 Malone in 2008 as Orlando Magic assistant coach | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1935-04-21)April 21, 1935 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | October 10, 2023(2023-10-10) (aged 88) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Rice (Harlem, New York) |
| College | Iona (1958–1962) |
| Coaching career | 1967–2016 |
| Career history | |
| As coach: | |
| 1967–1970 | Power Memorial Academy (JV) |
| 1970–1976 | Power Memorial Academy |
| 1976–1977 | Fordham (assistant) |
| 1977–1978 | Yale (assistant) |
| 1978–1984 | Syracuse (assistant) |
| 1984–1986 | Rhode Island |
| 1986–1988 | New York Knicks (assistant) |
| 1988–1995 | Detroit Pistons (assistant) |
| 1995–1996 | Toronto Raptors |
| 1996–2000 | New York Knicks (assistant) |
| 2000–2003 | Indiana Pacers (assistant) |
| 2003–2004 | New York Knicks (assistant) |
| 2004–2005 | Cleveland Cavaliers (assistant) |
| 2005 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2007–2012 | Orlando Magic (assistant) |
| 2014–2016 | Detroit Pistons (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As assistant coach:
| |
| Career coaching record | |
| NBA | 29–71 (.290) |
Record atBasketball Reference  | |
Brendan Thomas Malone (April 21, 1935 – October 10, 2023) was an American professionalbasketball coach in theNational Basketball Association (NBA).
Brendan Thomas Malone was born on April 21, 1935.[1] He grew up inAstoria, Queens in New York City and graduated fromRice High School.[2] Malone's father, also named Brendan, unloaded freight cars for theRailway Express Agency.[3] Malone then attendedIona College. He played only one game in 1960 for theIona Gaels men's basketball team and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1962.[4][5]
He was the father of currentDenver Nuggets head coachMichael Malone.[6]
After graduating from Iona, Malone then became aCatholic Youth Organization basketball coach for the Church of the Most Precious Blood in Astoria, Queens,[3] then became junior varsity basketball coach atPower Memorial Academy in 1967.[2][7] Malone also enrolled atNew York University and graduated with a master's degree in physical education in 1968.[8] From 1970 to 1976, Malone was varsity basketball coach at Power Memorial and led Power Memorial to two city championships. During his six-season stint, Malone earned three "Coach of the Year" honors.[2]
Malone was named an assistant coach atFordham on April 5, 1976.[9] He also served in a similar capacity at the collegiate level withYale (1977–1978), andSyracuse (1978–1984 underJim Boeheim) before becoming head coach atRhode Island from 1984 to 1986.[2]
Malone then got his first NBA coaching job as an assistant for theNew York Knicks in 1986 and served two seasons in the staffs of head coachesHubie Brown,Bob Hill, andRick Pitino. In 1988, Malone joined theDetroit Pistons as an assistant coach underChuck Daly.[10] Malone stayed in Detroit until 1995 and also coached underRon Rothstein in the 1992–93 season andDon Chaney from 1993 to 1995. Malone helped coach the Pistons to the1989 and1990 NBA championship titles.[10]
Malone was named as the firsthead coach (1995–96) of theToronto Raptors, one of two 1995 NBA expansion teams in Canada. Malone was appointed the job by the Raptors' general manager of the time,Isiah Thomas. Malone was long considered the NBA's leading authority on defending Michael Jordan, particularly after orchestrating Detroit Piston defenses that kept Jordan's Bulls out of the NBA Finals for some time.[11] Malone only lasted one season as head coach of the Raptors, going 21–61, but handed the championship Bulls one of their few losses that season.[12] Following his time with the Raptors, Malone served as an assistant coach with theIndiana Pacers,New York Knicks,Detroit Pistons and as a consultant with theSeattle SuperSonics.[13] He was the interim head coach of theCleveland Cavaliers in2004–05.[14]
On July 3, 2007, Malone was one of four assistants hired to serve under newOrlando Magic head coachStan Van Gundy.[15] On June 25, 2013, he was hired as an assistant coach for theSacramento Kings, under new head coachMichael Malone, his son, who himself was hired earlier that month.[16][17] However, on October 23, 2013, his resignation was announced, with the "rigors of coaching in the NBA" cited as the reason.[18] On May 30, 2014, Malone was one of three assistants hired to serve under newDetroit Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy.[19] On June 15, 2016, Malone became a scout in the New York region for the Pistons, giving up his assistant job in the process.[20]
Brendan Malone died on October 10, 2023, at the age of 88.[21]
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island Rams(Atlantic 10 Conference)(1984–1986) | |||||||||
| 1984–85 | Rhode Island | 8–20 | 2–16 | 10th | |||||
| 1985–86 | Rhode Island | 9–19 | 5–13 | T–8th | |||||
| Rhode Island: | 17–39 | 7–29 | |||||||
| Total: | 17–39 | ||||||||
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | 1995–96 | 82 | 21 | 61 | .256 | 8th in Central | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
| Cleveland | 2004–05 | 18 | 8 | 10 | .444 | 4th in Central | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
| Career | 100 | 29 | 71 | .290 | — | — | — | — |
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