Johnny Egan (basketball)

{{Short description|American basketball player and coach (1939–2022)}}

{{About|the basketball player from Hartford|the player from Chicago|John Egan (basketball)}}

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Johnny Egan

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 0

| weight_lb = 180

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1939|1|31}}

| birth_place = Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|7|21|1939|1|31}}

| death_place = Houston, Texas, U.S.

| high_school = Weaver (Hartford, Connecticut)

| college = Providence (1958–1961)

| draft_year = 1961

| draft_round = 2

| draft_pick = 12

| draft_team = Detroit Pistons

| career_start = 1961

| career_end = 1972

| career_number = 25, 15, 11, 21

| career_position = Point guard

| years1 = {{nbay|1961|start}}–{{nbay|1963|start}}

| team1 = Detroit Pistons

| years2 = {{nbay|1963|start}}–{{nbay|1965|start}}

| team2 = New York Knicks

| years3 = {{nbay|1965|start}}–{{nbay|1967|end}}

| team3 = Baltimore Bullets

| years4 = {{nbay|1968|start}}–{{nbay|1969|end}}

| team4 = Los Angeles Lakers

| years5 = {{nbay|1970|start}}

| team5 = Cleveland Cavaliers

| years6 = {{nbay|1970|start}}–{{nbay|1971|end}}

| team6 = San Diego / Houston Rockets

| cyears1 = {{nbay|1972|end}}–{{nbay|1975|end}}

| cteam1 = Houston Rockets

| highlights =

Second-team Parade All-American (1957)

| stats_league = NBA

| stat1label = Points

| stat1value = 5,521 (7.8 ppg)

| stat2label = Rebounds

| stat2value = 1,284 (1.8 rpg)

| stat3label = Assists

| stat3value = 2,102 (3.0 apg)

}}

John Francis Egan (January 31, 1939 – July 21, 2022) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He played for the Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Baltimore Bullets, Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and San Diego / Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association from 1961 to 1972. He coached the Rockets from 1973 to 1976.

Early life and playing career

Egan was born on January 31, 1939, in Hartford, Connecticut.{{cite book |last=Marcus |first=J. |title=A Biographical Directory of Professional Basketball Coaches |publisher=Scarecrow Press |series=American Sports History Series |year=2003 |isbn=978-1-4617-2653-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JRBtAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA116 |access-date=July 1, 2021 |pages=116–7}} Playing for the basketball team at Weaver High School, which won the New England high school basketball championship in 1956 and 1957, he was named to the Parade All-America Boys Basketball Team. He was known as "Space", a nickname which alluded to "his ability to stay in the air during drives to the basket or to the length of his long-distance shots".{{cite news |last1=Lee |first1=Edward |title=Johnny Egan, former Baltimore Bullets 'spark plug' guard and Houston Rockets coach, dies at 83 |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/bs-sp-ob-johnny-egan-20220722-zwx22yjeyncitobumhtqthkp4y-story.html |access-date=July 23, 2022 |work=Baltimore Sun |date=July 22, 2022}} Egan attended Providence College, where he played college basketball for the Providence Friars, and won the 1961 National Invitation Tournament.{{cite web |url=https://www.courant.com/sports/basketball/hc-sp-amore-column-march-madness-nba-john-egan-20210302-20210301-z4wvqklim5f37pflk2opzdfrfe-story.html |title=Dom Amore: Hartford basketball icon Johnny Egan fighting off the harsh winter in Houston with his iron will – Hartford Courant |publisher=Courant.com |date= |accessdate=July 22, 2022}}

The Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA) selected Egan in the second round of the 1961 NBA draft.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/240811360/?terms=%22johnny%20egan%22&match=1 |title=Johnny Egan Drafted by Detroit |newspaper=Hartford Courant |via=Newspapers.com |date=March 28, 1961 |page=32 |access-date=July 22, 2022}} The New York Knicks acquired Egan from the Pistons in a three-team trade on December 16, 1963.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/429444901/?terms=%22johnny%20egan%22&match=1 |title=Knicks Get Bob Boozer, Johnny Egan |date=December 16, 1963 |page=15 |newspaper=The Paducah Sun |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=July 22, 2022}} He was traded along with Johnny Green, Jim "Bad News" Barnes and cash from the Knicks to the Baltimore Bullets for Walt Bellamy on November 1, 1965.[https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19651102.2.92&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN-------- "Knicks Grab Bellamy: For 3 Players, $$," United Press International (UPI), Tuesday, November 2, 1965.] Retrieved September 30, 2024. The Milwaukee Bucks selected Egan from the Bullets in the 1968 NBA Expansion Draft.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/371029764/?terms=%22johnny%20egan%22&match=1 |title=Johnny Egan Drafted by Milwaukee Cagers |date=May 7, 1968 |page=28 |newspaper=Hartford Courant |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=July 22, 2022}} Before the 1968–69 NBA season, the Bucks traded Egan to the Los Angeles Lakers for a future draft pick.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/64989440/?terms=%22johnny%20egan%22&match=1 |title=Lakers Obtain Johnny Egan |date=October 9, 1968 |page=32 |newspaper=Pasadena Independent |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=July 22, 2022}} He became a key rotation player for the Lakers, who reached the 1969 NBA Finals but were beaten by the Boston Celtics in Game 7. Egan was not as effective in the following season,{{cite web |last1=Schilken |first1=Chuck |title=Johnny Egan – All Things Lakers – Los Angeles Times |url=https://projects.latimes.com/lakers/player/johnny-egan/index.html |website=projects.latimes.com |access-date=July 23, 2022 |language=en |date=February 12, 2011 |quote=The Lakers returned to the NBA Finals in 1970, but Egan was not as effective. He played in 10 fewer games during the regular season, and his scoring average dipped to 7.3.}} as the Lakers again reached the Finals but were beaten by the Knicks in Game 7.{{cite web |title=1970 NBA Finals Game 7: Lakers vs Knicks, May 8, 1970 |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197005080NYK.html |website=Basketball-Reference.com |access-date=July 23, 2022 |language=en}}

The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Egan in the 1970 NBA expansion draft.{{cite web |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/237048561/?terms=%22johnny%20egan%22&match=1 |title=Egan Goes to Cleveland in NBA Expansion Draft |date=May 12, 1970 |page=51 |newspaper=Hartford Courant |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=July 22, 2022}} He was acquired by the San Diego Rockets from the Cavaliers for a third‐round pick in the 1971 NBA draft (41st overall–Jackie Ridgle) and cash on December 8, 1970.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/12/09/archives/rockets-acquire-egan.html |title=Rockets Acquire Egan |work=The New York Times |agency=The Associated Press |date=December 8, 1970 |access-date=March 12, 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Years/1971.htm |title=1971 NBA Draft Pick Transactions, March 29 – Pro Sports Transactions |access-date=March 12, 2022}} Egan became one of the original Houston Rockets when the team left San Diego in 1971. His playing career ended after the 1971–72 season. He averaged 7.8 points per game and 3.0 assists per game in his NBA career.{{cite news |author=Jonathan Feigen |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/rockets/article/Johnny-Egan-former-Rockets-player-coach-dies-at-83-17320452.php |title=Houston Rockets: Former coach, player Johnny Egan dies at 83 |newspaper=Houstonchronicle.com |date=July 21, 2022 |access-date=July 22, 2022}} He was the shortest player in the NBA for most of his 11-year career.

Coaching career

In January 1972, Rockets coach Tex Winter named Egan an assistant coach, and he continued as a player-coach for the remainder of the season.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/385506578/?terms=%22johnny%20egan%22&match=1 |title=Johnny Egan Named Rocket Player-Coach |newspaper=The Los Angeles Times |page=49 |via=Newspapers.com |date=January 20, 1972 |access-date=July 22, 2022}} He retired as a player after the season, and was promoted to become head coach, succeeding Winter on January 21, 1973.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/01/22/archives/rockets-defeat-knicks-107103-2-hours-before-egan-is-named-houston.html |last=Koppett |first=Leonard. |title=2 Hours Before, Egan Is Named Houston Coach |newspaper=The New York Times |date=January 22, 1973 |access-date=March 12, 2022}} At one point, he was the youngest and shortest coach in the NBA. During his {{frac|3|1|2}} years as head coach, the Rockets were 129–152, with one playoff appearance in 1975, when they defeated the New York Knicks in the first round to earn the franchise's first playoff series win. He was fired and replaced by Tom Nissalke on April 20, 1976, after the team failed to qualify for the postseason with a 40–42 record.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/04/21/archives/rockets-drop-egan-and-hire-nissalke.html |last=Goldaper |first=Sam |title=Rockets Drop Egan and Hire Nissalke |newspaper=The New York Times |date=April 21, 1976 |access-date=March 12, 2022}}

Personal life

Egan married Joan ({{Née|Grimaldi}}), his high school sweetheart. They had two children and five grandchildren. Joan died in 1998 from ovarian cancer.

After his basketball career, Egan remained in Houston, where he founded and operated an insurance business.{{cite news |last=Klingaman |first=Mike |title=Catching Up With ... Former Baltimore Bullets guard Johnny Egan |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/nba/bs-sp-catching-up-egan-20150118-story.html |access-date=July 23, 2022 |newspaper=Baltimore Sun |date=January 18, 2015}} He continued to live in Houston in his later life. After suffering a head injury in a fall in May 2022, he died on July 21, 2022, at age 83.{{cite news |last=Neumann |first=Thomas |title=Former Houston Rockets Coach, Player Johnny Egan Dies at 83 |url=https://www.si.com/nba/2022/07/21/johnny-egan-dies-former-houston-rockets-coach-player |access-date=July 22, 2022 |publisher=SI |date=July 21, 2022}}{{cite web |title=Former Rockets coach Johnny Egan dies at 83 |url=https://www.nba.com/news/former-rockets-coach-johnny-egan-dies-at-83 |website=www.nba.com |access-date=July 23, 2022 |language=en |date=July 22, 2022}}

Head coaching record

| style="text-align:left;" | Houston

| style="text-align:left;" | {{nbay|1972}}

| 35||16||19||{{winpct|16|19}}|| style="text-align:center;" | 3rd in Central||–||–||–||–

| style="text-align:center;" | Missed playoffs

| style="text-align:left;" | Houston

| style="text-align:left;" | {{nbay|1973}}

| 82||32||50||{{winpct|32|50}}|| style="text-align:center;" | 3rd in Central||–||–||–||–

| style="text-align:center;" | Missed playoffs

| style="text-align:left;" | Houston

| style="text-align:left;" | {{nbay|1974}}

| 82||41||41||{{winpct|41|41}}|| style="text-align:center;" | 2nd in Central||8||3||5||{{winpct|3|5}}

| style="text-align:center;" | Lost in Conf. Semi-finals

| style="text-align:left;" | Houston

| style="text-align:left;" | {{nbay|1975}}

| 82||40||42||{{winpct|40|42}}|| style="text-align:center;" | 3rd in Central||–||–||–||–

| style="text-align:center;" | Missed playoffs

|- class="sortbottom"

| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Career

| 281||129||152||{{winpct|129|152}}|| ||8||3||5||{{winpct|3|5}}

|- class="sortbottom"

| colspan="12" style="text-align: center;" | Source:{{cite web |title=Johnny Egan |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/eganjo01c.html |website=Basketball-Reference.com |access-date=July 24, 2022 |language=en}}