Hall-of-Fame NBA coach Bill Fitch, who coached the Boston Celtics to a championship in 1981, passed away Thursday at the age of 89.
Fitch is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year and was recently declared one of the Top 10 Coaches In NBA History. He has the 11th most wins ever by a coach with 944.
The Celtics released the following statement on Fitch's death:
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Coming off of a 29-win season in 1979, the Celtics had experienced the two worst seasons in the team’s history. But a promising rookie named Larry Bird was set to arrive, and Red Auerbach knew the franchise was at a critical crossroads. He decided to hire Bill Fitch as the head coach, and as was so often the case, Red made the right call. Fitch’s deep knowledge of the game, toughness, and dry wit made him a perfect fit for Boston and the Celtics. Fitch had already built a reputation as a turnaround artist, and his ability to get the best out of his players paid immediate dividends as Fitch orchestrated what was at the time the best turnaround in NBA history, vaulting to a 61-21 record. An offseason trade brought Robert Parish and rookie Kevin McHale to Boston, and they paired with Bird and Cedric Maxwell to form a dominant frontcourt that Fitch led to the Celtics’ 14th banner in 1981 and established a foundation for the team’s brilliant championship run in the 1980s. His record in four years as head coach of the Celtic was a stellar 242-86, a .738 winning percentage. Fitch was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019. The Celtics family mourns his loss as we celebrate his legacy.
The NBA world honored Fitch with an outpouring of tributes on social media:
Fitch began his head coaching career as the first coach Cleveland Cavaliers for their inaugural season in 1970. He led the Cavs to the playoffs three times during his nine-year tenure, including the "Miracle of Richfield" team that made it to the Eastern Conference Finals with 49 wins.
In 1979, Fitch took over for Dave Cowens as head coach of the Celtics. His first season in Boston was also the first for C's legend Larry Bird. Fitch won his second Coach of the Year award after a 61-win season and followed that up with an NBA title in 1980-81.
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After leaving the Celtics in 1983, Fitch spent his next five seasons with the Houston Rockets. He finished his coaching career with the New Jersey Nets (1989-92) and Los Angeles Clippers (1994-98), and he was elected to the National Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.