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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1939-02-21)February 21, 1939 (age 86) Philadelphia,Pennsylvania,U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Career information | |
| High school | West Catholic Preparatory (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| College | Saint Joseph's (1958–1961) |
| NBA draft | 1961:undrafted |
| Position | Guard |
| Coaching career | 1970–2014 |
| Career history | |
| As coach: | |
| 1970–1979 | La Salle (men's) |
| 1979 | Los Angeles Lakers (assistant) |
| 1979–1981 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1982–1983 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1985–1990 | Loyola Marymount (men's) |
| 1990–1992 | Denver Nuggets |
| 1993–1997 | George Mason (men's) |
| 1997–1999 | Golden State Warriors (assistant) |
| 2000–2001 | Los Angeles Stars |
| 2001–2003 | Panasonic Super Kangaroos |
| 2003 | Long Beach Jam |
| 2003–2005 | Orlando Magic (assistant) |
| 2006–2007 | Phoenix Mercury |
| 2007–2009 | Seattle SuperSonics /Oklahoma City Thunder (assistant) |
| 2009–2014 | Oregon (women's) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As head coach:
| |
| Career coaching record | |
| NBA | 183–224 (.450) |
| WNBA | 41–27 (.603) |
| College (men's) | 285–223 (.561) |
| College (women's) | 66–92 (.418) |
Record atBasketball Reference  | |
Paul William Westhead (born February 21, 1939) is an American formerbasketball coach. He was the head coach for threeNational Basketball Association (NBA) teams and an assistant for four others, and also coached in theNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA),Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA),American Basketball Association (ABA), andJapan Basketball League (JBL). In his first year as an NBA head coach, he led a rookieMagic Johnson and theLos Angeles Lakers to the1980 NBA Finals, which they won in six games for the team's first title in eight years. Westhead won titles in both the NBA and WNBA, and he is also remembered as the coach of theLoyola Marymount University (LMU) men's basketball team. Westhead is known for an unorthodox,run-and-gun style called "The System." He was nicknamed "The Professor" due to his former career as an English teacher prior to coaching and his tendency to quoteShakespeare and other literary sources while coaching. He attendedSaint Joseph's University.
Westhead's first assistant coaching role was at St. Joseph's under head coachJack McKinney, who became as assistant at the school during Westhead'ssenior year.[1]
Westhead started his coaching career atCheltenham High School in suburban Philadelphia; in 1968, he coached the Panthers to a loss in the Pennsylvania state championship.[2] One of his players at Cheltenham was futureUniversity of Virginia Athletic DirectorCraig Littlepage.[3]
Westhead coached theLa Salle Universitymen's basketball team starting in 1970 while also teaching as a professor in the English department. Westhead led theExplorers to oneNIT and twoNCAA tournament appearances in nine seasons (1970–1979). He finished with a record of 142–105.
Westhead started his NBA head coaching career by succeeding McKinney as coach of theLos Angeles Lakers after serving briefly as his assistant (Westhead initially became interim head coach after McKinney was hospitalized due to a serious bicycle accident). With rookie guardMagic Johnson and longtime starKareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Lakers won the1980 NBA Finals in Westhead's first year as coach, defeating Philadelphia in six games for the first title in theirShowtime era. However, the team lost in the playoffs the next year to theMoses Malone-ledHouston Rockets. Tensions grew between Westhead and Magic Johnson, as Johnson wanted Westhead to implement a fast-break offense involving all five players that better suited his style of play, while Westhead was insistent to continue running an isolation style offense centered on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Westhead was fired early in his third season with the Lakers, and replaced withPat Riley (whom Westhead had hired as an assistant). It is commonly believed that Magic Johnson orchestrated Westhead's ouster. A 1987 book calledWinnin' Times (about the Lakers' franchise history) indicated that Lakers ownerJerry Buss wanted to fire Westhead several days prior to the actual occurrence, which is not mutually exclusive of the notion that Johnson had orchestrated it. In 1982, Buss said, "The irony, which makes what Magic did unfortunate, is that I had already decided to fire him. But I don't think anyone will ever totally believe that."[4] Westhead finished his Lakers stint with a 111–50 record.
Westhead was the head coach of theChicago Bulls for the1982–83 season, but lasted only one season as the Bulls went 28–54. Prior to that season, the Bulls traded all-star centerArtis Gilmore to theSan Antonio Spurs, and the franchise was still two years away from the debut ofMichael Jordan.
Westhead returned to the college ranks, and took over as the head coach of theLoyola Marymount Lions men's basketball program. From 1985 to 1990, Westhead oversaw an impressive run in which Loyola Marymount, despite being a smaller school and not a traditional NCAA basketball power, became a legitimate contender in NCAA hoops. Westhead lured star players likeHank Gathers andBo Kimble, who both transferred fromUSC, and Loyola Marymount set several NCAA records with their up-tempo, run-and-gun style.
From 1988 to 1990, Westhead's teams went 27–3, 20–10 and 23–5 respectively, earning NCAA tournament berths each year. Gathers led the NCAA in scoring and rebounding (32.7 ppg, 13.7 rpg) in 1989 and Kimble led the NCAA in scoring in 1990 (35.3 ppg). After the on-court death of Gathers in its conference tournament, LMU went on an inspired run in theNCAA tournament in 1990 that captured the attention of the entirecollege basketball world for those weeks. The Lions blew out defending championMichigan in the 2nd round and made it to the Regional Final round before losing to eventual national champion, the UNLV Runnin' Rebels, by 30 points.
Westhead's teams ledDivision I in scoring in 1988 (110.3 points per game), 1989 (112.5), and 1990 (122.4).[5] LMU's 122.4 point per game in 1990 remains the NCAA record as of 2023.[6] As of April 2012, Loyola Marymount held the five highest combined score games in Division I history. Four of the five occurred during Westhead's career, including a record 331 in the 181–150 win overUnited States International University on January 31, 1989.[7]
After the 1989–1990 season, Westhead left LMU for the NBA'sDenver Nuggets, a position he held for two seasons. His tenure in Denver was best known for attempting to incorporate therun-and-gun offense that worked for LMU to the NBA.
However, while the 1990–91 Nuggets averaged a league-best 119.9 points per game in1990–91, they also surrendered an NBA record 130.8 points per game. Their opponents never scored fewer than 100 points in any game, and only four opponents failed to score at least 110 points.[8] They gave up 107 points in a single half to thePhoenix Suns, which remains an NBA record. Under Westhead, the Nuggets were sometimes called the "Enver Nuggets" (as in no "D", or no defense). The next year the Nuggets draftedDikembe Mutombo, who made the All-Star team, and played at a more conservative pace scoring just 2 points per game. However, they only improved to 24 wins, largely because they continued to give up points so quickly that even their prolific offense could not keep up. Westhead was fired after posting a combined two-year record of 44–120.
Following his tenure with the Nuggets, Westhead returned to college coaching as the head coach ofGeorge Mason University from 1993 to 1997. This time, Westhead's run-and-gun style did not succeed at the college level, ending his tenure at Mason with a 38–70 record. Westhead was succeeded at Mason byJim Larranaga after the 1996–1997 season.
From 1997 to 1999, Westhead was an assistant coach with theGolden State Warriors under head coachP. J. Carlesimo.[9]
Westhead was the head coach of theLos Angeles Stars in the inaugural season of the new ABA in 2000–2001.[10]
Westhead was the head coach of thePanasonic Super Kangaroos of theJapan Basketball League from 2001 to 2003.[11]
Westhead returned to theABA as the head coach of Long Beach Jam in 2003. He coached the team for only one game before returning to the NBA.[12]
From 2003 to 2005, Westhead was an assistant coach with theOrlando Magic under head coachJohnny Davis.
In 2005, Westhead was hired as the head coach of theWNBA'sPhoenix Mercury, a position that he held until the 2007 WNBA season concluded. In 2007, Westhead coached the Mercury to a WNBA championship, making him the only coach to win a championship in the NBA and the WNBA. Led byDiana Taurasi, the Mercury won using Westhead's fast-paced approach.[13]
On September 27, 2007, he agreed to a contract with the NBA'sSeattle SuperSonics to be an assistant coach under longtime friendP. J. Carlesimo. Following the season, the franchise moved toOklahoma City and was renamed theThunder. When Carlesimo was relieved of his duties on November 21, 2008, Westhead was also released as an assistant at that time.[14]
On March 26, 2009, University of Oregon Athletic DirectorPat Kilkenny introduced Paul Westhead as the Ducks' newest head coach. As the sixth head coach in the history of Oregon women's basketball, this was Westhead's first job as head coach of an NCAA women's program (although he had coached women's teams at the professional level before).
On March 4, 2014, the University of Oregon announced that they would not renew Westhead's contract, which expired March 31, 2014. Westhead was 65–90 overall at Oregon and 27–64 in conference play in five seasons. Westhead's Oregon contract was worth more than $3 million for five years, with his final season earning him $675,000.[15]
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Salle Explorers(Middle Atlantic Conferences)(1970–1974) | |||||||||
| 1970–71 | La Salle | 20–7 | 5–1 | 2nd(East) | NIT first round | ||||
| 1971–72 | La Salle | 6–19 | 2–4 | T–4th(East) | |||||
| 1972–73 | La Salle | 15–10 | 3–3 | 4th(East) | |||||
| 1973–74 | La Salle | 18–10 | 5–1 | T–1st(East) | |||||
| La Salle Explorers(East Coast Conference)(1974–1979) | |||||||||
| 1974–75 | La Salle | 22–7 | 5–1 | T–1st(East) | NCAA Division I first round | ||||
| 1975–76 | La Salle | 11–15 | 1–4 | T–5th(East) | |||||
| 1976–77 | La Salle | 17–12 | 3–2 | 3rd(East) | |||||
| 1977–78 | La Salle | 18–12 | 5–0 | 1st(East) | NCAA Division I first round | ||||
| 1978–79 | La Salle | 15–13 | 10–3 | 3rd(East) | |||||
| La Salle: | 142–105 (.575) | ||||||||
| Loyola Marymount Lions(West Coast Conference)(1985–1990) | |||||||||
| 1985–86 | Loyola Marymount | 19–11 | 10–4 | 2nd | NIT second round | ||||
| 1986–87 | Loyola Marymount | 12–16 | 4–10 | 8th | |||||
| 1987–88 | Loyola Marymount | 28–4 | 14–0 | 1st | NCAA Division I second round | ||||
| 1988–89 | Loyola Marymount | 20–11 | 10–4 | T–2nd | NCAA Division I first round | ||||
| 1989–90 | Loyola Marymount | 26–6 | 13–1 | 1st | NCAA Division I Elite Eight | ||||
| Loyola Marymount: | 105–48 (.686) | 51–19 (.729) | |||||||
| George Mason Patriots(Colonial Athletic Association)(1993–1997) | |||||||||
| 1993–94 | George Mason | 10–17 | 5–9 | T–6th | |||||
| 1994–95 | George Mason | 7–20 | 2–12 | 8th | |||||
| 1995–96 | George Mason | 11–16 | 6–10 | T–6th | |||||
| 1996–97 | George Mason | 10–17 | 4–12 | 9th | |||||
| George Mason: | 38–70 (.352) | 17–44 (.279) | |||||||
| Total: | 285–223 (.561) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion | |||||||||
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 1979–80 | 68 | 50 | 18 | .735 | 1st in Pacific | 16 | 12 | 4 | .750 | WonNBA Championship |
| Los Angeles | 1980–81 | 82 | 54 | 28 | .659 | 2nd in Pacific | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | Lost infirst round |
| Los Angeles | 1981–82 | 11 | 7 | 4 | .636 | (fired) | – | – | – | – | – |
| Chicago | 1982–83 | 82 | 28 | 54 | .341 | 4th in Central | – | – | – | – | Missed Playoffs |
| Denver | 1990–91 | 82 | 20 | 62 | .244 | 7th in Midwest | – | – | – | – | Missed Playoffs |
| Denver | 1991–92 | 82 | 24 | 58 | .293 | 4th in Midwest | – | – | – | – | Missed Playoffs |
| Career | 407 | 183 | 224 | .450 | 19 | 13 | 6 | .684 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHX | 2006 | 34 | 18 | 16 | .529 | 5th in West | – | – | – | – | Missed Playoffs |
| PHX | 2007 | 34 | 23 | 11 | .676 | 1st in West | 9 | 7 | 2 | .778 | WonWNBA Finals |
| Career | 68 | 41 | 27 | .603 | 9 | 7 | 3 | .778 |
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon Ducks(Pacific-10/Pac-12 Conference)(2009–2014) | |||||||||
| 2009–10 | Oregon | 18–16 | 7–11 | T–6th | WNIT third round | ||||
| 2010–11 | Oregon | 13–17 | 4–14 | 9th | |||||
| 2011–12 | Oregon | 15–16 | 7–11 | 9th | |||||
| 2012–13 | Oregon | 4–27 | 2–16 | 12th | |||||
| 2013–14 | Oregon | 16–16 | 6–12 | 10th | WNIT second round | ||||
| Oregon: | 66–92 (.418) | 26–64 (.289) | |||||||
| Total: | 66–92 (.418) | ||||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |