Poll: Worst Coach in Cavs History

[The Human Q-Tip]

There really wasn't much discussion of coaches in the nomination thread, so before people vote for the Worst Cavs Coach of the Half-Century, we probably should have some discussion. So far, the nominees (feel free to add your own if you wish) and their coaching records with the Cavs are:

Bill Musselman:

1980-81: 25-46 (then fired); 1982 (second stint) 2-21

Byron Scott:

2010-2013: 64-166

John Beilein:

2019-20: 14-40

Randy Wittman:

1999-2001: 62-102

Mike Brown (don't believe he belongs, but he was nominated):

2005-2010: 272-138; 2013-2014: 33-49

Don Delaney:

1980-1982 (partial): 7-19


I'll add the poll itself in a few days. Just to get things started, Delaney and Mussellman both coached in 1981 -- the "Year of the Four Coaches" -- which didn't turn out any better for the Cavs than the Year of Four Emperors turned out for the Romans (@King Stannis). Delaney was named one of the worst 5 coaches in NBA history by Basketball Digest in 2003. Byron Scott set a record with 26 losses in a row, and Beilein...we all know. Wittman was simply terrible, and Mike Brown has a potato head.

Have at it!

 

[2 For The Brew]

The c-virus might keep some of the haters from posting -- which in this thread is a good thing because we'd see nominations for every coach the Cavaliers have had since they drafted Wiggins.

Musselman (aka "Musclehead") did get called TWICE in one season for having four players on the court -- or was it six? Regardless, it wasn't five. On his second stint he replaced Chuck Daly (!) who went 9-32 and proceeded to go 2-21 the rest of the season. Cavaliers had FOUR coaches that year -- two of them also coached the previous year. In the Cavaliers' first ten seasons Bill Fitch coached the first nine and Stan Albeck the tenth. Nick Mileti was a brilliant owner at picking coaches -- but Stepien didn't keep Albeck and instead hired Musclehead.

Beilein -- was he even here? Last I heard he was attending a "hugs for thugs" seminar.

Delaney -- his resume wasn't fit to be printed on generic toilet paper (generic goods -- an early 80's thing).

Byron Scott -- HoF tank commander.

Randy Wittman sounds like the lead guitarist for a crappy early 80's band that had one annoying hit popularized by a bunch of girls under the age of 16. Coached like that guy as well.

Paul Silas has to be discussed. John Lucas as well.

 

[SalvadoranCavsfan]

Beilein didn't even make it a full season. I know there might be recency bias but good grief. For someone of his pedigree it almost takes the cake.

Mike Brown does not deserve to be on this list. Without Rashard Lewis juicing and Howard making free throws (for once) he might have been the first Cleveland coach to be carried to a championship by LeBron.

Byron Scott was supposed to lose and he did it with style.

I was born in 92 so I'll defer to the more seasoned posters here on coaches before that time.

 

[ansatsusha80]

Mike Brown shouldn't be on the list...


Ill say Beilein...

 

[WUJU]

Randy Wittman. It got so bad I forgot we had a team.

 

[cabs]

In my time following cavs I would order them from worst to best as:

1. Byron Scott
2. John Beilien
3. Mike Brown
4. David Blatt
5. Ty Lue

have not be blessed with coaching talent that’s for sure

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Well, you could say that Byron Scott lost because he was supposed to...or that he lost because he's just a horrible, horrible basketball coach. With the Cavs, he obviously set that record with 26 losses in a row. So was that deliberate?

Seems like the Lakers must have thought it was deliberate, because they were the next team to hire him because they apparently thought he could do better if he tried. And what happened next?

Byron Scott has the worst coaching record in Lakers history

Byron Scott has the worst coaching record in Lakers history

After losing to the Clippers on Friday, Byron Scott now has the worst coaching record in Lakers history.

www.cbssports.com

So I don't really think we can excuse Scott's horrible record with the Cavs as being because he was "supposed" to lose. He really was that bad as a coach.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

John Lucas was pretty bad too, probably because he always seemed to have laryngitis and you couldn't understand his raspy-assed voice.

 

[Derek]

Well, you could say that Byron Scott lost because he was supposed to...or that he lost because he's just a horrible, horrible basketball coach. With the Cavs, he obviously set that record with 26 losses in a row. So was that deliberate?

Seems like the Lakers must have thought it was deliberate, because they were the next team to hire him because they apparently thought he could do better if he tried. And what happened next?

Byron Scott has the worst coaching record in Lakers history

Byron Scott has the worst coaching record in Lakers history

After losing to the Clippers on Friday, Byron Scott now has the worst coaching record in Lakers history.

www.cbssports.com

So I don't really think we can excuse Scott's horrible record with the Cavs as being because he was "supposed" to lose. He really was that bad as a coach.

Plus, what reason would a coach have to not try?

I understand why a front office may tank, but how is it advantageous for a coach to put more losses on his career record?

Byron was trying, he just wasn't any good.

 

[Bob_The_Cat]

Beilein didn't even make it a full season. I know there might be recency bias but good grief. For someone of his pedigree it almost takes the cake.

Mike Brown does not deserve to be on this list. Without Rashard Lewis juicing and Howard making free throws (for once) he might have been the first Cleveland coach to be carried to a championship by LeBron.

Byron Scott was supposed to lose and he did it with style.

I was born in 92 so I'll defer to the more seasoned posters here on coaches before that time.

Brown doesn't deserve to be on the list, but I just wanted to nominate him to point out the incredible fact that he was fired three times in four years. The only year he wasn't fired in that span was when he didn't have a job. Never a bad time to bring it up

 

[Bill Walton.]

In John’s defense he was coaching a bunch of thugs

 

[Bill Walton.]

In John’s defense he was coaching a bunch of thugs

slugs*

 

[TheAdmin]

John Beilein was who I voted for. The Cavs have had some shit coaches in the past and have had guys who wanted out mid-season before but nobody who just threw up their hands and said "fuck it" like Beilein.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

John Beilein was who I voted for. The Cavs have had some shit coaches in the past and have had guys who wanted out mid-season before but nobody who just threw up their hands and said "fuck it" like Beilein.

That's who I voted for also. And it's really hard to see that he did anything right. He didn't develop the younger guys, he insisted on trying to jam square pegs into round holes to fit his system, he treated grown men like highschoolers and wanted to make them practice on Christmas, and alienated almost the entire team even before the slugs/thugs debacle.

The only thing for which I'll give him credit is that he didn't pull a Ty Lue and just hang around to force payment of his full contract.

Byron Scott was like a slick used car salesman. He looked the part, sounded the part, but it was all just a fraud. So I can see why he's getting votes also.

 

[Man Called X]

That's who I voted for also. And it's really hard to see that he did anything right. He didn't develop the younger guys, he insisted on trying to jam square pegs into round holes to fit his system, he treated grown men like highschoolers and wanted to make them practice on Christmas, and alienated almost the entire team even before the slugs/thugs debacle.

The only thing for which I'll give him credit is that he didn't pull a Ty Lue and just hang around to force payment of his full contract.

Byron Scott was like a slick used car salesman. He looked the part, sounded the part, but it was all just a fraud. So I can see why he's getting votes also.

I'm torn on who to vote for. Beilein is such an easy target because he was just such a colossal fuckup. But he did manage to assemble a decent staff so he gets a +1 for that. I really can't fault the guy for taking the job, but the number of red flags about his hiring made it lucky at best that he would succeed.

Byron Scott on the other hand... He was supposed to be the PG whisperer. He drafted Dion Waiters because he saw himself in Dion. Guy was more concerned with golfing than he was coaching. Heard rumors he would only be there for the beginning of practice days and immediately dip to go golfing. And honestly, I think 26 straight losses pretty much solidifies him as the worst coach of all time.