Bill Blair (basketball)

Bill Blair

Personal information
Born	(1942-05-17) May 17, 1942 (age 82) Hazard, Kentucky, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	175 lb (79 kg)
Career information
High school	Randolph-Macon Academy (Front Royal, Virginia)
College	VMI (1961–1964)
NBA draft	1964: 4th round, 97th overall pick
Selected by the St. Louis Hawks
Coaching career	1967–2001
Career history
As coach:
1967–1969	E.C. Glass HS (assistant)
1969–1970	George Wythe HS
1970–1972	VMI (assistant)
1972–1976	VMI
1976–1981	Colorado
1981–1983	New Jersey Nets (assistant)
1983	New Jersey Nets
1983–1985	Chicago Bulls (assistant)
1986–1991	Washington Bullets (assistant)
1991–1993	Indiana Pacers (assistant)
1993–1995	Minnesota Timberwolves
1996–1998	Indiana Pacers (assistant)
1999–2001	Cleveland Cavaliers (assistant)
Stats at Basketball Reference

William Henry Blair Jr. (born May 17, 1942^[1]) is an American retired basketball coach and player. Blair attended the Virginia Military Institute for college basketball. As team captain of the Keydets, he helped lead the team to their first Southern Conference championship in 1964, which saw them attend their first ever NCAA Tournament. He was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks in 1964 but did not play. He became a coach in 1967 and was hired by VMI to serve on their staff in 1970 and became their head coach in 1972. After three middling seasons, he led them to a conference championship in 1976 that saw then go to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament. He left for the University of Colorado after the season ended. He coached five seasons before he was fired.

Blair then worked twenty seasons in the National Basketball Association, beginning in New Jersey with the New Jersey Nets, and continuing to the Chicago Bulls, under Kevin Loughery, helping to draft Michael Jordan. He then moved to the Washington Bullets under Wes Unseld, and next the Indiana Pacers under Larry Brown—coaching spectacular teams with Reggie Miller at the helm. In 1993, he became the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, then returned to the Pacers, and finally finished his career under Randy Whitman at the Cleveland Cavaliers.^[2]

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