Brendan Malone, a former NBA and NCAA coach, passed away today at the age of 81. He is the father of Denver Nuggets coach Mike Malone.
Born in New York in 1942, the American began his career nearly 50 years ago as an assistant coach at the prestigious Yale University. His first significant opportunity came in 1984 when he took over at Rhode Island, and a few years later, he headed to his hometown.
In the mid-eighties, he joined the New York Knicks as an assistant coach when they were considered one of the top NBA teams. He stayed there for two years before moving to Detroit. He won consecutive championship rings twice with the “Bad Boys” of Detroit.
After his stint with the Detroit Pistons, he moved to Canada, specifically to Toronto. He was the first head coach in the history of the Raptors franchise. He continued his coaching career with several other NBA teams and ultimately concluded it in 2016, marking the pinnacle of his success.
He was the father of Mike Malone, who won an NBA championship ring last season, thus completing the Malone family’s legacy in the league. He leaves behind his wife and six children.