Red Auerbach 9 Coaching Titles
The architect of the Celtics dynasty and a pioneer of racial integration in the NBA.
Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach (September 20, 1917 – October 28, 2006) was an American professional basketball coach and executive. As head coach, he led the Boston Celtics to eight consecutive NBA championships between 1959 and 1966. On retiring in 1966, he held an NBA coaching record of 938 wins. He served as general manager of the Celtics from 1966 to 1984, and later as president and vice-chairman of the Board. He won a combined 16 NBA titles in his long career with the Celtics, the most of any individual.
- Role
- Head Coach / Executive
- Team Affiliation
- Boston Celtics
- Total Championships Won
- 9
- Record Status
- Unbroken NBA Record
Lore & Background
Auerbach coached many players who were inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. He also played a key role in decreasing racial discrimination in the NBA. In 1950, he drafted Chuck Cooper, the NBA's first African-American player. In 1965, he introduced the first African-American starting five. In 1966, he hired Bill Russell as the NBA's first African-American head coach.
In Their Own Story
The air inside the arena was thick with the scent of floor wax and stale popcorn, but Red didn't notice. He sat on the bench, a cigar unlit in his hand—a superstition he kept for luck even after smoking bans took hold—watching the clock bleed down to zero. The crowd was a deafening roar of green and white, a tidal wave of noise that shook the rafters. Red's eyes never left the court. He didn't need to shout; his presence alone commanded the floor. As the final buzzer screamed through the gym, he didn't smile immediately. He simply leaned back, exhaled a breath held for forty-eight minutes, and reached into his pocket. The match struck with a sharp *click*, the flame illuminating the first puff of smoke in a stadium that had just witnessed history being made once again.
Reader's Guide
Auerbach was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1969. In 1980, the Professional Basketball Writers Association of America voted Auerbach the greatest coach in NBA history. He was also named NBA Executive of the Year in 1980. Auerbach has been regarded as one of the NBA 10 Greatest Coaches in history, was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, and had his number 2 jersey retired at TD Garden, the Celtics' stadium.
Did You Know?
- Auerbach led the Celtics to eight consecutive NBA championships from 1959 to 1966.
- He held an NBA coaching record of 938 wins upon retiring in 1966.
- Auerbach won a combined 16 NBA titles with the Celtics, the most of any individual.
- He drafted Chuck Cooper in 1950, the NBA's first African-American player.
- In 1966, he hired Bill Russell as the NBA's first African-American head coach.
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