| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1940-04-16)April 16, 1940 |
| Died | February 25, 2022(2022-02-25) (aged 81) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Gordon Tech (Chicago, Illinois) |
| College | Wisconsin |
| Coaching career | 1964–1998 |
| Career history | |
Coaching | |
| 1965–1969 | St. Joseph HS |
| 1969–1973 | Gordon Tech |
| 1973–1974 | Saint Louis (assistant) |
| 1974–1977 | Michigan State (assistant) |
| 1977–1978 | Jackson Community College |
| 1978–1986 | Bradley |
| 1986–1988 | Detroit Pistons (assistant) |
| 1988–1990 | Indiana Pacers |
| 1996–1998 | Milwaukee Bucks (assistant) |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Richard Patrick Versace (/vɜːrˈseɪs/; April 16, 1940 – February 25, 2022) was an Americanbasketball coach and executive. He was also the first American of Puerto Rican descent to have coached aNational Basketball Association (NBA) team.[1]
Versace was born inFort Bragg, North Carolina. His parents were Colonel Humbert Joseph Versace, anItalian American, andMarie Teresa Rios, a Puerto Rican-Irish American author. The 1960s televisionsitcomThe Flying Nun was based on one of her books. He attended theUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison, though he did not play basketball.[2]
Versace coached at the high school and collegiate level and in the NBA. Versace coached atSt. Joseph High School inKenosha, Wisconsin, andGordon Tech inChicago. Oddly, his first coaching position after college was at Forrest-Strawn-Wing High School in the small Central Illinois community of Forrest during the years of 1964 and 1965. The odd thing being that he was the head football coach. He led the team to an 8–1 record and a Vermilion Valley Conference championship. He coached junior varsity basketball that winter. Versace began his college coaching career atSt. Louis University in 1973, after compiling a 204–66 record at the high school coaching level. He then moved toMichigan State University, where he was heavily involved in the recruitment ofMagic Johnson. Versace's first head coaching assignment was at the Jackson Community College in 1976. In the early 1980s, he was head men's basketball coach atBradley University, where he led the team to the1982 NIT championship. In the1985-86 season, he was named National College Coach of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers' Association. That year, his Bradley Braves went 32–3 and were ranked as high as #7 in the nation during the season. His back court players included future NBA starHersey Hawkins and future Bradley head coachJim Les.
Versace became the head coach at Bradley University in 1978 and remained at Bradley until 1986. In his second season at Bradley the team finished first in the Missouri Valley Conference and qualifying for the NCAA tournament. Losing in the first round toTexas A&M. In 1981–82 Bradley finished first in the MVC but lost in the semifinals of the MVC tournament. They were not selected to the NCAA tournament but won the NIT championship. In Versace's final season at Bradley they finished 32–3 for the season and 16–0 in the MVC. Losing in the second round of the NCAA tournament to eventual championLouisville.
| Season | Coach | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley Braves(Missouri Valley Conference)(1978–1986) | |||||||||
| 1978–79 | Bradley | 9–17 | 3–13 | T–8th | |||||
| 1979–80 | Bradley | 23–10 | 13–3 | 1st | NCAA Division I first round | ||||
| 1980–81 | Bradley | 18–9 | 10–6 | T–4th | |||||
| 1981–82 | Bradley | 26–10 | 13–3 | 1st | NIT champions | ||||
| 1982–83 | Bradley | 16–13 | 10–8 | 5th | |||||
| 1983–84 | Bradley | 15–13 | 7–9 | T–5th | |||||
| 1984–85 | Bradley | 17–13 | 9–7 | T–4th | |||||
| 1985–86 | Bradley | 32–3 | 16–0 | 1st | NCAA Division I second round | ||||
| Bradley: | 156–88 (.639) | 81–49 | |||||||
| Total: | 156–88 (.639) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion | |||||||||
He later served as an assistant coach for theDetroit Pistons under head coachChuck Daly. Versace then became head coach of theIndiana Pacers for two years, from1988 through1990. After leaving the Pacers job, Versace was asportscaster onTNT from 1992 to 1997 and on WMAQ TV in Chicago. While at TNT, Dick was mostly paired with Jim Durham whenever he did analysis, and during the 1996–97 season he also added sideline reporting to his role at TNT. Versace served as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks during the 1997–98 season.
In1999, Versace was named President of Basketball Operations for the then-Vancouver Grizzlies. After Versace's first season in Vancouver, the Grizzlies were relocated and became theMemphis Grizzlies. And in 2002, the Grizzlies hired NBA legendJerry West as President of Basketball Operations, and Versace assumed the role of General Manager and remained with the team through the end of the2004-2005 season. Prior to joining the Grizzlies, Versace worked forMichael Heisley's acquisition team as Versace oversaw Heisley's pursuit and ultimate purchase of the Vancouver Grizzlies.
On October 8, 2007, Versace announced that he would run as aDemocratic Party candidate for Illinois' 18th Congressional District seat, then held byRepublican CongressmanRay LaHood who was retiring. On December 8, 2007, however, Versace announced that he would not be running due to "unforeseen personal circumstances."[3]
Versace was the brother ofVietnam War posthumousMedal of Honor recipientRocky Versace, who was executed by theViet Cong while a Prisoner of War in 1965.[4] He had two other brothers, Dr. Stephen Versace (his twin) and Michael Versace Rios, and a sister, Trilby Versace. Versace was divorced and had two children, David and Julie. He died on February 25, 2022, at the age of 81.[5]
