A lasting impression

After grand entrance, Karl to set a post-Moe mark others couldn't - and most were shown the door

Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News

Published April 9, 2007 at midnight

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Some came in as a favorite Nuggets son, then watched the sun set.

Some came in wearing a championship ring, then finished out the string.

They are those in the Nuggets' graveyard of coaches.

Since Doug Moe was fired in 1990, Denver has had 12 coaches, including two stints by Dan Issel. No other NBA team can claim that many during the period.

No Nuggets coach since then has lasted even three full seasons. Zsa Zsa Gabor, married nine times, has had more stability.

But there finally have been signs of change. When the ball is thrown up tonight against the Lakers at the Pepsi Center (7, Altitude), George Karl will become the longest-tenured Nuggets boss since Moe left, having been the coach of record for 199 straight games.

"That's not a lot of games," Karl said.

Still, it will be one more than Issel lasted in his first stint, from 1992-1995. And if Karl can hang on for another 47, he'll become the first Nuggets coach to last the equivalent of three seasons since Moe logged 9 1/2.

"It doesn't say much for their continuity," Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni said.

D'Antoni is one of the few whose career didn't become dizzy after a ride on Denver's coaching merry- go-round. In the 1998-99 lockout season, he went 14-36, which doesn't sound great but was the equivalent of a 12-game improvement from 11-71 in 1997-98, Bill Hanzlik's only season on the bench.

D'Antoni's reward? He was fired by Issel, the general manager who also took over as coach.

It didn't end well for Issel, forced to resign in December 2001 after shouting a racial remark at a Hispanic fan. But D'Antoni has blossomed in Phoenix and was 2004-05 Coach of the Year.

Career enders

Most former Denver coaches have been much less fortunate. Paul Westhead won a title with the Lakers in 1980 but never again was an NBA head coach after his 1990- 92 Nuggets tenure. Dick Motta won a 1978 ring for Washington but never coached again after his 1996-97 Denver stint.

Popular former Nuggets players Issel, Hanzlik and Mike Evans, an interim coach who moved from assistant to finish the season after Issel's 2001 resignation, all had opportunities. But none has coached again after being part of the Nuggets' revolving door.

Change, though, has been in the air since Karl arrived in January 2005 and steered Denver to a 32-8 finish. Injuries and suspensions to players have made Karl slightly more than a .500 coach the past two seasons, but Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke has shown a desire for stability.

Last fall, Kroenke picked up Karl's contract option through 2009-10. A Kroenke Sports official did not respond to requests for a Kroenke interview.

Karl, dealing with son Coby having undergone a second surgery for thyroid cancer, says there's a "small" chance he won't return next season. But Moe, now a Nuggets assistant, believes Karl will coach "probably as long as he wants" and will "be around for quite a while."

"They were having bad years and losing, and changing coaches," Moe said of the time from his firing until he returned in 2002 to a team that is about to make its fourth straight playoff trip. "Why players didn't turn out, I don't know. But (Denver) had so much turmoil over the years. I think it's important to have a coach in place, somebody like George."

Center Marcus Camby said it's "good to have familiarity" with a coach. Karl agreed and said it's vital to have management's backing and a long contract.

"It's easier to push your team," said Karl, whose Nuggets are 40- 36. "This year, I've had to slam the door a bit, saying, 'I won't listen to you. I'm just going to coach you.' If you have a young coach who's not feeling supported, he probably doesn't do that all the time. It allows the coach to have all his weapons."

Merry-go-round begins

Many Nuggets coaches, young or old, haven't had Karl's security. The coaching carousel began when the seasoned Westhead replaced Moe and his frantic style flopped, the Nuggets going 44-120 in two seasons.

Issel took over and looked primed to stay a while. In his second season, he led a No. 8 seed to a stunning 1994 playoff upset of No. 1 Seattle.

The Nuggets were a young team. But Evans believes winning that series prematurely raised expectations for management, resulting in coaches soon coming and going.

"There was a lack of patience," said Evans, an assistant for both Issel stints and under Westhead, D'Antoni and 1994-95 interim boss Gene Littles. "There are no quick fixes. We upset Seattle, and that put us ahead of schedule."

Issel soon burned out. After an 18-16 start in 1994-95, he resigned, with Evans calling it "a shock."

Issel was replaced by Littles, who bombed with a 3-13 mark. General manager Bernie Bickerstaff then took over and saved the season, leading the Nuggets to a 20-12 record and a playoff berth.

But the Nuggets slipped to 35-47 in 1995-96. Bickerstaff resigned after a 4-9 start in 1996-97, giving way to Motta, who went 17-52 in his final career stint.

"We turned it over in three years," Bickerstaff said of rebuilding after inheriting an old team as general manager in 1990. "But you have to be able to keep your players. You have to have the resour- ces to keep them."

Bickerstaff, who resigned as general manager in 1997 to coach Washington and now coaches Charlotte, takes some responsibility. But he doesn't dispute ownership didn't exactly step up, allowing star Dikem- be Mutombo to bolt to Atlanta in 1996 as a free agent.

The Nuggets then were owned by Ascent Entertainment, one of four ownership groups during the 1990s before Kroenke began to provide stability in 2000. Evans said constant changing of owners was a key reason for coaching changes.

After Moe coached his last game, the Nuggets had three general managers in the 1990s, Bickerstaff, Issel and Allan Bristow, whose only full season was rock- bottom 1997-98. Bristow brought in Hanzlik, then Issel hired D'Antoni, who tried to pick up the pieces.

"I think every coach wants to (work for) a franchise that will give you a chance to get it done, but that's on them," D'Antoni said.

When Issel replaced D'Antoni, the team showed additional improvement. But Issel eventually was gone after telling a fan, "Have another beer, you Mexican piece of (expletive)."

Kiki Vandeweghe was then in his first season as general manager. He wonders what would have happened had Issel, who did not return a message, not uttered those words.

"I had hopes (Issel) could have continued for a long time," Vande- weghe said. "But he couldn't after that."

Karl brings stability

Vandeweghe, whose contract wasn't renewed in May, had five coaches in five years. Following Issel were Evans, Jeff Bzdelik, interim Michael Cooper and Karl.

Bzdelik coached from 2002 until his December 2004 firing. He led the Nuggets to the 2003-04 playoffs, their first trip in nine years, but was let go after a 13-15 start the next season.

"Jeff did a very good job, but I thought the team was underachieving," Vandeweghe said. "I thought we needed a more experienced coach."

Before Karl's arrival, the Nuggets for a month had the inexperienced Cooper, whom Vandeweghe now says "wasn't ready." While there was ample second-guessing about Bzdelik's dismissal, much of it went away after Karl's impressive run.

So, do the Nuggets finally have coaching stability? At 116-82, Karl is the only coach with a winning mark since Moe's ouster.

"Stability is critical," ESPN analyst Bill Walton said. "The players have to believe their career is in the coach's hands. You have to have a vision for the team, and George has been able to do that. I remember what this franchise was like when they won 11 games. Now, this is a franchise on the move."

Before, it was a franchise often known for making yet another coaching move.

How they've fared

A look at consecutive games on the job of the coaches who have headed the Nuggets since Doug Moe was fired in 1990, from most to least:

Name Seasons Games Record Pct.

George Karl 2004-07 198 116-82 .586

Dan Issel* 1992-95 198 96-102 .485

Jeff Bzdelik 2002-05 192 73-119 .380

Dan Issel* 1999-2002 190 84-106 .442

Paul Westhead 1990-92 164 44-120 .268

Bernie Bickerstaff 1994-97 127 59-68 .465

Bill Hanzlik 1997-98 82 11-71 .134

Dick Motta 1996-97 69 17-52 .246

Mike Evans 2001-02 56 18-38 .321

Mike D'Antoni 1998-99 50 14-36 .280

Gene Littles 1994-95 16 3-13 .188

Michael Cooper 2004-05 14 4-10 .286*Issel Went 180-208 (.464) In His Combined Two Stints.

Coaching carousel

George Karl is the 12th Nuggets coach, including Dan Issel twice, since the end of the Doug Moe era in 1990.

• Paul Westhead (1990-92): His frenzied style of play fizzled. Teams played no defense. Once gave up an NBA-record 107 points in a half, to Phoenix.

• Dan Issel, part one (1992-95): Led Nuggets to dramatic playoff upset against Seattle in 1994. Was burned out and resigned in January 1995, saying he wouldn't coach again. Uh, not exactly.

• Gene Littles (1994-95): Supposedly was going to be interim coach the rest of the season. Disastrous 3-13 stint got him fired 32 games early.

• Bernie Bickerstaff (1994-97): General manager also turned to coaching and rescued Nuggets with a 20-12 finish and 1995 playoff berth. Didn't do much after that.

• Dick Motta (1996-97): It didn't end well in the final stint for an NBA legend. It was all downhill after the Nuggets, in Motta's second game, blew a 36-point lead in a loss to Utah.

• Bill Hanzlik (1997-98): At least his team didn't knock 1972-73 Philadelphia (9-73) out of the record book for worst season. The Nuggets' 11-71 mark tied for third worst of all time.

• Mike D'Antoni (1998-99): Current Phoenix coach improved Denver's mark to 14-36 in lockout season. But that wasn't good enough for Issel, then the GM, who booted him and took over himself.

• Dan Issel, part two (1999-2002): Perhaps Issel should have stayed retired from coaching. The team did improve, but Issel was forced out in December 2001 after shouting a racial remark at a Hispanic fan.

• Mike Evans (2001-02): Interim coach who tried to hold Nuggets together after Issel's resignation and team being dismantled for salary-cap room. Given little consideration for full-time job.

• Jeff Bzdelik (2002-05): Surprisingly steered team to 2004 playoffs after undertalented team went 17-65 in 2002-03. Was dumped by then-GM Kiki Vandeweghe after slow 2004-05 start.

• Michael Cooper (2004-05): Interim coach who won his first game, on New Year's Eve. It went downhill in a hurry, as Cooper admitted he forgot to insert steady guard Andre Miller late in one game.

• George Karl (2004-07): Ignited Nuggets with a glorious 32-8 run after taking over. Has gone just a bit more than .500 since then, with player injuries and suspensions playing a role.

Coaches aplenty

NBA teams that have had the most coaches since the start of the 1989-90 season:

Nuggets: 13*

Since 1990, only George Karl has winning record.

Golden State: 10**

Warriors haven't made playoffs since 1993-94.

L.A. Clippers: 10

Playoff appearance last year was fourth in 30 years.

L.A. Lakers: 10***

Surprising lack of stability for one of top teams.

New York: 10

Knicks on their fifth coach in past four seasons.