Robert MacKinnon (December 5, 1927 – July 7, 2015) was an American college and professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

coach. He coached three different professional teams in his career; the

American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major professional basketball league that operated for nine seasons from 1967 to 1976. The upstart ABA operated in direct competition with the more established National Basketball Association thr ...

's Spirits of St. Louis, and the

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

Buffalo Braves The Buffalo Braves were an American professional basketball team based in Buffalo, New York. The Braves competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference ...

and

New Jersey Nets New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

. MacKinnon also served as the Nets' general manager.

Biography

MacKinnon was a three-sport athlete at McKinley Vocational High School in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

. He was an All-High choice in basketball in 1944, 1945, and 1946, and established a Yale Cup scoring record while pacing the Macks to the City Championship as a junior and senior. Bob excelled in football as well, as an All-High halfback and member of three City Championship teams. He won All-High honors in baseball while leading the Macks to the 1946 City Championship. Although MacKinnon played baseball at

Canisius College Canisius University is a private Jesuit university in Buffalo, New York. It was founded in 1870 by Jesuits from Germany and is named after St. Peter Canisius. Canisius offers more than 100 undergraduate majors and minors, and around 34 ma ...

and captained the 1950 squad, his greatest success as a college athlete came in basketball. His honors included selection to the All-Western New York team in 1948–1950, to the All-Auditorium team in 1949–1950, and as a Sporting News Second-Team All American in 1950. In perhaps his greatest moment of individual distinction, MacKinnon edged out College of the Holy Cross's Bob Cousy as MVP of the Jesuit Game in 1949. MacKinnon is considered one of the most superb defenders and playmakers in Golden Griffin history. Following graduation, baseball beckoned, and MacKinnon signed with the

Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brook ...

organization. However, a steady diet of cheap motels and long bus trips as a minor-leaguer led him back to his first passion, basketball. Following a season as a player for the Syracuse Nationals of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

, MacKinnon returned to Buffalo to coach basketball at Canisius High School. He compiled a record of 36–2 over two seasons and was appointed coach of the Canisius College freshman squad. In 1959, MacKinnon was named head basketball coach and athletic director at Canisius College. At the time, he was the youngest coach in the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

. The program reached its peak a mere four years later, as the Golden Griffins posted a 19–7 record and made an appearance in the NIT Finals that earned MacKinnon Eastern Coach of the Year honors. He coached the Griffs for 13 seasons; during his tenure, his capabilities were recognized by his fellow coaches as they selected him to the

National Invitation Tournament The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) is an annual men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Since 2023, all rounds of the tournament are played at various sites across the country whi ...

Selection Committee, the NCAA All-American Selection Committee, and the NCAA Rules Committee. MacKinnon left Canisius in 1972, signing on with the Buffalo Braves as assistant coach and scout. Within three seasons, the Braves were a National Basketball Association power. He also coached during 1974–75 in the

, leading the Spirits of St. Louis to a stunning upset of the defending champion New York Nets in the semifinals of the

1975 ABA Playoffs The 1975 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the American Basketball Association's 1974–75 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Kentucky Colonels defeating the Western Division champion Indiana Pace ...

. MacKinnon left the Spirits to be the player personnel director with the Braves because he wanted to back the perceived "sure thing" (with his family also being home in Buffalo), particularly with the shaky future of the ABA (which folded in 1976). His achievements in professional basketball were a fitting culmination to a career spent in service to the sport. He was recognized for his prowess as an athlete and coach by his induction into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 1995. MacKinnon has been married since 1955 to the former Norma Marie Fell. They have four daughters and one son. His son, Bob MacKinnon Jr., has coached in the

NBA Development League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of the 2024–25 season, ...

with the Colorado 14ers, Idaho Stampede, and Los Angeles D-Fenders. MacKinnon died in

Williamsville, New York Williamsville is a Administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 5,423 at the 2020 census. The village is named after Jonas Williams, an early settler. It is part of the Buffalo- ...

on July 7, 2015, at the age of 87.

Head coaching record

NBA

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References

External links

BasketballReference.com: Bob MacKinnon
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mackinnon, Bob 1927 births 2015 deaths American men's basketball coaches American men's basketball players Baseball players from Chautauqua County, New York Basketball coaches from New York (state) Basketball players from New York (state) Boston Celtics assistant coaches Buffalo Braves assistant coaches Buffalo Braves head coaches Canisius Golden Griffins athletic directors Canisius Golden Griffins baseball coaches Canisius Golden Griffins baseball players Canisius Golden Griffins men's basketball coaches Canisius Golden Griffins men's basketball players College men's basketball head coaches in the United States NBA executives New Jersey Nets assistant coaches New Jersey Nets head coaches Players of American football from New York (state) Point guards Spirits of St. Louis coaches Utica Pros players