 Dawson,c. 1976 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1938-05-03)May 3, 1938 |
| Died | September 9, 2024(2024-09-09) (aged 86) |
| Nationality | American |
| Career information | |
| College | Paris Junior College Baylor |
| Coaching career | 1973–1997 |
| Career history | |
Coaching | |
| 1973–1977 | Baylor |
| 1980–1997 | Houston Rockets (assistant) |
| Career highlights | |
As assistant coach:
| |
Carroll Dawson (May 3, 1938 – September 9, 2024) was an Americanassistant coach andgeneral manager in theNational Basketball Association (NBA). He worked for theHouston Rockets franchise for 27 years before retiring in 2007.
A native ofAlba, Texas, Dawson playedcollegiate basketball atParis Junior College, where he attained the nickname, "Big Orange" and atBaylor University, during the late 1950s and early 1960s. In 1960, the 6'5"center earned All-Southwest Conference honors, after averaging 16.4points per game for theBaylor Bears.
After his college career, he was drafted into theArmy, and stationed atFort Knox, as a tank commander. From 1973 to 1977, he then served as Baylor's men's basketballhead coach. He then worked as a scout for theNFL'sDallas Cowboys, and as a salesman forConverse shoes, before becoming an assistant coach for theHouston Rockets in 1979.
In 1989, Dawson was struck by lightning, during a golf outing, and over the next few years, his vision became progressively worse. Unable to continue his coaching duties, Dawson moved to the Rockets' front office, becominggeneral manager in 1996. Dawson's career with The Rockets lasted 27 years.[1] Among his most notable accomplishments as the general manager of the Rockets, were his selection ofYao Ming in the2002 NBA draft, and his seven-player trade to acquireNBA scoring champTracy McGrady, in 2004.
After announcingDaryl Morey as his successor, the Rockets honored Dawson by hanging a banner with the initials "CD" in the rafters of theToyota Center, during a game with thePhoenix Suns.
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baylor Bears(Southwest Conference)(1973–1977) | |||||||||
| 1973–74 | Baylor | 12–13 | 5–9 | 6th | |||||
| 1974–75 | Baylor | 10–16 | 6–8 | 4th | |||||
| 1975–76 | Baylor | 12–15 | 8–8 | 5th | |||||
| 1976–77 | Baylor | 11–17 | 5–11 | 7th | |||||
| Baylor: | 44–51 | 24–36 | |||||||
| Total: | 44–51 | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion | |||||||||
Dawson died on September 9, 2024, at the age of 86.[2]
