Who's The Greatest Coach In Houston Rockets History?

In this series, we’ll take a look at the illustrious list of head coaches in each NBA franchise’s history. To make a case for ‘greatest coach,’ we’ll look at win-loss record, player development, and (most importantly) team accomplishments under that coach’s tutelage.

The history of the Houston Rockets includes intense winning moments, headline-grabbing top draft picks, and a host of celebrated coaches.

Since 1967, Houston has launched the careers of NBA stars into the hemisphere. No. 1 selections like Elvin Hayes, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Yao Ming became larger than life in H-Town; while prized acquisitions like Tracy McGrady and James Harden have elevated the squad and left a blueprint for current main man Kevin Durant to follow (and, indeed, refine).

All those stars of yesteryear, of course, had great minds supporting them from the sidelines. These coaches had Rockets fans believing that sky was the limit for their beloved franchise.

When Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson were wreaking havoc on opposing centers as Houston’s “Twin Towers,” Bill Fitch was calling the shots. In four of his five seasons with the Rockets, Fitch was leading the team to the playoffs, going all the way to the NBA Finals in 1986.

It wasn’t Houston’s time to reach the summit in the mid-80s, but a decade later, they overcame all hurdles to win back-to-back NBA championships. Rudy Tomjanovich deserves plenty of credit for perfecting a system with Olajuwon as its fulcrum and a host of shooters (such as Sam Cassell, Mario Elie, and Kenny Smith) that played their roles to a tee.

20 years after Rudy T’s era, Mike D’Antoni brought his own brand of premium offense to Houston. Adopting the analytics-driven approach of his GM Daryl Morey, D’Antoni took a James Harden-led squad to the playoffs for four consecutive seasons, giving Steph Curry’s Warriors a reason to worry.

Tomjanovich said it best: “Don’t ever underestimate the heart of a champion.” As the only mentor to win multiple titles for the franchise, Tomjanovich gets the nod as the greatest Rockets coach ever.