 | This article'slead sectionmay be too short to adequatelysummarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead toprovide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. The reason given is:His early coaching career is missing(April 2024) |
 Finch in 2023 | |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1969-11-06)November 6, 1969 (age 56) Cambridge, Ohio, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Wilson (West Lawn, Pennsylvania) |
| College | Franklin & Marshall (1988–1992) |
| NBA draft | 1992:undrafted |
| Playing career | 1993–1997 |
| Position | Shooting guard /small forward |
| Coaching career | 1997–present |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1993–1997 | Sheffield Forgers / Sharks |
Coaching | |
| 1997–2003 | Sheffield Sharks |
| 2003–2004 | Giessen 46ers |
| 2004–2007 | Euphony Bree |
| 2007–2009 | Dexia Mons-Hainaut |
| 2009–2011 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers |
| 2011–2016 | Houston Rockets (assistant) |
| 2016–2017 | Denver Nuggets (associate HC) |
| 2017–2020 | New Orleans Pelicans (associate HC) |
| 2020–2021 | Toronto Raptors (assistant) |
| 2021–present | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Chris Finch (born November 6, 1969)[1] is an American professionalbasketball coach and former player who is the head coach of theMinnesota Timberwolves of theNational Basketball Association (NBA).[2] He was previously an assistant coach for theHouston Rockets,Denver Nuggets,New Orleans Pelicans, andToronto Raptors.[3] Finch also worked as a coach overseas, where he won a championship in theBelgian League and the League Cup in theBritish Basketball League.
Finch is a 1992 graduate ofFranklin & Marshall College, where he was anNCAA Division III All-American in 1991 and 1992.[4] In 1991, as one of the best defenders in the nation's third division, he helped lead F&M to the NCAA Division III championship game, which it lost toWisconsin–Platteville. Finch ranks among the school's all-time leaders in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals.[5]
Finch began his playing career in England with theSheffield Forgers of the then-second tier of British basketball, theNational Basketball League. Before the 1994–95 season, Finch and Sheffield moved into the first tier of British basketball, theBritish Basketball League, as the renamedSheffield Sharks.
Finch started his head coaching career inEngland, with theSheffield Sharks of theBritish Basketball League, the same team he had played on during his pro career. He led them to several titles, making the franchise the most successful in league history. After winning the regular season title with Sheffield in the1998–99 season, he was named theBBL Coach of the Year.[1]
Finch then moved to Germany, where he was the head coach of theGiessen 46ers in the GermanBasketball Bundesliga. The team had a 4–13 record and was on the verge ofrelegation, and Finch was fired.
Finch moved to Belgium, where he was the head coach ofEuphony Bree. He led Bree to its first and onlyBelgian Basketball League championship in 2005.[6]
In 2007, Finch moved to Euphony Bree's Belgian Basketball League rival,Dexia Mons-Hainaut, bringing several players with him and his assistant coachJohan Roijakkers. With Finch in charge, Dexia Mons-Hainaut reached the final of theEuroChallenge 2007–08, where it lost toBK Barons Riga by one point.[7]
In 2009, Finch became the head coach of theRio Grande Valley Vipers of theNBA D-League. Under Finch, the Vipers went 34–16, finishing first in the Western Conference, and earned the franchise's first playoff berth. In the playoffs, the Vipers beat bothReno andAustin in three games, and sweptTulsa in the finals to earn the franchise'sfirst championship. Finch was named theD-League Coach of Year.[8]
On July 14, 2011, theHouston Rockets hired Finch as an assistant coach.[9] AfterKevin McHale was fired in 2015 andJ. B. Bickerstaff replaced him on an interim basis, Finch was named associate head coach.[10]
On September 14, 2016, theDenver Nuggets hired Finch as an assistant coach alongsideMichael Malone.[11]
On June 6, 2017, theNew Orleans Pelicans hired Finch as an assistant coach alongsideAlvin Gentry.[12] On November 16, 2020, Finch was not retained by the Pelicans.[13]
On December 4, 2020, Finch was officially announced as a new member of the coaching staff for theToronto Raptors, where he served as assistant coach toNick Nurse, who had served under him at the2012 Summer Olympics.[14]
On February 22, 2021, theMinnesota Timberwolves named Finch the team's new head coach.[15][16] In his first full season, he led the Timberwolves to a 46–36 finish and their first playoff berth since 2018. He received four 3rd-place votes for2021–22NBA Coach of the Year.[17] On April 11, 2022, he signed a multi-year extension.[18]
On February 4, 2024, he was named the head coach of theWestern Conference at the2024 NBA All-Star Game.[19] On April 21, 2024, Finch was named a top three finalist for NBA Coach of the Year. With 1:41 remaining in Game 4 of the Timberwolves' 2024first-round series victory over thePhoenix Suns, Finch suffered apatellar tendon rupture after Timberwolves guardMike Conley Jr. collided with him. Conley was fouled and forced into Finch by Phoenix Suns guardDevin Booker. Assistant coachMicah Nori took over as interim head coach for the remainder of the game.[20]
Finch then led the Timberwolves to the largest Game 7 comeback in NBA history, overcoming a 20-point deficit to beat the reigning championDenver Nuggets. They went on to fall to theDallas Mavericks 4 to 1 in the Western Conference Finals.[21] On June 24, 2024, he signed a multi-year extension.[22]
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
| Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 2020–21 | 41 | 16 | 25 | .390 | 4th inNorthwest | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Minnesota | 2021–22 | 82 | 46 | 36 | .561 | 3rd in Northwest | 6 | 2 | 4 | .333 | Lost infirst round |
| Minnesota | 2022–23 | 82 | 42 | 40 | .512 | 2nd in Northwest | 5 | 1 | 4 | .200 | Lost infirst round |
| Minnesota | 2023–24 | 82 | 56 | 26 | .683 | 3rd in Northwest | 16 | 9 | 7 | .563 | Lost inconference finals |
| Minnesota | 2024–25 | 82 | 49 | 33 | .598 | 3rd in Northwest | 15 | 9 | 6 | .600 | Lost inconference finals |
| Career | 369 | 209 | 160 | .566 | 42 | 21 | 21 | .500 | |||
Finch also coached theGreat Britain men's national team at theFIBAEuroBasket 2009,FIBA EuroBasket 2011, and the2012 Summer Olympics. He resigned after his team was eliminated from the Olympics to focus on his NBA coaching career.[23]