Former Terp Accepts Contract As New Cavs Head Coach
6/19/2001 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
June 19, 2001
CLEVELAND - A four-year Maryland star who doubled as an All-American both in basketball and in tennis, John Lucas was named on Tuesday as head coach of the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers.
The 47-year-old Lucas, who was a point guard for 13 NBA seasons and who also coached in San Antonio and Philadelphia before spending the past three seasons as an assistant in Denver, was introduced as coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers at a news conference in Gund Arena.
"I believe John is the right coach for our team right now," said Cavs general manager Jim Paxson. "During my conversations with him over the past few weeks, it became clear that Cleveland is where he wants to be. He was very enthusiastic about our players, and knows we need to add to this but feels we can get better along the way."
Lucas was signed to a reported three-year deal worth between $8 million and $9 million.
The hiring of Lucas, the 13th coach in the club's history, ended a drawn-out search by the Cavs, who were criticized for their secrecy and failure to pursue big-name candidates.
"I am very excited about John joining us," said Cavs owner Gordon Gund. "It's a great step forward for the franchise, and we look forward to John getting the Cavs back on a winning track. The thing that really impresses me is how he relates with people."
Lucas has a combined 136-171 record in two previous coaching stops with San Antonio (1992-94) and Philadelphia (1994-96) where he also was the general manager and director of basketball operations for the 76ers.
But all he'll have to do in Cleveland is fix the Cavs, who won just 32 games last season -- their fewest since 1986-87 -- and fell apart after a strong start when center Zydrunas Ilgauskas sustained a season-ending foot injury.
"I want to try and win now," Lucas said. "I want to work with what we have to find a way to win. I feel like we can win together, and there are some very good pieces already in place."
Lucas, who was a first team All-ACC selection in 1974, 1975 and 1976 as a Maryland point guard, is the only Terrapin player ever to earn the award in three straight seasons. He teamed with former Terp greats Len Elmore and Tom McMillen to produce one of the school's finest teams of all-time in both 1973 and 1974. The trio led Maryland to within one game of the Final Four in 1973, and fell one game shy of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament a year later when one of the most dramatic ACC Tournament championships in history resulted in NC State's 103-100 overtime win en route to an eventual NCAA title. One year later, the NCAA expanded its tournament field to allow for at-large qualification.
Despite failing to qualify for the NCAA Tournament in '74, Lucas and the Terps still finished the year ranked No. 4 in both final media polls, claiming the highest finish in school history until last year's Maryland squad reached the Final Four and matched the No. 4 billing.
Lucas guided the Terps to an Elite Eight appearance again in 1975, and earned All-America honors in each of his final three seasons at Maryland. He also was an All-American and two-time ACC champion in tennis.
Lucas completed his Maryland career in 1976 and embarked on an NBA playing career that included stints with Houston, Golden State, Washington, San Antonio, Milwaukee and Seattle.
"He's perfect for Cleveland," said forward Chris Gatling, a free agent who played for the Cavs last season and for Lucas in Denver. "John is not afraid of anyone or doing things that some people might find out of the norm. He motivates guys and he knows how to deal with them.
"He knows when to be tough and crack the whip, and when to pull back and cut guys some slack. Randy didn't always communicate with guys last year, but you'll find that that won't be a problem with John. He's a player's coach."
Lucas was one of the first candidates approached by Paxson, who interviewed the former No. 1 overall draft pick in late April and then brought him to Cleveland last week to meet Gund.
Dallas assistant Del Harris was believed to be the front-runner for the job before withdrawing his name late last month. That's when the search focused on Lucas, who turned around the Spurs and led them to two playoff appearances.
