Bill Blair (basketball)

Bill Blair

Personal information
Born	(1942-05-17) May 17, 1942 (age 81) Hazard, Kentucky, U.S.
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	175 lb (79 kg)
Career information
High school	Randolph-Macon Academy (Front Royal, Virginia)
College	VMI (1961–1964)
NBA draft	1964: 4th round, 97th overall pick
Selected by the St. Louis Hawks
Coaching career	1967–2001
Career history
As coach:
1967–1969	E.C. Glass HS (assistant)
1969–1970	George Wythe HS
1970–1972	VMI (assistant)
1972–1976	VMI
1976–1981	Colorado
1981–1983	New Jersey Nets (assistant)
1983	New Jersey Nets
1983–1985	Chicago Bulls (assistant)
1986–1991	Washington Bullets (assistant)
1991–1993	Indiana Pacers (assistant)
1993–1995	Minnesota Timberwolves
1996–1998	Indiana Pacers (assistant)
1999–2001	Cleveland Cavaliers (assistant)
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com

William Henry Blair Jr. (born May 17, 1942^[1]) is an American retired basketball coach. Blair is the only person to have played on and then later coached THE SAME TEAM, The Virginia Military Institute, VMI, to the Southern Conference Championship Title and the NCAA tournament. Bill was the captain of the 1964 team that won the Southern Conference Championship and went on to the NCAA tournament, then returned as the coach of VMI in 1973. In 1976, he led VMI again, this time as their coach, to the Southern conference championship and went to the “Elite Eight” in the NCAA tournament. Not only is he the only player / coach to accomplish this with any team, but it is even more impressive that he did it with a military academy.

Blair worked twenty seasons in the National Basketball Association, beginning in New Jersey with the New Jersey Nets, and continuing to the Chicago Bulls, under Kevin Loughery, helping to draft Michael Jordan. He then moved to the Washington Bullets under Wes Unseld, and next the Indiana Pacers under Larry Brown—coaching spectacular teams with Reggie Miller at the helm. In 1993, he became the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, then returned to the Pacers, and finally finished his career under Randy Whitman at the Cleveland Cavaliers.^[2]

Blair is a 1960 graduate of Randolph-Macon Academy where he starred on the best basketball team the school ever had.^{[citation needed]} He made the starting five as a sophomore and was the high scorer his senior year in a season when they lost only one game which he and three other starters missed. When next they played the same school they doubled their opponent's point total.^{[citation needed]} He scored 49 points in one game which is the school record. He played college ball at VMI where he led them to their first NCAA appearance in 32 years as their high scorer. In 1964 Blair was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks in the 4th round, but had to complete his military service of two years.^[3] While in the Army serving in Korea, he played AND coached the 8th Army Division team which won the Korean championship and the Asian-Pacific Championship in Okinawa. He toured with the Army All Star team and won the Armed Forces Inter-service championships in 1966.^{[citation needed]}

After two stints at Virginia high schools, he returned to VMI as an assistant, then a head coach. Blair led the Keydets to an NCAA tournament berth and an Elite 8 appearance.^[4] After a five-year stint with the Colorado Buffaloes, he moved on to the NBA. He is now retired and enjoying life with his family. Coach Bill Blair is the only college coach to both play in and coach the same team to the Southern Conference Championship and the NCAA tournament. He played (and Captained) VMI in 1964 and let them to the Southern Conference Championship and into the NCAA tournament, then returned as the head coach and in 1976 led them to the Southern Conference Championship and to the "Elite Eight" in the NCAA Tournament.

Head coaching record

College

^[4][5]

NBA

References

This page was last edited on 10 April 2024, at 10:01