Flip Saunders

Phil "Flip" Saunders is coach of the Detroit Pistons and one of the most successful coaches in the history of the Continental Basketball Association.

Related Topics:
Detroit Pistons - Continental Basketball Association

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He guided the Minnesota Timberwolves to their first-ever playoff berth in 1996-97, his first full season as an NBA head coach, and to a franchise-record 50 victories in 1999-2000 which was duplicated in 2001-2002.

Related Topics:
Minnesota Timberwolves - NBA - Head coach

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Saunders joined the Timberwolves on May 11, 1995 as general manager, working under his former teammate at the University of Minnesota, Kevin McHale. On Dec. 18, 1995, Saunders was named head coach of the Timberwolves, replacing Bill Blair.

Related Topics:
May 11 - 1995 - General manager - University of Minnesota - Kevin McHale - Dec. 18

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Saunders came to Minnesota after seven productive seasons as a head coach in the CBA, where he ranks second with 253 career victories. He began his CBA career in 1988-89 with the Rapid City (S.D.) Thrillers, then moved to the LaCrosse (Wis.) Catbirds for five seasons (1989-94) before coaching in 1994-95 with the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He also served as general manager (1991-93) and team president (1991-94) of the Catbirds. Saunders' impressive CBA tenure included seven consecutive seasons of 30 or more victories, two CBA championships (1990, 1992), two CBA Coach of the Year honors (1989, 1992) and 23 CBA-to-NBA player promotions.

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Saunders began his coaching career at Golden Valley Lutheran College where he compiled a 92-13 record, including a perfect 56-0 mark at home, in four seasons. In 1981, he became an assistant coach at his alma mater, Minnesota, and helped guide the Golden Gophers to the Big Ten championship that season. After five seasons at Minnesota, he became an assistant coach at the University of Tulsa where he worked for two seasons before heading to the pro ranks.

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Saunders was an All-America basketball player at Cuyahoga Heights High School in Cleveland. In his senior season, 1973, he was named Ohio's Class A High School Basketball Player of the Year, posting a state-leading average of 32.0 points per game. At Minnesota he started 101 of his 103 career contests and as a senior teamed with McHale, the Timberwolves' vice president of basketball operations, to lead the Gophers to a school-best 24-3 record.

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Saunders rejoined McHale in 1995, shortly after McHale took over basketball operations for the Timberwolves. He added the coaching duties to his GM responsibilties after the team got off to a 6-14 start. The Timberwolves went 20-42 the rest of the year, but the emergence of young Kevin Garnett as a front-line NBA player was a major plus over the second half of the season.

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