Butch Van Breda Kolff
| Sport(s) | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Biographical details | |
| Born |
October 28, 1922 Glen Ridge, New Jersey |
| Died | August 22, 2007 (aged 84) Spokane, Washington |
| Playing career | |
| 1942–1943 | Princeton |
| 1946–1950 | New York Knicks |
| Position(s) | Shooting guard |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1951–1955 | Lafayette |
| 1955–1962 | Hofstra |
| 1962–1967 | Princeton |
| 1967–1969 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1969–1972 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1972–1973 | Phoenix Suns |
| 1973–1974 | Memphis Tams |
| 1974–1977 | New Orleans Jazz |
| 1977–1979 | University of New Orleans |
| 1979–1981 | New Orleans Pride |
| 1984–1988 | Lafayette |
| 1988–1994 | Hofstra |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | NBA: 266-253 (.518) ABA: 21-63 (.250) |
Willem Hendrik "Butch" van Breda Kolff (October 28, 1922 – August 22, 2007) was an American basketball player and coach.
Born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, van Breda Kolff gained an affection for basketball while growing up in Montclair. He attended The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. He then attended Princeton University, where he played basketball for Franklin "Cappy" Cappon, and New York University, where he also played basketball.
Signed by the New York Knicks in 1946, he spent four seasons playing as a professional. The New York Knicks played in the Basketball Association of America (BAA), which merged with the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1949. In the four years (1946–50) van Breda Kolff played in the BAA and the NBA, he turned in a relatively unimpressive performance, shooting just .305 from the field, .669 from the line, and averaging 4.7 points in 175 contests. He was elected team captain of the Knicks.
After leaving the NBA in 1950, van Breda Kolff began a coaching career. He took over as head coach at Lafayette College, where he remained from 1951 to 1955. He then coached for Hofstra University from 1955 to 1962, and Princeton from 1962 to 1967. He is one of four men to have coached both an NCAA Final Four team (Princeton, 1965) and an NBA Finals squad (the Los Angeles Lakers, 1968 and 1969). (The others are Larry Brown, Jack Ramsay, and Fred Schaus.)
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