Dwane Casey facts for kids
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Casey and his wife at the 2017 TIFF
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| Detroit Pistons | |
|---|---|
| Member of front office | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | April 17, 1957 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. |
| High school | Union County (Morganfield, Kentucky) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Kentucky (1975–1979) |
| NBA Draft | 1979 / Undrafted |
| Coaching career | 1979–2023 |
| League | NBA |
| Career history | |
| As coach: | |
| 1979–1980 | Kentucky (assistant) |
| 1980–1985 | Western Kentucky (assistant) |
| 1985–1989 | Kentucky (assistant) |
| 1989–1992 | Sekisui Chemical |
| 1992–1994 | Isuzu Motors Lynx |
| 1994–2005 | Seattle SuperSonics (assistant) |
| 2005–2007 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2008–2011 | Dallas Mavericks (assistant) |
| 2011–2018 | Toronto Raptors |
| 2018–2023 | Detroit Pistons |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As assistant coach:
As head coach:
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Dwane Lyndon Casey (born April 17, 1957) is a well-known American basketball coach. He recently worked as the head coach for the Detroit Pistons before moving into a role in the team's front office. Before coaching in the NBA, he played and coached college basketball for many years. He was also the head coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Toronto Raptors. In 2018, he won the NBA Coach of the Year Award while with the Raptors.
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Early Life and College Basketball
Dwane Lyndon Casey was born on April 17, 1957, in Indianapolis. When he was three years old, his family moved to Morganfield, Kentucky. He finished high school at Union County High School in 1975.
Dwane was a very talented basketball player in high school. He decided to play for the University of Kentucky. In the 1977–78 season, Casey helped his team win the NCAA Tournament Championship. He was the team captain in his final year. During his college summers, Dwane worked hard at different jobs, like coal mining and tobacco farming, to support himself.
He earned a degree in business administration from the University of Kentucky in 1979. He also received Kentucky's All-Academic Award that same year for his excellent grades.
Dwane Casey's Coaching Journey
Starting His Coaching Career
Dwane Casey's coaching journey began very early. At just 13 years old, he coached a Little League baseball team! He started his college basketball coaching career in 1979. His college coach, Joe B. Hall, suggested he try coaching. Casey spent one season as an assistant coach at Kentucky.
The next season, Casey moved to Western Kentucky, where he coached for five years. He then returned to Kentucky in 1985 as an assistant coach and a top recruiter.
In 1988, while at Kentucky, there was a misunderstanding involving a package. The NCAA investigated, but it was later shown that Casey was not involved. The NCAA removed any penalties against him.
Coaching in Japan
After leaving Kentucky, Casey became a head coach in the Japanese Basketball League. He coached for teams like Sekisui Chemical and Isuzu Motors Lynx. His former teammate, Jack Givens, also played for Isuzu Motors Lynx.
While in Japan, Casey also helped coach the Japanese national team. He worked with his friend Mototaka Kohama and experienced coach Pete Newell. In the summer of 1998, the Japanese national team played in the FIBA World Championship tournament. This was their first time in the tournament in over 30 years!
Coaching in the NBA
Casey left Japan in 1994 to become an assistant coach for the Seattle SuperSonics in the NBA. During his time there, the team won four division titles.
In the 2005–06 NBA season, Casey got his first job as a head coach in the NBA with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He coached the team for a season and a half. He was replaced in January 2007.
During the 2008–09 NBA season, Casey became an assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2011, the Mavericks won their first NBA championship by defeating the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals. Even LeBron James of the Heat later said that Casey's defensive plans helped him improve his own game.
Toronto Raptors Success
In June 2011, Dwane Casey was named the new head coach for the Toronto Raptors. His first two seasons with the Raptors were a bit tough, and the team did not make the playoffs.
However, in his third season, the team really improved! They set a new record for most wins in a season, won an Atlantic Division Championship, and made the playoffs for the first time in six years.
Because of this success, Casey signed a new contract with the Raptors in May 2014. On November 1, 2015, he became the Raptors' winningest coach, getting his 157th win. By March 2016, he reached 200 wins with the team. A few days later, he coached the Raptors to their first-ever 50-win season.
In May 2016, Casey led the Raptors to their first Game 7 victory in franchise history in the playoffs. They then reached the Eastern Conference finals for the first time ever! They lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who went on to win the NBA championship. Casey signed another contract extension in June.
In January 2018, Casey was chosen to coach in the NBA All-Star Game, a big honor. In February, he celebrated his 300th win as Raptors coach. His Raptors team had a fantastic regular season, setting franchise records for wins and finishing first in the Eastern Conference. In the playoffs, they won their first series but were then defeated by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Casey was praised for helping the Raptors' younger players get better. In May 2018, he was named NBCA Coach of the Year. Shortly after, he was fired as the Raptors' head coach. He was then named the NBA Coach of the Year at the 2018 NBA Awards.
Detroit Pistons Coaching
On June 11, 2018, Casey became the head coach for the Detroit Pistons. He signed a five-year deal. In November 2018, he coached the Pistons to a win against his former team, the Toronto Raptors. In the playoffs that year, the Pistons lost in the first round. Interestingly, his former team, the Raptors, went on to win the NBA championship that season.
In May 2021, the Pistons extended Casey's contract. On April 10, 2023, Casey decided to step down as head coach after the 2022–23 season. He then moved into a front office role with the Pistons. During his five seasons as coach for the Pistons, his team had a record of 121 wins and 262 losses.
Coaching Statistics
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
| Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 2005–06 | 82 | 33 | 49 | .402 | 3rd in Northwest | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Minnesota | 2006–07 | 40 | 20 | 20 | .500 | (fired) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Toronto | 2011–12 | 66 | 23 | 43 | .348 | 4th in Atlantic | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Toronto | 2012–13 | 82 | 34 | 48 | .415 | 5th in Atlantic | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Toronto | 2013–14 | 82 | 48 | 34 | .585 | 1st in Atlantic | 7 | 3 | 4 | .429 | Lost in First round |
| Toronto | 2014–15 | 82 | 49 | 33 | .598 | 1st in Atlantic | 4 | 0 | 4 | .000 | Lost in First round |
| Toronto | 2015–16 | 82 | 56 | 26 | .683 | 1st in Atlantic | 20 | 10 | 10 | .500 | Lost in Conference finals |
| Toronto | 2016–17 | 82 | 51 | 31 | .622 | 2nd in Atlantic | 10 | 4 | 6 | .400 | Lost in Conference semifinals |
| Toronto | 2017–18 | 82 | 59 | 23 | .720 | 1st in Atlantic | 10 | 4 | 6 | .400 | Lost in Conference semifinals |
| Detroit | 2018–19 | 82 | 41 | 41 | .500 | 3rd in Central | 4 | 0 | 4 | .000 | Lost in First round |
| Detroit | 2019–20 | 66 | 20 | 46 | .303 | 4th in Central | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Detroit | 2020–21 | 72 | 20 | 52 | .278 | 5th in Central | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Detroit | 2021–22 | 82 | 23 | 59 | .280 | 5th in Central | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Detroit | 2022–23 | 82 | 17 | 65 | .207 | 5th in Central | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Career | 1,064 | 494 | 570 | .464 | 55 | 21 | 34 | .382 | |||
Personal Life
Dwane Casey and his family live in Seattle, Washington. During the summers, Casey enjoys traveling to Japan. He helps with basketball camps and coaching clinics there.
See also
In Spanish: Dwane Casey para niños
