they have remained even after his original departure from the Orlando Magic.

External links

• databaseBasketball.com: Brian Hill
• Brian Hill bio at nba.com

Sporting positions
Preceded by Matt Guokas	Orlando Magic head coach 1993–1997	Succeeded by Richie Adubato (interim)
Preceded by Stu Jackson (interim)	Vancouver Grizzlies head coach 1997–1999	Succeeded by Lionel Hollins (interim)
Preceded by Chris Jent (interim)	Orlando Magic head coach 2005–2007	Succeeded by Stan Van Gundy