Cavs: Ranking every head coach in franchise history

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Paul Silas, Cleveland Cavaliers. Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images /

Cavs: Ranking every head coach in franchise history – Maintained Mediocrity

10. Randy Wittman

Record: 62-102

After a decade-long playing career, Wittman became an assistant coach and earned praise for his development of young players such as Kevin Garnett. The Cavaliers in the late 1990s had a collection of young players and Wittman was seen as the perfect choice to help them develop quickly and get Cleveland back to its winning ways. That, unfortunately, did not happen, as Wittman lost at least 50 games in each of his two seasons before he was fired.

9. Stan Albeck

Record: 37-45

Stan Albeck was the team’s second head coach, taking over for Bill Fitch to start the 1979-80 season. After three seasons in the playoffs Albeck was at the helm as the team slipped down into a dark hole of nine-straight losing seasons. When infamous Cleveland owner Ted Stepien bought the team in 1980 one of his first moves was to fire Albeck and hire a new head coach.

8. George Karl

Record: 61-88

The Cleveland Cavaliers might be the league’s most talented club at failing with head coaches who would later go on to be very successful in other stops. After leading the “Montana Golden Nuggets” of the Continental Basketball Association to the Finals in the early 1980s, he joined Cleveland’s front office in 1983 and the following season was promoted to head coach for the 1984-85 season.

Karl and the Cavs started 2-19 but then righted the ship, going 34-27 to sneak into the playoffs for the first time in seven years. After being waxed by Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics the Cavs came back the next year and similarly floundered below .500, which was all it took for new owners Gordon and George Gund to bring down the ax on the head coach.

7. Paul Silas

Record: 69-77

Paul Silas was a person with championship pedigree, winning three titles as a player with the Seattle Supersonics and Boston Celtics. He became a coach in 1980 and thus had over two decades of experience under his belt when he was hired to oversee LeBron James’ rookie year in the league. The team immediately improved, doubling its win total from the year before.

The team continued to slowly build the next year, with Silas and LeBron leading the team to a strong 31-21 record by late-February. Then a losing slide dropped them to 34-30, at which point the Cavs’ new owner made the shocking move to fire Silas with less than 20 games to go, and the Cavs went on to miss the playoffs.