SAN ANTONIO – According to multiple reports, former NBA and ABA head coach Tom Nissalke died Thursday at the age of 87.
- First head coach of Spurs
- Became head coach after NBA merger
- Coached Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets
During the ABA 1971-72 season, Nissalke was the head coach of the Dallas Chaparrals before the team became the San Antonio Spurs during the NBA merger. The Spurs finished third in the Western Conference during the 1973-74 season. He coached hall-of-famer George Gervin, also known as "The Iceman," during his time with the Spurs.
He went forth to coach the Utah Jazz after one season with San Antonio. He also coached the Houston Rockets and the Cleveland Cavaliers during his career.
Nissalke is the only one to have won both ABA Coach of the Year Award (1972) and the NBA Coach of the Year Award (1977).
The Utah Jazz released a statement on his death:
“Gail Miller and the Miller Family, along with the Jazz organization, are saddened to hear about the passing of former head coach Tom Nissalke. As our first head coach when the team moved in 1979 from New Orleans to Salt Lake City, he was instrumental in helping the franchise transition to its new home. We express our appreciation for all he did as the Jazz coach and for introducing the NBA to our community. Our thoughts are with Coach Nissalke’s daughter, son, grandchildren and friends during this time.”