Terry Stotts is a former professional basketball player and current head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball at the University of Oklahoma and was drafted by the Houston Rockets in the second round of the 1980 NBA draft. Stotts played for several teams during his NBA career, including the Rockets, the Indiana Pacers, the Seattle SuperSonics, and the Milwaukee Bucks. He retired from playing in 1988 and began his coaching career as an assistant coach for the SuperSonics.
Stotts quickly established himself as a talented coach and was hired as the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks in 2002. He led the team to the playoffs in his first season as head coach, but was fired after two seasons due to a lack of success. Stotts then served as an assistant coach for several teams, including the Dallas Mavericks, where he helped the team win the NBA championship in 2011.
In 2012, Stotts was hired as the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. He quickly turned the team around, leading them to the playoffs in his first season as head coach. Stotts has since led the Trail Blazers to the playoffs in eight of his nine seasons as head coach, including a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2019. He has also been named the NBA Coach of the Year twice, in 2005 and 2021.
Stotts is known for his offensive coaching abilities, and has helped the Trail Blazers become one of the highest-scoring teams in the NBA. He has also been praised for his ability to develop young players, and has helped several players on the Trail Blazers roster reach their full potential.
Throughout his career, Stotts has been respected by players, coaches, and fans alike for his basketball knowledge, work ethic, and leadership abilities. He is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in the NBA, and his success with the Trail Blazers has cemented his legacy as a great coach in the league.
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