:Stan Albeck

{{Short description|American basketball player and coach (1931–2021)}}

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Stan Albeck

| image = Stan Albeck 1952.jpg

| caption = Albeck in 1952

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 11

| weight_lb =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1931|5|17}}

| birth_place = Chenoa, Illinois, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|3|25|1931|5|17}}

| death_place = San Antonio, Texas, U.S.

| high_school = Chenoa (Chenoa, Illinois)

| college = Bradley (1950–1952, 1954–1955)

| draft_year = 1955

| career_position = Guard

| coach_start = 1956

| coach_end = 2002

| cyears1 = 1956–1957

| cteam1 = Adrian

| cyears2 = 1957–1968

| cteam2 = Northern Michigan

| cyears3 = 1968–1970

| cteam3 = Denver

| cyears4 = 1970–1973

| cteam4 = Denver Rockets (assistant)

| cyears5 = 1970–1971

| cteam5 = Denver Rockets (interim HC)

| cyears6 = 1972–1974

| cteam6 = San Diego Conquistadors (assistant)

| cyears7 = 1974–1976

| cteam7 = Kentucky Colonels (assistant)

| cyears8 = {{nbay|1976|start}}–{{nbay|1978|end}}

| cteam8 = Los Angeles Lakers (assistant)

| cyears9 = {{nbay|1979|full=y}}

| cteam9 = Cleveland Cavaliers

| cyears10 = {{nbay|1980|start}}–{{nbay|1982|end}}

| cteam10 = San Antonio Spurs

| cyears11 = {{nbay|1983|start}}–{{nbay|1984|end}}

| cteam11 = New Jersey Nets

| cyears12 = {{nbay|1985|full=y}}

| cteam12 = Chicago Bulls

| cyears13 = 1986–1991

| cteam13 = Bradley

| cyears14 = {{nbay|1995|full=y}}

| cteam14 = New Jersey Nets (assistant)

| cyears15 = {{nbay|1997|start}}–{{nbay|1999|end}}

| cteam15 = Atlanta Hawks (assistant)

| cyears16 = {{nbay|2000|start}}–{{nbay|2001|end}}

| cteam16 = Toronto Raptors (assistant)

| highlights =

As head coach:

MVC tournament champion (1988)
MVC regular season champion (1988)
MVC Coach of the Year (1988)

}}

Charles Stanley Albeck (May 17, 1931 – March 25, 2021) was an American professional basketball coach. Albeck coached for several teams in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA), including the Denver Rockets, the San Diego Conquistadors (often subbing for an absent Wilt Chamberlain), the Cleveland Cavaliers, the San Antonio Spurs, the New Jersey Nets, and the Chicago Bulls.

Early life

Albeck was born in Chenoa, Illinois, on May 17, 1931, to parents Chad and Ruby Albeck.{{cite web |title=Obituary information for Stan Albeck |url=https://www.porterloring.com/obituaries/Stan-Albeck?obId=20465563 |website=Porter Loring Mortuaries |access-date=November 22, 2024}} He attended Chenoa High School in his hometown. Albeck played college basketball for the Bradley Braves from 1950 to 1952 and during the 1954–55 season after a two-year stint in the United States Army.{{cite web |title=Bradley Great Stan Albeck '55 Passes Away |url=https://bradleybraves.com/news/2021/3/26/mens-basketball-bradley-great-stan-albeck-55-passes-away.aspx |website=Bradley University |access-date=November 22, 2024 |date=March 26, 2021}} He obtained a bachelor's degree at Bradley University in 1955 and his master's at Michigan State University in 1957.Who's Who in the World 1987–1988 edition. p. 14

Coaching career

Albeck began his coaching at Adrian College in Adrian, Michigan. His next head coaching job was at Northern Michigan University. Albeck was head coach at the University of Denver from 1968 to 1970. He was the head coach of the Denver Rockets during most of the 1970–1971 season. The Rockets had begun the season under head coach Joe Belmont, but Belmont was fired after the team lost 10 of its first 13 games. Albeck replaced Belmont as the Rockets' head coach.[http://www.remembertheaba.com/Denver-Rockets.html Remember the ABA: Denver Rockets] The Rockets went 27–44 under Albeck to finish the season with a record of 30 wins and 54 losses. They tied the Texas Chaparrals for fourth place in the Western Division (28 games behind the Indiana Pacers) and on April 1, 1971, lost a one-game playoff to the Chaparrals, 115–109, to determine who would advance into the ABA Western Division semifinals.[http://www.remembertheaba.com/PlayoffPages/1971Playoffs.html Remember the ABA: 1970–71 Regular Season Standings and Playoff Results] During the season Denver's average home attendance dropped to 4,139 fans per game from 6,281 the year before. One week after the playoff loss, on April 8, 1971, Albeck was replaced by Alex Hannum as Denver's head coach. Hannum resigned as coach of the San Diego Rockets to become the Rockets' head coach, general manager and president. Albeck then became player personnel director for the Rockets.{{cite web |url=http://www.remembertheaba.com/DenverMaterial/RocketsNuggetsYearly.html |title=Remember the ABA: Denver Rockets/Nuggets Year-by-Year Notes |access-date=March 5, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030828221052/http://www.remembertheaba.com/DenverMaterial/RocketsNuggetsYearly.html |archive-date=August 28, 2003 }} During the 1972–1973 season Albeck was an assistant coach for the San Diego Conquistadors under head coach K.C. Jones. Albeck also served as director of player personnel for the Conquistadors. During most of the 1973–74 season, he served under 'Qs' head coach Wilt Chamberlain. Chamberlain missed a few games, during which Albeck filled in as the Conquistadors' head coach, winning all of them.[http://www.remembertheaba.com/San-Diego-Conquistadors.html Remember the ABA: San Diego Conquistadors]

Albeck was an assistant coach for the Kentucky Colonels during the 1974–75 season in which the team won the 1975 ABA Championship.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/KEN/1975.html|title=1974–75 Kentucky Colonels Roster and Stats|work=Basketball-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=March 26, 2021}} He returned as an assistant coach with the Colonels during their final season in 1975–1976.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/KEN/1976.html|title=1975–76 Kentucky Colonels Roster and Stats|work=Basketball-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=March 26, 2021}} Albeck served as assistant coach of the Los Angeles Lakers from 1976 until 1979.

He went on to become head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1979 to 1980. He was the San Antonio Spurs' head coach for three seasons from 1980 to 1983. During his tenure, he won NBA Coach of the Month in March 1983.{{Cite web|title=NBA Coaches of the Month|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/com.html|access-date=March 22, 2021|website=Basketball-Reference.com|language=en}} He elected to leave the Spurs after the 1982-83 season ended, a move that attracted a few weeks of legal wrangling when the Spurs found a way to obtain a restraining order because they claimed Albeck had two years left on an "oral contract". Eventually, Albeck was allowed to coach the Nets after the Spurs received $300,000, the 22nd selection in the second round of the 1983 NBA draft and the rights to Fred Roberts (the 27th selection in the 1982 draft).https://www.nytimes.com/1983/06/08/sports/agreement-opens-way-for-albeck-to-be-net-coach.html Albeck coached the next two seasons and was perceived to have brought stability to a team that had not won a playoff series since joining the NBA. They beat the defending NBA champion Philadelphia 76ers in the First Round that went the full five games but lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games. As it turned out, it would be the only time the Nets won a postseason series for nearly two decades. The Nets reached the postseason in Albeck's second and ultimately last season but lost in a sweep to the Pistons.https://www.nytimes.com/1984/05/01/sports/stability-brought-by-albeck-a-key-to-nets-success.html In the summer of 1985, Albeck was lured to coach the Chicago Bulls with a lucrative contract that reportedly would pay him $900,000 over three years while the Bulls also would agree to pay New Jersey to buyout the last year of Albeck's contract with New Jersey and the remaining money that the Nets still owed the Spurs.https://www.upi.com/Archives/1985/06/14/New-Jersey-Nets-coach-Stan-Albeck-says-he-will/9038487569600/

Albeck became the eighth fulltime coach of the Bulls since 1978. He and general manager Jerry Krause immediately butted heads over issues including his refusal to put Phil Jackson on his coaching staff, not benching Quintin Dailey for conduct issues, and most of all, not following the minutes restrictions set once Michael Jordan returned from injury. His exit from Chicago raised eyebrows around the NBA as his replacement, Doug Collins, had been hired by general manager Jerry Krause just 2 months beforehand as a scout. The hire of Collins was kept a secret from Albeck, who was "stunned" by the move and felt that there was "a lack of respect, dignity and sensitivity".{{cite news|title=Chicago Bulls fire first-year coach Stan Albeck in 1986, who was 'stunned': 'There was a lack of respect, dignity and sensitivity|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1986-05-20-8602060248-story.html|first=Bob|last=Sakamoto|date=May 20, 1986|access-date=March 26, 2021|newspaper=Chicago Tribune}} At the time of his dismissal, he had the fourth-best record among active NBA coaches. His all-time coaching percentages was .535 in his 7 years as a head coach in the NBA.

Albeck went on to serve as head coach for Bradley University, his alma mater, from 1986 through 1991.{{cite news|title=Former Spurs coach Stan Albeck dies at 89|url=https://www.expressnews.com/sports/spurs/article/Former-Spurs-coach-Stan-Albeck-dies-at-89-16054249.php|first=Tom|last=Osborn|date=March 25, 2021|access-date=March 26, 2021|newspaper=San Antonio Express-News}} During his tenure, the team finished the 1988 regular season in first place. They were also champions of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament and advanced to the NCAA tournament that same year.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/coaches/stan-albeck-1.html|title=Stan Albeck Coaching Record|work=College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=March 26, 2021}} Albeck was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, as well as a Significant Sig and a member of their Significant Sig Hall of Fame.{{cite web|title=Sigma Chi – Significant Sigs (Sports)|url=https://www.shsu.edu/~eng_wpf/ss_sports.html|access-date=March 26, 2021|publisher=Sam Houston State University}}

After serving as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks, Albeck was an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors. He suffered a debilitating stroke in December 2001, approximately half an hour before a home game against the Miami Heat.{{cite news|title=Former Spurs coach Stan Albeck in hospice care|url=https://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/article/Former-Spurs-coach-Stan-Albeck-in-hospice-care-16053392.php|first=Tom|last=Osborn|date=March 25, 2021|access-date=March 26, 2021|newspaper=San Antonio Express-News}} This left him partially paralyzed and forced him to retire. He remained in rehabilitation until his death. He often attended games at AT&T Center with his son.

Personal life

Albeck married Phyllis L. Mann in 1952. Together, they had five children. They remained married until her death in 2017.

Shortly after being placed in hospice care,{{cite news|title=Stan Albeck, longtime NBA coach, dies at 89 in hospice care|url=https://apnews.com/article/nba-toronto-new-jersey-san-antonio-spurs-chicago-7618eb8c14b1a006a5f02c8ff6d95553|date=March 26, 2020|access-date=March 26, 2021|work=Associated Press}} Albeck died March 25, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas, at the age of 89. He had suffered a stroke two weeks prior to his death.

Head coaching record

=NBA=

| align="left" |Cleveland

| align="left" |{{nbay|1979}}

|82||37||45||.451|| align="center" |4th in Central||—||—||—||—

| align="center" |Missed Playoffs

| align="left" |San Antonio

| align="left" |{{nbay|1980}}

|82||52||30||.634|| align="center" |1st in Midwest||7||3||4||.429

| align="center" |Lost in Conf. semifinals

| align="left" |San Antonio

| align="left" |{{nbay|1981}}

|82||48||34||.585|| align="center" |1st in Midwest||9||4||5||444

| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Finals

| align="left" |San Antonio

| align="left" |{{nbay|1982}}

|82||53||29||.646|| align="center" |1st in Midwest||11||6||5||.545

| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Finals

| align="left" |New Jersey

| align="left" |{{nbay|1983}}

|82||45||37||.549|| align="center" |4th in Atlantic||11||5||6||.455

| align="center" |Lost in Conf. semifinals

| align="left" |New Jersey

| align="left" |{{nbay|1984}}

|82||42||40||.512|| align="center" |3rd in Atlantic||3||0||3||.000

| align="center" |Lost in first round

| align="left" |Chicago

| align="left" |{{nbay|1985}}

|82||30||52||.366|| align="center" |4th in Central||3||0||3||.000

| align="center" |Lost in first round

|-class="sortbottom"

| align="left" |Career

| ||574||307||267||.535|| ||44||18||26||.409

Source:{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/albecst99c.html|title=Stan Albeck Stats|work=Basketball-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=March 26, 2021}}

=College=

{{CBB Yearly Record Start | type = | conference = | postseason = | poll = }}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Adrian Bulldogs

| conference = Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

| startyear = 1956

| endyear = 1957

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1956–57

| name = Adrian

| overall = 16–5

| conference =

| confstanding = 3rd

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Adrian

| overall = 16–5 ({{Winning percentage|16|5}})

| confrecord =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Northern Michigan Wildcats

| conference =

| startyear = 1957

| endyear = 1968

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1957–58

| name = Northern Michigan

| overall = 15–3

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason = NAIA first round

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1958–59

| name = Northern Michigan

| overall = 16–8

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason = NAIA first round

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1959–60

| name = Northern Michigan

| overall = 13–5

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1960–61

| name = Northern Michigan

| overall = 24–3

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason = NAIA Final Four

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1961–62

| name = Northern Michigan

| overall = 14–9

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1962–63

| name = Northern Michigan

| overall = 19–8

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason = NAIA Elite Eight

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1963–64

| name = Northern Michigan

| overall = 12–11

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1964–65

| name = Northern Michigan

| overall = 19–6

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason = NAIA first round

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1965–66

| name = Northern Michigan

| overall = 16–6

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1966–67

| name = Northern Michigan

| overall = 14–10

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1967–68

| name = Northern Michigan

| overall = 16–8

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Northern Michigan

| overall = 178–177 ({{Winning percentage|178|177}})

| confrecord =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Denver Pioneers

| conference = NCAA Division I independent

| startyear = 1968

| endyear = 1970

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1968–69

| name = Denver

| overall = 2–24

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1969–70

| name = Denver

| overall = 13–11

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Denver

| overall = 15–35 ({{Winning percentage|15|35}})

| confrecord =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Bradley Braves

| conference = Missouri Valley Conference

| startyear = 1986

| endyear = 1991

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1986–87

| name = Bradley

| overall = 17–12

| conference = 10–4

| confstanding = 2nd

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = confboth

| season = 1987–88

| name = Bradley

| overall = 26–5

| conference = 12–2

| confstanding = 1st

| postseason = NCAA First Round

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1988–89

| name = Bradley

| overall = 13–14

| conference = 7–7

| confstanding = 4th

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1989–90

| name = Bradley

| overall = 11–20

| conference = 6–8

| confstanding = 5th

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1990–91

| name = Bradley

| overall = 8–20

| conference = 6–10

| confstanding = 7th

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Bradley

| overall = 75–71 ({{Winning percentage|75|71}})

| confrecord =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record End

| overall = 284–288 ({{Winning percentage|284|288}})

}}

References

External links

[https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/albecst99c.html BasketballReference.com: Stan Albeck]
[https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/stan-albeck-2.html Stan Albeck] – college basketball player statistics at Sports Reference

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Category:1931 births

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