JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Who is Doc Rivers and What is his Coaching Record?
All you need to know about Doc Rivers and the teams coached by him. Get to know about his coaching record and more on Pinkvilla.
Doc Rivers, an American former professional basketball player and coach, currently analyzes for ESPN.
With a 14-season tenure in the NBA, he played as a point guard for the Atlanta Hawks from 1983 to 1991 after being selected in the 1983 NBA draft.
His coaching career commenced in 1999 when he became the head coach for the Orlando Magic, followed by coaching roles with the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, and Philadelphia 76ers.
Notably, Rivers achieved an NBA championship in 2008 as the head coach of the Celtics.
Who is Doc Rivers?
Doc Rivers was born as Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers on October 13, 1961, in Chicago, Illinois, to Grady and Betty Rivers. Raised with his younger siblings, he played basketball at Proviso East High School in the Chicago area.
Marquette University saw Rivers' basketball prowess, where he contributed to the U.S. team winning a silver medal at the 1982 Fédération Internationale de Basketball Association world championship.
Rick Majerus, Marquette University's assistant coach, dubbed him "Doc" for wearing a "Dr. J" T-shirt at a summer basketball camp, honoring NBA star Julius Erving.
With a 14-season NBA career, Rivers later took on coaching roles for various teams, including the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, and Philadelphia 76ers. Known for his successful coaching career, he secured an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008.
Additionally, Rivers, a notable sports parent, saw his son Austin Rivers become an NBA player. His coaching record stands at 1,097-763 (.590) in the regular season and 111-104 (.516) in the playoffs, with one NBA title and two NBA Finals appearances.
Doc Rivers' Playing Career
Doc Rivers, who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 seasons and later served as head coach for various teams, showcased an impressive playing career
College Career: Doc Rivers played college basketball for the Marquette Golden Eagles from 1980 to 1983, serving as a point guard.
Averaging 13.9 points and 4.6 assists per game, he contributed significantly to the team and aided in securing a silver medal for the U.S. team at the 1982 Fédération Internationale de Basketball Association world championship.
NBA Draft: Selected in the second round (31st overall) of the 1983 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks, Doc Rivers marked the beginning of his impressive NBA journey.
NBA Playing Career: Doc Rivers enjoyed a successful 14-year playing career in the NBA, showcasing his skills as a point guard for teams such as the Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, and San Antonio Spurs.
With averages of 10.9 points, 5.7 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game, he made significant contributions on the court. After retiring as a player in 1996, Rivers seamlessly transitioned to coaching, starting with the Orlando Magic in 1999.
Throughout his coaching career, he achieved notable success, winning an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008, and he is set to become the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks in 2024.
Statistics: In his 864 career games (605 starts), Doc Rivers averaged 10.9 points, 5.7 assists, and 3 rebounds per game.
Some key statistics from his career include
Double-double season: Rivers achieved a double-double during the 1986–87 season, posting averages of 12.8 points and 10.0 assists per game. Throughout his career, he notched 4 triple-doubles.
NBA All-Star Game: Doc Rivers played in the NBA All-Star Game in 1988. He served as a point guard for the Atlanta Hawks from 1983 to 1991 and later played for the Los Angeles Clippers, the New York Knicks, and the San Antonio Spurs.
J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award: The J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, given by the Professional Basketball Writers Association, recognizes his outstanding service and dedication to the community.
Doc Rivers received this award in the 1989-90 season while coaching the Atlanta Hawks.
Doc Rivers Teams Coached - What is Doc Rivers’s Coaching Record?
In 2008, Rivers guided the Celtics to an NBA championship. He subsequently served as the head coach for the Los Angeles Clippers from 2013 to 2019 and the Philadelphia 76ers from 2019 to 2023.
Throughout his career, which began in the 1999-2000 season, Rivers has achieved a win-loss record of 1,097-763. His regular-season wins, totaling 1,097, place him just one behind Larry Brown for the eighth most in NBA history.
Since securing the NBA title with the Boston Celtics in 2008, Rivers has enjoyed 16 consecutive winning seasons.
Come January 2024, Rivers embraced the opportunity to lead the Milwaukee Bucks as their head coach, following the dismissal of Adrian Griffin.
Orlando Magic (1999–2003)
After concluding his 13-year playing career in 1996, Rivers took a three-year hiatus before transitioning into coaching.
He embarked on his inaugural head coaching role with the Magic during the 1999-00 season, where he guided an unexpected Orlando squad to a 41-41 record and secured the Coach of the Year title in 2000.
Under Rivers' leadership, the Magic achieved a .500 or higher finish in each of his initial four full seasons as head coach, making it to the playoffs three times.
Despite these accomplishments, Orlando failed to progress beyond the first round, notably squandering a 3-1 lead to the Pistons in 2003.
Facing a challenging 1-10 start in the subsequent 2003-04 season, Rivers was dismissed from his coaching position with the Magic.
Boston Celtics (2004–2013)
Rivers, taking the remainder of the 2003-04 season off, served as a commentator for NBA on ABC for the rest of the year. The Celtics hired him before the next season, and he spent the following nine years of his career with the team.
Initially facing challenges, Boston was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in 2005 and missed the postseason in '06 and '07 under Rivers.
After a disappointing 24-58 season in '06-07, the Celtics traded for future Hall-of-Famers Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to form a "Big 3" with All-Star Paul Pierce.
In the first year with the new superteam, Rivers guided the Celtics to an NBA-best 66-16 record, ultimately winning his first NBA championship after defeating the Lakers in six games.
Boston only returned to the NBA Finals once under Rivers, losing to Los Angeles in the 2010 NBA Finals. In '12, the Celtics squandered a 3-2 series lead against LeBron James and the Heat, losing in Game 6 at home before falling in Game 7 on the road.
Over nine seasons in Boston, Rivers amassed a record of 416-305, securing playoff berths seven times.
Los Angeles Clippers (2013–2020)
In 2013, following a first-round exit with the Celtics, Boston traded Rivers to the Clippers for a '15 first-round draft pick, later known as R.J. Hunter.
Rivers then took charge of a Clippers team featuring Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan, alongside a roster of skilled role players.
Under his leadership, the Clippers achieved a franchise-record 57 wins in his inaugural year and reached the Western Conference Semifinals in the first two seasons.
Despite these accomplishments, the team never advanced to the Western Conference Finals during Rivers' tenure.
The Clippers had some tough times, like when they lost two series after being up 3-1 in the Western Conference Semifinals. It happened first against the Rockets in 2015 and then against the Nuggets in the bubble during the '19-20 season. This was when Kawhi Leonard and Paul George were playing together under his coaching.
Following the latter incident, Rivers was fired, concluding his stint with the Clippers with a 356-208 regular season record and six playoff appearances in seven seasons.
Philadelphia 76ers (2020–2023)
Quickly, Rivers took control of the 76er's head coaching position after three consecutive seasons of playoff exits before the Eastern Conference Finals with Joel Embiid and co.
The expectation was that Rivers could maximize Embiid's (and eventually James Harden's) potential and lead the Sixers back to the NBA Finals, ending a drought since 2001.
Unfortunately, despite Philadelphia making the playoffs in all three seasons under Rivers, they were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Semifinals each year.
Following a disappointing 24-point loss to the Celtics in Game 7 of the East Semis in 2023, the 76ers terminated Rivers' contract.
Doc Rivers’ Coaching Record
In the regular season, Rivers boasts a coaching record of 1,097 wins and 763 losses, with a winning percentage of .590.
Additionally, he has a playoff record of 111 wins and 104 losses, holding a winning percentage of .516. Rivers clinched one NBA title and made two NBA Finals appearances
| TEAM | Seasons | Reg. Season W-L | Playoffs W-L |
| Orlando Magic | 5 | 171-168 | 5-10 |
| Boston Celtics | 9 | 416-305 | 59-47 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 7 | 356-208 | 27-32 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 3 | 154-82 | 20-15 |
| Career | 23 | 1097-763 | 111-104 |
Doc Rivers' Broadcasting Career
In 2003, Rivers joined ESPN's broadcasting team, calling the 2004 NBA Finals. He transitioned to coaching the Celtics, then returned to ESPN in summer 2023 after being fired by the 76ers.
The commentating team will broadcast the 2024 NBA Finals, Eastern Conference finals, a Christmas game, and ABC’s prime-time Saturday games.
Rivers, with a .590 winning percentage and 1,097 NBA wins, has extensive television experience, broadcasting for the San Antonio Spurs and Turner Sports in the 1990s.
He also contributed to ABC's coverage of the 2004 NBA Finals after concluding his playing career.
Latest Articles
