Bill Hanzlik
William Henry Hanzlik (born December 6, 1957) is an American former professional basketball player and coach.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 6, 1957 Middletown, Ohio |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Lake Oswego High School Beloit Memorial (Beloit, Wisconsin)[1] |
| College | Notre Dame (1976–1980) |
| NBA draft | 1980 / Round: 1 / Pick: 20th overall |
| Selected by the Seattle SuperSonics | |
| Playing career | 1980–1990 |
| Position | Shooting guard / Small forward |
| Number | 22, 24 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1980–1982 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1982–1990 | Denver Nuggets |
| As coach: | |
| 1991–1996 | Charlotte Hornets (assistant) |
| 1996–1997 | Atlanta Hawks (assistant) |
| 1997–1998 | Denver Nuggets |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 5,414 (7.2 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 2,058 (2.8 rpg) |
| Assists | 2,058 (2.8 apg) |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
College career
A 6'7" guard, Hanzlik played college basketball at the University of Notre Dame. He was selected for the 1980 US Men's Olympic Team, which did not compete due to the US's boycott of the Moscow Games. However, in 2007 he did receive one of 461 Congressional Gold Medals created especially for the spurned athletes.[2]
Professional career
He was selected with the 20th pick of the 1980 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. A defense specialist, at the time of his selection Hanzlik had the lowest college scoring average (7.2 ppg) for any player selected in the first round of the draft. Hanzlik played in the NBA for ten years – two with the Sonics and eight with the Denver Nuggets. He was a 1986 All-Defense second team selection. He worked as an assistant with the Charlotte Hornets[3] and Atlanta Hawks in the 1990s.
Coaching career
In 1997, Hanzlik (then an assistant with Atlanta) was tabbed to replace Dick Motta as head coach of the Denver Nuggets. He coached the Nuggets for one year, posting an 11-71 record (only two games better than the all-time worst team, the 1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers). He was fired at the end of the season and replaced with Mike D'Antoni. To date, Hanzlik owns the worst full-season record for a rookie coach in NBA history.
References
- Jensen-De Hart, Debra. "New faces featured in sports hall of fame". Beloit Daily News. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
- Caroccioli, Tom; Caroccioli, Jerry. Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Highland Park, IL: New Chapter Press. pp. 243–253. ISBN 978-0942257403.
- Hanzlik accepts post as Hornets' assistant