NBA Washington Wizards

Washington Wizards: Top 5 Coaches In Team History

Washington Wizards: Top 5 Coaches In Team History

Washington Wizards
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Change has been an ongoing theme for the Washington Wizards during their 53 years in existence. After starting out as the Chicago Packers in 1961 and proceeding at various junctures to become the Chicago Zephyrs, Baltimore Bullets, Capital Bullets, Washington Bullets and finally the Wizards, Washington has seen plenty of changes over the years. Here are the top five coaches in Wizards history.

5. Kevin Loughery

Kevin Loughery
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5. Kevin Loughery

Kevin Loughery
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Kevin Loughery only coached Washington for three years between 1985 and 1988, but still managed to take his team to the playoffs in each season. He left the franchise during the 1987-88 campaign that resulted in a second-place finish in the Atlantic Division.

4. Eddie Jordan

Eddie Jordan
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4. Eddie Jordan

Eddie Jordan
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Eddie Jordan took over from Doug Collins in 2003 and proceeded to take Washington to the playoffs for four straight seasons before leaving the team during the 2008-09 campaign. In his five full seasons as Wizards coach, Washington went 196-214.

3. K.C. Jones

K.C. Jones
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3. K.C. Jones

K.C. Jones
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K.C. Jones inherited a playoff team from Gene Shue in 1973 and promptly posted three of the most successful seasons in franchise history. Jones’ 1975 team set a franchise record in wins with 60 and advanced to the NBA Finals, where they fell to the Golden State Warriors. In his three years, Jones and the Bullets went 155-91 for a .641 winning percentage.

2. Gene Shue

Gene Shue
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2. Gene Shue

Gene Shue
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Gene Shue is the winningest coach in franchise history, racking up more than 450 wins during his two stints on the Bullets bench. Shue’s teams qualified for the playoffs eight times in his 11-plus seasons, including going to the NBA Finals in 1971 before losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in four games.

1. Dick Motta

Dick Motta
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1. Dick Motta

Dick Motta
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A storied NBA coach, Dick Motta led the Bullets for four seasons from 1976 to 1980. During his time in Washington, the Bullets went 185-143, made back-to-back trips to the NBA Finals, and claimed the franchise’s only NBA Championship in 1978, when the Bullets defeated Seattle in seven games.

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