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Stan Albeck

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Stan Albeck
Albeck in 1952
Personal information
Born(1931-05-17)May 17, 1931
Chenoa, Illinois, U.S.
DiedMarch 25, 2021(2021-03-25) (aged 89)
Listed height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Career information
High schoolChenoa (Chenoa, Illinois)
CollegeBradley (1950–1952, 1954–1955)
NBA draft1955: undrafted
PositionGuard
Coaching career1956–2002
Career history
As coach:
1956–1957Adrian
1957–1968Northern Michigan
1968–1970Denver
1970–1973Denver Rockets (assistant)
1970–1971Denver Rockets (interim HC)
1972–1974San Diego Conquistadors (assistant)
1974–1976Kentucky Colonels (assistant)
1976–1979Los Angeles Lakers (assistant)
1979–1980Cleveland Cavaliers
1980–1983San Antonio Spurs
1983–1985New Jersey Nets
1985–1986Chicago Bulls
1986–1991Bradley
1995–1996New Jersey Nets (assistant)
1997–2000Atlanta Hawks (assistant)
2000–2002Toronto Raptors (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
As head coach:

Charles Stanley Albeck (May 17, 1931 – March 25, 2021) was an American professional basketball coach. Albeck coached for several teams in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA), including the Denver Rockets, the San Diego Conquistadors, (often subbing for an absent Wilt Chamberlain), the Cleveland Cavaliers, the San Antonio Spurs, the New Jersey Nets, and the Chicago Bulls.

Early life

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Albeck was born in Chenoa, Illinois, on May 17, 1931. He attended Chenoa High School in his hometown.[1] He subsequently obtained a bachelor's degree at Bradley University in 1955 and his master's at Michigan State University in 1957.[2]

Coaching career

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Albeck began his coaching at Adrian College in Adrian, Michigan.[2] His next head coaching job was at Northern Michigan University. Albeck was head coach at the University of Denver from 1968 to 1970. He was the head coach of the Denver Rockets during most of the 1970–1971 season. The Rockets had begun the season under head coach Joe Belmont, but Belmont was fired after the team lost 10 of its first 13 games. Albeck replaced Belmont as the Rockets' head coach.[3] The Rockets went 27–44 under Albeck to finish the season with a record of 30 wins and 54 losses. They tied the Texas Chaparrals for fourth place in the Western Division (28 games behind the Indiana Pacers) and on April 1, 1971, lost a one-game playoff to the Chaparrals, 115–109, to determine who would advance into the ABA Western Division semifinals.[4] During the season Denver's average home attendance dropped to 4,139 fans per game from 6,281 the year before.[3] One week after the playoff loss, on April 8, 1971, Albeck was replaced by Alex Hannum as Denver's head coach. Hannum resigned as coach of the San Diego Rockets to become the Rockets' head coach, general manager and president. Albeck then became player personnel director for the Rockets.[5] During the 1972–1973 season Albeck was an assistant coach for the San Diego Conquistadors under head coach K.C. Jones. Albeck also served as director of player personnel for the Conquistadors. During most of the 1973–74 season, he served under 'Qs' head coach Wilt Chamberlain. Chamberlain missed a few games, during which Albeck filled in as the Conquistadors' head coach, winning all of them.[6]

Albeck was an assistant coach for the Kentucky Colonels during the 1974–1975 season in which the team won the 1975 ABA Championship.[7] He returned as an assistant coach with the Colonels during their final season in 1975–1976.[8] Albeck served as assistant coach of the Los Angeles Lakers from 1976 until 1979. He went on to become head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1979 to 1980. He was the San Antonio Spurs' head coach for three seasons from 1980 to 1983. During his tenure, he won NBA Coach of the Month in March 1983.[1][9] After the Spurs job, Albeck was the head coach of the New Jersey Nets from 1983 until 1985.

Albeck subsequently served as head coach of the Chicago Bulls for one season.[1] He and general manager Jerry Krause immediately butted heads over issues including his refusal to put Phil Jackson on his coaching staff, not benching Quintin Dailey for conduct issues, and most of all, not following the minutes restrictions set once Michael Jordan returned from injury. His exit from Chicago raised eyebrows around the NBA as his replacement, Doug Collins, had been hired by general manager Jerry Krause just 2 months beforehand as a scout. The hire of Collins was kept a secret from Albeck, who was "stunned" by the move and felt that there was "a lack of respect, dignity and sensitivity".[10] At the time of his dismissal, he had the fourth-best record among active NBA coaches.[10] His all-time coaching percentages was .535 in his 7 years as a head coach in the NBA.[1]

Albeck went on to serve as head coach for Bradley University, his alma mater, from 1986 through 1991.[11] During his tenure, the team finished the 1988 regular season in first place. They were also champions of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament and advanced to the NCAA tournament that same year.[12] Albeck was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, as well as a Significant Sig and a member of their Significant Sig Hall of Fame.[13]

After serving as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks, Albeck was an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors.[1] He suffered a debilitating stroke in December 2001, approximately half an hour before a home game against the Miami Heat.[14] This left him partially paralyzed and forced him to retire. He remained in rehabilitation until his death. He often attended games at AT&T Center with his son.[11]

Personal life

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Albeck married Phyllis L. Mann in 1952. Together, they had five children. They remained married until her death in 2017.[11]

Shortly after being placed in hospice care, Albeck died March 25, 2021, at the age of 89. He had suffered a stroke two weeks prior to his death.[11][15]

Head coaching record

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NBA

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Legend
Regular season G Games coached W Games won L Games lost W–L % Win–loss %
Playoffs PG Playoff games PW Playoff wins PL Playoff losses PW–L % Playoff win–loss %
Team Year G W L W–L% Finish PG PW PL PW–L% Result
Cleveland 1979–80 82 37 45 .451 4th in Central — — — — Missed Playoffs
San Antonio 1980–81 82 52 30 .634 1st in Midwest 7 3 4 .429 Lost in Conf. semifinals
San Antonio 1981–82 82 48 34 .585 1st in Midwest 9 4 5 444 Lost in Conf. Finals
San Antonio 1982–83 82 53 29 .646 1st in Midwest 11 6 5 .545 Lost in Conf. Finals
New Jersey 1983–84 82 45 37 .549 4th in Atlantic 11 5 6 .455 Lost in Conf. semifinals
New Jersey 1984–85 82 42 40 .512 3rd in Atlantic 3 0 3 .000 Lost in first round
Chicago 1985–86 82 30 52 .366 4th in Central 3 0 3 .000 Lost in first round
Career 574 307 267 .535 44 18 26 .409

Source:[1]

College

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Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Adrian Bulldogs (Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1956–1957)
1956–57 Adrian 16–5 3rd
Adrian: 16–5 (.762)
Northern Michigan Wildcats () (1957–1968)
1957–58 Northern Michigan 15–3 NAIA first round
1958–59 Northern Michigan 16–8 NAIA first round
1959–60 Northern Michigan 13–5
1960–61 Northern Michigan 24–3 NAIA Final Four
1961–62 Northern Michigan 14–9
1962–63 Northern Michigan 19–8 NAIA Elite Eight
1963–64 Northern Michigan 12–11
1964–65 Northern Michigan 19–6 NAIA first round
1965–66 Northern Michigan 16–6
1966–67 Northern Michigan 14–10
1967–68 Northern Michigan 16–8
Northern Michigan: 178–177 (.501)
Denver Pioneers (NCAA Division I independent) (1968–1970)
1968–69 Denver 2–24
1969–70 Denver 13–11
Denver: 15–35 (.300)
Bradley Braves (Missouri Valley Conference) (1986–1991)
1986–87 Bradley 17–12 10–4 2nd
1987–88 Bradley 26–5 12–2 1st NCAA First Round
1988–89 Bradley 13–14 7–7 4th
1989–90 Bradley 11–20 6–8 5th
1990–91 Bradley 8–20 6–10 7th
Bradley: 75–71 (.514)
Total: 284–288 (.497)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Stan Albeck Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Who's Who in the World 1987–1988 edition. p. 14
  3. ^ a b Remember the ABA: Denver Rockets
  4. ^ Remember the ABA: 1970–71 Regular Season Standings and Playoff Results
  5. ^ "Remember the ABA: Denver Rockets/Nuggets Year-by-Year Notes". Archived from the original on August 28, 2003. Retrieved March 5, 2007.
  6. ^ Remember the ABA: San Diego Conquistadors
  7. ^ "1974–75 Kentucky Colonels Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  8. ^ "1975–76 Kentucky Colonels Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  9. ^ "NBA Coaches of the Month". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  10. ^ a b Sakamoto, Bob (May 20, 1986). "Chicago Bulls fire first-year coach Stan Albeck in 1986, who was 'stunned': 'There was a lack of respect, dignity and sensitivity". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  11. ^ a b c d Osborn, Tom (March 25, 2021). "Former Spurs coach Stan Albeck dies at 89". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  12. ^ "Stan Albeck Coaching Record". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  13. ^ "Sigma Chi – Significant Sigs (Sports)". Sam Houston State University. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  14. ^ Osborn, Tom (March 25, 2021). "Former Spurs coach Stan Albeck in hospice care". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  15. ^ "Stan Albeck, longtime NBA coach, dies at 89 in hospice care". Associated Press. March 26, 2020. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
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