Avery Johnson Only Active Coach Posting Winning Career Record in NBA
A total of 13 active NCAA Division I coaches are former NBA bench bosses. Alabama's Avery Johnson is the only individual in this group to post a winning career record in the NBA (254-186 with Dallas Mavericks and New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets). NCAA Tournament titlists John Calipari and Rick Pitino were among the other 12 mentors in this category combining to win fewer than 43% of their NBA regular-season games prior to Slick Rick being cast adrift by Louisville.
This professional downgrade is not a new trend. Former Final Four coaches P.J. Carlesimo, Lou Carnesecca, Ed Jucker, Doggie Julian, Mike Montgomery, Jerry Tarkanian, Butch van Breda Kolff and Tex Winter also compiled sub-.500 worksheets in the NBA/ABA. Mike Dunleavy Sr. (seven), Johnson (four), Calipari (one), Pitino (one) and Terry Porter (one) accounted for the 14 winning records in a total of 54 NBA seasons among the following active DI mentors:
| Head Coach | Current School | Career College Mark | NBA Record | Winning NBA Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Calipari | Kentucky | 652-191 (.773) | 72-112 (.391) | 1 of 3 |
| Michael Curry | Florida Atlantic | 27-64 (.297) | 39-43 (.476) | 0 of 1 |
| Mike Dunlap | Loyola Marymount | 365-160 (.695) | 21-61 (.256) | 0 of 1 |
| Mike Dunleavy Sr. | Tulane | 6-25 (.194) | 613-716 (.461) | 7 of 17 |
| Tim Floyd | Texas-El Paso | 444-248 (.642) | 90-231 (.280) | 0 of 5 |
| Leonard Hamilton | Florida State | 504-406 (.554) | 19-63 (.232) | 0 of 1 |
| Avery Johnson | Alabama | 37-30 (.552) | 254-186 (.577) | 4 of 7 |
| Lon Kruger | Oklahoma | 601-381 (.612) | 69-122 (.361) | 0 of 3 |
| Larry Krystkowiak | Utah | 154-105 (.595) | 31-69 (.310) | 0 of 2 |
| Eric Musselman | Nevada | 52-21 (.712) | 108-138 (.439) | 0 of 3 |
| Rick Pitino | Louisville | 770-269 (.741) | 192-220 (.466) | 1 of 6 |
| Terry Porter | Portland | 11-22 (.333) | 99-116 (.460) | 1 of 3 |
| Reggie Theus | Cal State Northridge | 88-104 (.458) | 44-62 (.415) | 0 of 2 |