Fitzsimmons Coach of Year

Cotton Fitzsimmons, who directed the Phoenix Suns to a 27-game improvement over the previous season, today was named NBA Coach of the Year for the second time.

“I’m happy, honored and excited to be recognized,” Fitzsimmons said. “The award is great, but I have to share it with everybody. Without all that help from the players, assistant coaches and the organization, no way I can win it. This award is just a reflection of the type of season we had. Winning brings the spoils.”

In becoming the fourth coach to win the award twice, Fitzsimmons received 36 1/2 votes from a national panel of 85 media members who regularly cover the NBA--three from each competing city and 10 representatives of the national media.

Don Nelson, who coached the Golden State Warriors to a 23-game improvement, finished second with 26 1/2 votes.

Lenny Wilkens of Cleveland was third with nine votes, followed by Chuck Daly of Detroit with five, Wes Unseld of Washington four, Rick Pitino of New York two, and Del Harris of Milwaukee and Pat Riley of the Lakers, one each.

Fitzsimmons, 57, who was named coach of the Suns last summer, led Phoenix to a 55-27 record, after a 28-54 mark in 1987-88. The Suns are currently playing the Lakers in the Western Conference playoff finals.

Fitzsimmons, who coached five NBA teams between 1970 and 1986, including the Suns from 1970 to ‘72, also won the coaching award in 1979 when he led the Kansas City Kings to a division title.

“Nine must be my number,” he said. “But don’t plan on me winning it in ’99. I have no more comebacks planned.”

Fitzsimmons, who left the front office in May, 1988, to take over the Suns, plans to turn the team over to assistant Coach Paul Westphal in 1990-91 and to concentrate solely on being Phoenix’s director of player personnel.

Other two-time winners of the award, which was instituted in 1963, were Nelson, Bill Fitch and Gene Shue.