Former Trail Blazers and Clippers coach Mike Schuler has died, Portland confirmed on social media on Wednesday. He was 81 years old.
Schuler got his start in coaching at the college level, first as an assistant for a few teams but ultimately taking over the Virginia Military Institute basketball team for three years. He was also the coach at Rice for four years before jumping to the NBA as an assistant.
Portland hired Schuler in 1986 and he took the team to the playoffs in his first two seasons, which also included winning the 1987–88 NBA Coach of the Year award in his rookie year. However, the Trail Blazers fired him the following season.
“Mike was a terrific coach and had a great intensity about his coaching style with a focus on bringing out the best in his players,” former Blazers player and coach Terry Porter said in a statement. “From a colleague standpoint, I was extremely grateful to have him on my coaching staff to share his experience, knowledge and kindness with me.”
Schuler got another head coaching job a year later, this time with the Clippers, which he held onto until he was fired midway through his second season. From there, Schuler bounced around as an assistant coach until he retired after the 2005 season. In total, Schuler was an assistant for six NBA teams between 1981 and ’05, not including his two head coaching opportunities.
