Michael Harold Schuler (September 22, 1940 – June 28, 2022) was an American

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 in both college and 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 ...

(NBA). He was the head coach of the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...

and

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...

from 1986 to 1992 and compiled a win–loss record of 179–159. He won the NBA Coach of the Year Award in 1987, becoming the second rookie coach to be conferred the honor.

Early life

Michael Harold Schuler was born on September 22, 1940, in

Portsmouth, Ohio Portsmouth is a city in Scioto County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Located in southern Ohio south of Chillicothe, Ohio, Chillicothe, it lies on the north bank of the Ohio River, across from Kentucky and just east of the mouth of th ...

, on September 22, 1940. He attended Portsmouth High School in his hometown. He was then awarded an

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athlet ...

scholarship to study at

Ohio University Ohio University (Ohio or OU) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Athens, Ohio, United States. The university was first conceived in the 1787 contract between the United States Department of the Treasury#Re ...

, where he played for the

Ohio Bobcats The Ohio Bobcats are the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I Intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio University, located in Athens, Ohio, United States. Ohio University is a charter member (1946 ...

and won two

Mid-American Conference The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region (North America), Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Its members co ...

championships with the team. He graduated in 1962.

Coaching career

Army (1965–1966)

Schuler started his coaching career in 1965, working as an assistant for the Army Black Knights.

Ohio (1966–1969)

Schuler then went back to Ohio, his alma mater, and was an assistant coach there for three seasons.

VMI (1969–1972)

Schuler subsequently joined the Virginia Military Institute as its head coach in 1969. During his three seasons with the Keydets, the team recorded a .171 winning percentage (13–63).

Virginia (1972–1977)

Schuler had a four-season stint as an assistant at the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...

Rice (1977–1981)

Schuler became head coach of the

Rice Owls The Rice Owls are the sports teams representing Houston's Rice University in college sports. The name comes from the owls in Rice's crest. Rice participates in NCAA Division I athletics. A member of the American Athletic Conference, Rice sponsors ...

in 1977. He served in that capacity until 1981, compiling a .283 winning percentage (30–76) during his tenure there.

New Jersey Nets (1981–1983)

Schuler garnered his first professional coaching position in 1981 as an assistant coach with the

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 ...

. He worked in that role for two seasons.

Milwaukee Bucks (1983–1986)

Schuler become an assistant coach with the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

from 1983 to 1986.

Portland Trail Blazers (1986–1989)

Schuler was subsequently hired as head coach of the

. One incident he was remembered for occurred at the first press conference that introduced him as the coach of the Trail Blazers, when he fell out of his chair. The footage was seen often on American television in the following days, and Schuler termed it "my instant claim to fame". During his first season as coach of the Blazers, Schuler led the franchise to a 49–33 record. He was first named NBA Coach of the Month in February 1987, before winning the NBA Coach of the Year Award later that year. He was the second rookie coach to receive the latter award, and one of only five to achieve the feat at the time of his death. He followed that up with a 53–29 campaign, though the season ended in a first-round playoff defeat. In his third season with the Blazers, the team was racked with dissension and posted a 25–22 record before Schuler was fired in mid-February. He recorded a .602 winning percentage (127–84) with the Trail Blazers. Then-assistant coach

Rick Adelman Richard Leonard Adelman (born June 16, 1946) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He coached 23 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Adelman served as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden S ...

was promoted to replace him on an interim basis. After the Blazers reached the 1989 NBA Playoffs and were swept in the first round by the Lakers, Adelman was made the head coach on a permanent basis.

Golden State Warriors (1989–1990)

Schuler served as assistant coach of the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...

for the 1989–90 season.

Los Angeles Clippers (1990–1992)

Schuler become head coach of the

the following year. He served in that role until he was dismissed halfway through the 1991–92 season, compiling a .409 winning percentage (52–75) during his time with the Clippers.

Sacramento Kings (1992–1994)

Schuler was an assistant coach with the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

from 1992 to 1994.

Minnesota Timberwolves (1994–1996)

Schuler was an assistant coach with the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...

from 1994 to 1997.

Milwaukee Bucks (2003–2005)

Schuler later returned to the Milwaukee Bucks as an assistant coach in 2003, before retiring at the end of the 2004–05 season.

Personal life

Schuler married Gloria Sissea in July 1963. They remained married for 53 years until her death in 2016. Together, they had two daughters: Kimberly and Kristin. Schuler died on June 28, 2022, at the age of 81.

Head coaching record

, - , align="left" , Portland , align="left" , , 82, , 49, , 33, , .598, , align="center" , 2nd in Pacific, , 4, , 1, , 3, , .250 , align="center" , Lost in First Round , - , align="left" , Portland , align="left" , , 82, , 53, , 29, , .646, , align="center" , 2nd in Pacific, , 4, , 1, , 3, , .250 , align="center" , Lost in First Round , - , align="left" , Portland , align="left" , , 47, , 25, , 22, , .532, , align="center" , (fired), , —, , —, , —, , — , align="center" , — , - , align="left" , L.A. Clippers , align="left" , , 82, , 31, , 51, , .378, , align="center" , 6th in Pacific, , —, , —, , —, , — , align="center" , Missed Playoffs , - , align="left" , L.A. Clippers , align="left" , , 45, , 21, , 24, , .467, , align="center" , (fired), , —, , —, , —, , — , align="center" , — , - , -class="sortbottom" , align="left" , Career , , , 338, , 179, , 159, , .530, , , , 8, , 2, , 6, , .250 , - class="sortbottom" , colspan="12" style="text-align: center;" , Source:

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schuler, Mike 1940 births 2022 deaths American men's basketball coaches American men's basketball players Army Black Knights men's basketball coaches Basketball coaches from Ohio Basketball players from Ohio Golden State Warriors assistant coaches Los Angeles Clippers head coaches Milwaukee Bucks assistant coaches Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coaches New Jersey Nets assistant coaches Ohio Bobcats men's basketball coaches Ohio Bobcats men's basketball players People from Portsmouth, Ohio Portland Trail Blazers head coaches Rice Owls men's basketball coaches Sacramento Kings assistant coaches Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball coaches VMI Keydets basketball coaches 20th-century American sportsmen