 Motta in 1971 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 3, 1931 Midvale, Utah, U.S. |
| Listed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Listed weight | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Jordan (Sandy, Utah) |
| College | Utah State |
| Coaching career | 1968–1997 |
| Career history | |
| As coach: | |
| 1962–1968 | Weber State |
| 1968–1976 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1976–1980 | Washington Bullets |
| 1980–1987 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 1990–1991 | Sacramento Kings |
| 1994–1996 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 1996–1997 | Denver Nuggets |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career coaching record | |
| NBA | 935–1017 (.479) |
| Record at Basketball Reference | |
John Richard Motta (born September 3, 1931) is an American former basketball coach whose career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) spanned 25 years. Motta coached the Washington Bullets to the 1978 NBA Championship, and he won the 1971 NBA Coach of the Year Award with the Chicago Bulls. Motta is eighth all-time with 1,952 games as coach, while ranking 13th in wins and fourth in losses; he has the most wins of eligible coaches not currently inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.[1] In 25 seasons as a coach, he reached the postseason fourteen times.
Known as a strict disciplinarian with high expectations for his players, Motta developed a reputation for putting together well-conditioned, tough, physical teams. He was known for his eccentric personality and fiery temper, which included infamously throwing his jacket at a referee, kicking a basketball into the stands and throwing a dollar bill onto the court and demanding it to play after a GM traded one of his players for cash considerations. He retired from coaching in 1997 and ran a bed and breakfast with his wife in Bear Lake, Idaho.