Alvin Gentry
Encyclopedia
Alvin Gentry is an American professional basketball
coach, and college basketball player, who has led four different NBA teams. He served as an interim coach for the Miami Heat
at the end of the 1995 season, and later coached the Detroit Pistons
and the Los Angeles Clippers
. He is currently the head coach for the Phoenix Suns
.
, where he grew up and attended Shelby High School
. His first cousin is former NC State and NBA star David Thompson
.
Gentry played college basketball
at Appalachian State University
under Press Maravich
and Bobby Cremins
. In 1978 he spent one year as a graduate assistant at the University of Colorado
. He also was an assistant coach at Baylor University
under Gene Iba
in 1980. After one year Gentry joined the University of Colorado staff. Gentry served as an assistant at the University of Kansas
under Larry Brown
, where they won the 1988 NCAA National Championship.
While in Colorado Gentry married his first wife, Pat Sue DeLuca. They have one daughter, Alexis. Gentry and DeLuca divorced in 1986 after five years of marriage.
In 1989 he began his NBA coaching career as an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs
under Larry Brown
. It was in San Antonio that Gentry met his future/current wife, Suzanne Harris. They have two children, Ryan and Jack.
Gentry joined Gregg Popovich
, R. C. Buford
, and Ed Manning
as part of Larry Brown's assistant coaching staff for the Spurs when Brown left Kansas before the 1988–1989 NBA season.
After two seasons in San Antonio
, Gentry left to become an assistant for the Los Angeles Clippers
beginning in the 1990–91 season. For the 1991 season Gentry joined Kevin Loughery
's staff as an assistant coach for the Miami Heat
, where he coached for three seasons. He then moved to Detroit following the 1994-95 season where he served as an assistant for two and a half seasons before being named head coach late in the 1997–98 season.
Gentry briefly returned to San Antonio as head assistant coach following the 1999–2000 season, where he was reunited with former co-assistants Gregg Popovich
(the Spurs head coach and vice president of basketball operations) and R.C. Buford (the Spurs General Manager). But that assignment was brief, as Gentry accepted the head coaching position for the Los Angeles Clippers weeks after taking the San Antonio job. He did a solid job with the Clippers his first two years, leading them to 31 wins and 39 wins respectively in those two seasons. Those seasons were marked by the solid play of youngsters, such as Darius Miles
, Elton Brand
and Lamar Odom
. In Gentry's third season, however, the team regressed (despite the addition of Andre Miller
), and Gentry was fired in February 2003.
Gentry later became an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns for six years, serving under head coaches Mike D'Antoni
and Terry Porter
. When Porter was fired in his first season as head coach, Alvin Gentry took over on an interim basis. He was named Suns' head coach for the 2009-2010 season. Gentry's record in his first year as head coach during the 2009-2010 season was 54-28. The Suns made it to the Western Conference Finals and lost to the Lakers in six games.
| align="left" |MIA
| align="left" |
|36||15||21||.417|| align="center" |4th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |DET
| align="left" |
|37||16||21||.432|| align="center" |6th in Central||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |DET
| align="left" |
|50||29||21||.580|| align="center" |3rd in Central||5||2||3||.400
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-
| align="left" |DET
| align="left" |
|58||28||30||.483|| align="center" |—||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |—
|-
| align="left" |LAC
| align="left" |
|82||31||51||.378|| align="center" |6th in Pacific||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |LAC
| align="left" |
|82||39||43||.476|| align="center" |5th in Pacific||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |LAC
| align="left" |
|58||19||39||.328|| align="center" |(fired)||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |—
|-
| align="left" |PHX
| align="left" |
|31||18||13||.581|| align="center" |2nd in Pacific||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |PHX
| align="left" |
|82||54||28||.659|| align="center" |2nd in Pacific||16||10||6||.625
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Finals
|-
| align="left" |PHX
| align="left" |
|82||40||42||.488|| align="center" |2nd in Pacific||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |Career
| ||598||289||309||.483|| ||21||12||9||.571
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach, and college basketball player, who has led four different NBA teams. He served as an interim coach for the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
at the end of the 1995 season, and later coached the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
and the Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
. He is currently the head coach for the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
.
Biography
He was born in Shelby, North CarolinaShelby, North Carolina
Shelby is a city in Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 19,477 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Cleveland County.-Geography:Shelby is located at ....
, where he grew up and attended Shelby High School
Shelby High School
Shelby High School is the name of several high schools in the United States:* Shelby High School , in Shelby, Oceana County, Michigan* Shelby High School , in Shelby, Nebraska...
. His first cousin is former NC State and NBA star David Thompson
David Thompson (basketball)
David O'Neil Thompson is a former American professional basketball star with the Denver Nuggets of both the National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association , as well as the Seattle SuperSonics...
.
Gentry played college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
at Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University is a comprehensive , public, coeducational university located in Boone, North Carolina, United States. Appalachian State, also referred to as Appalachian, App State, or simply App, is the sixth largest institution in the University of North Carolina system...
under Press Maravich
Press Maravich
Petar "Press" Maravich was an American college and professional basketball coach. He received the nickname "Press" for always having gossip-styled updates in his hometown of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, a Pittsburgh suburb. Maravich Sr...
and Bobby Cremins
Bobby Cremins
Bobby Cremins is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the College of Charleston's men's basketball team, and former head coach at Appalachian State and Georgia Tech.-Early years:...
. In 1978 he spent one year as a graduate assistant at the University of Colorado
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
. He also was an assistant coach at Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
under Gene Iba
Gene Iba
Gene Iba is an American college basketball coach and the current Pittsburg State University Gorillas men's basketball coach. He was head coach of the Baylor Bears team from 1985 to 1992 and at the Houston Baptist University from 1977 to 1985. He plans to retire at the end of the 2010–11 season...
in 1980. After one year Gentry joined the University of Colorado staff. Gentry served as an assistant at the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
under Larry Brown
Larry Brown (basketball)
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown is an American basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Bobcats....
, where they won the 1988 NCAA National Championship.
While in Colorado Gentry married his first wife, Pat Sue DeLuca. They have one daughter, Alexis. Gentry and DeLuca divorced in 1986 after five years of marriage.
In 1989 he began his NBA coaching career as an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
under Larry Brown
Larry Brown (basketball)
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown is an American basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Bobcats....
. It was in San Antonio that Gentry met his future/current wife, Suzanne Harris. They have two children, Ryan and Jack.
Gentry joined Gregg Popovich
Gregg Popovich
Gregg Popovich is an American basketball coach, and is currently the head coach of the National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs. With the resignation of Jerry Sloan as head coach of the Utah Jazz on February 10, 2011, Popovich is the longest tenured coach in the NBA and also the...
, R. C. Buford
R. C. Buford
R. C. Buford is the general manager of the San Antonio Spurs NBA basketball team. He was given the title by his predecessor, Gregg Popovich, in 2002 after five seasons as team president. He is also the president of sports franchises for Spurs Sports & Entertainment.Buford played college basketball...
, and Ed Manning
Ed Manning
Edward R. Manning was an American professional basketball player and college and NBA assistant coach. He was the father of former NBA player Danny Manning....
as part of Larry Brown's assistant coaching staff for the Spurs when Brown left Kansas before the 1988–1989 NBA season.
After two seasons in San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
, Gentry left to become an assistant for the Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
beginning in the 1990–91 season. For the 1991 season Gentry joined Kevin Loughery
Kevin Loughery
Kevin Michael Loughery is an American former professional basketball player and coach.-Career Biography:...
's staff as an assistant coach for the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
, where he coached for three seasons. He then moved to Detroit following the 1994-95 season where he served as an assistant for two and a half seasons before being named head coach late in the 1997–98 season.
Gentry briefly returned to San Antonio as head assistant coach following the 1999–2000 season, where he was reunited with former co-assistants Gregg Popovich
Gregg Popovich
Gregg Popovich is an American basketball coach, and is currently the head coach of the National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs. With the resignation of Jerry Sloan as head coach of the Utah Jazz on February 10, 2011, Popovich is the longest tenured coach in the NBA and also the...
(the Spurs head coach and vice president of basketball operations) and R.C. Buford (the Spurs General Manager). But that assignment was brief, as Gentry accepted the head coaching position for the Los Angeles Clippers weeks after taking the San Antonio job. He did a solid job with the Clippers his first two years, leading them to 31 wins and 39 wins respectively in those two seasons. Those seasons were marked by the solid play of youngsters, such as Darius Miles
Darius Miles
Darius LaVar Miles is an American professional basketball player.The , small forward was selected directly out of high school by the Los Angeles Clippers with the 3rd overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft...
, Elton Brand
Elton Brand
Elton Tyron Brand is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association...
and Lamar Odom
Lamar Odom
Lamar Joseph Odom is an American professional basketball forward with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association.-Early life:...
. In Gentry's third season, however, the team regressed (despite the addition of Andre Miller
Andre Miller
Andre Lloyd Miller is an American professional basketball player, currently with the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association.- College career :...
), and Gentry was fired in February 2003.
Gentry later became an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns for six years, serving under head coaches Mike D'Antoni
Mike D'Antoni
Michael Andrew "Mike" D'Antoni is an Italian-American former basketball player and is currently the head coach of the NBA's New York Knicks. While head coach of the Phoenix Suns, he won NBA Coach of the Year honors for the 2004–05 NBA season after the Suns posted 33 more wins than the previous...
and Terry Porter
Terry Porter
Terry Porter is an American professional basketball coach and former player in the National Basketball Association . A native of Wisconsin, he played college basketball at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point before being drafted 24th by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1985 NBA Draft...
. When Porter was fired in his first season as head coach, Alvin Gentry took over on an interim basis. He was named Suns' head coach for the 2009-2010 season. Gentry's record in his first year as head coach during the 2009-2010 season was 54-28. The Suns made it to the Western Conference Finals and lost to the Lakers in six games.
Coaching record
|-| align="left" |MIA
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
| align="left" |
|36||15||21||.417|| align="center" |4th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |DET
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
| align="left" |
|37||16||21||.432|| align="center" |6th in Central||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |DET
| align="left" |
|50||29||21||.580|| align="center" |3rd in Central||5||2||3||.400
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
1999 NBA Playoffs
The 1999 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1998-99 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs by defeating the eighth-seeded Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks four games to one...
|-
| align="left" |DET
| align="left" |
|58||28||30||.483|| align="center" |—||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |—
|-
| align="left" |LAC
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
| align="left" |
|82||31||51||.378|| align="center" |6th in Pacific||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |LAC
| align="left" |
|82||39||43||.476|| align="center" |5th in Pacific||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |LAC
| align="left" |
|58||19||39||.328|| align="center" |(fired)||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |—
|-
| align="left" |PHX
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
| align="left" |
|31||18||13||.581|| align="center" |2nd in Pacific||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |PHX
| align="left" |
|82||54||28||.659|| align="center" |2nd in Pacific||16||10||6||.625
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Finals
2010 NBA Playoffs
The 2010 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2009–10 season. The playoffs started on April 17, 2010 with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
|-
| align="left" |PHX
| align="left" |
|82||40||42||.488|| align="center" |2nd in Pacific||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |Career
| ||598||289||309||.483|| ||21||12||9||.571