| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 17, 1937 Collingswood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Career information | |
| High school | Camden Catholic High School (Camden, New Jersey) |
| College | Temple University |
| Coaching career | 1973–2000 |
| Career history | |
| As coach: | |
| 1973–1982 | Temple |
| 1982–1983 | Chicago Bulls (assistant) |
| 1983–1984 | San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers (assistant) |
| 1984–1985 | Scavolini Pesaro |
| 1985–1989 | Los Angeles Clippers (assistant) |
| 1989–1990 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 1990–1996 | Boston Celtics (assistant) |
| 1996–1999 | New Jersey Nets (assistant) |
| 1999–2000 | New Jersey Nets |
Lawrence Donald Casey (born June 17, 1937)[1] is an American former professional and collegiate basketball coach. He has coached two National Basketball Association (NBA) teams, the Los Angeles Clippers and the New Jersey Nets—each for a season and a half. He had previously coached the Temple Owls from 1973 to 1982. He also worked as an assistant coach with the Chicago Bulls (1982–83) and Boston Celtics (1990–1996).[2][3]
Casey grew up in Collingswood, New Jersey and attended Camden Catholic High School.[4] As a young man in the 1960s, Casey coached at Bishop Eustace Preparatory School in Pennsauken Township, New Jersey, where he was recommended for a job as a JV coach by a friend and took over the varsity squad after the coach left the job. His coaching led to two state championships. Casey coached Bill Melchionni, a high school and college great who eventually played in the pros in the late 1960s with the ABA New York Nets and Philadelphia 76ers.[5]
In his first season as Temple head coach, Don Casey had his team stall with the basketball in the finals of the Volunteer Classic against Tennessee. The final score of the game was Tennessee 11, Temple 6, the lowest scoring major college basketball game since 1938.[6]
Casey was the head coach of Scavolini Pesaro of Italy's Lega Basket Serie A during the 1984–85 season.[7]
Casey was promoted from assistant to head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers on January 19, 1989, succeeding Gene Shue after a 10–28 start to the 1988–89 season and in the midst of an eleven-game losing streak.[8]
As of February 2006[update], Casey is the vice-chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, and As of October 24, 2006[update], Casey is the head coach of the Hollywood Fame of the American Basketball Association's 21st century incarnation.
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temple Owls (Middle Atlantic Conference) (1973–1974) | |||||||||
| 1973-74 | Temple | 16–9 | 4–2 | 3rd (East) | |||||
| Temple: | 16–9 (.640) | 4–2 (.667) | |||||||
| Temple Owls (East Coast Conference) (1974–1982) | |||||||||
| 1974–75 | Temple | 7–19 | 4–2 | 3rd (East) | |||||
| 1975–76 | Temple | 9–18 | 3–2 | T–2nd (East) | |||||
| 1976–77 | Temple | 17–11 | 4–1 | T–1st (East) | |||||
| 1977–78 | Temple | 24–5 | 4–1 | 2nd (East) | |||||
| 1978–79 | Temple | 25–4 | 13–0 | 1st (East) | NCAA Division I First Round | ||||
| 1979–80 | Temple | 14–12 | 8–3 | 2nd (East) | |||||
| 1980–81 | Temple | 20–8 | 9–2 | T–2nd (East) | |||||
| 1981–82 | Temple | 19–8 | 11–0 | T–1st (East) | |||||
| Temple: | 135–85 (.614) | 56–11 (.836) | |||||||
| Total: | 151–94 (.616) | ||||||||
|
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L.A. Clippers | 1988–89 | 44 | 11 | 33 | .250 | 7th in Pacific | — | — | — | — | — |
| L.A. Clippers | 82 | 30 | 52 | .366 | 6th in Pacific | — | — | — | — | — | |
| New Jersey | 1998–99 | 30 | 13 | 17 | .433 | 7th in Atlantic | — | — | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | 82 | 31 | 51 | .378 | 6th in Atlantic | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Career | 238 | 85 | 153 | .357 | — | — | — | — |