After his playing career ended, Bernie Bickerstaff began a coaching career that last over five different decades before coming to an end in 2014. He began his coaching career as an assistant at University of San Diego in 1968, and was hired just one year later at the age of 25. Bickerstaff spent four seasons as head coach, before moving to the NBA as an assistant for the Washington Bullets in 1973. He would spend 12 years as an assistant before finally being hired as the head coach of the Seattle Supersonics in 1895. He stayed in Seattle until 1990s, when he was hired by the Denver Nuggets to be their General Manager and President. Bickerstaff also coached the team from 1994 to 1997, before being fired just 13 games into the year.
Shortly after, Bickerstaff was hired by the Washington Bullets, leading them to playoffs in 1998. He left the organization in 1999, after finishing sixth in the Atlantic Division.
In 2003, he would be named the first head coach of the expansion Charlotte Bobcats, where he would remain until 2007. He finished his coaching career being an assistant coach for a handful of NBA teams.
At the time of his retirement, Bickerstaff amassed a record of 419 wins and 518 losses.
(Cavaliers: Bernie Bickerstaff comments on black history)
"I'm not interested in the bottom-feeding guys. They guys that aren't in the playoffs, we're all bottom feeders."
"This year is getting ridiculous. I've never seen anything like this. I guess I won't be able to say that again because we're experiencing it now."
"We can sum it up real easy. Coaches , players, we were just real bad. It's just that simple. There's nothing we could have done. It was one of those days where we just kind of fumigated the place. We were not very good."
Additional Information
Remembering the Bernie Bickerstaff Era
Bernie Bickerstaff receives 2014 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award
(Page researched and written by Sean Ellertson)
