Richie Adubato, former NBA and WNBA head coach, dies at 87
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Richie Adubato, who guided teams in both the NBA and WNBA during a coaching career that spanned four decades, died Thursday at age 87, his family announced Friday on social media.
“Let’s remember him as the funny, smart, energetic, genuinely warm human being he always was,” his daughter Beth wrote in a post.
Adubato is best known for steering the New York Liberty to three WNBA Finals appearances during his tenure from 1999 to 2004. He remains the franchise leader in games coached (178) and ranks second in victories (100), a run that included seasons with future Hall of Famers Teresa Weatherspoon and Becky Hammon.
“With deep gratitude we remember the legacy of Richie Adubato, who guided the Liberty to 3 WNBA Finals appearances and set a standard of excellence that still inspires our organization today,” the Liberty said in a statement.
In the NBA, Adubato served as interim head coach of the Detroit Pistons during the 1979-80 season, led the Dallas Mavericks from 1989 to 1993, and took over the Orlando Magic on an interim basis in 1997 after several seasons as an assistant. He later worked as the Magic’s radio analyst from 2005 to 2020.
“Richie’s legacy lives on in every story and lesson he shared—a coach who turned the gym into a place of connection and joy,” the Magic said, extending condolences to his wife, Carol, and the Adubato family.
Longtime ESPN analyst Dick Vitale, a close friend, wrote on X that Adubato “will be missed but never forgotten.”
The NBA and WNBA jointly mourned his passing, noting his head-coaching roles with the Mavericks, Liberty and Washington Mystics, along with interim stints in Detroit and Orlando.
Before reaching the professional ranks, Adubato spent 18 years coaching high school and college basketball in New Jersey. A graduate of William Paterson University, he captained both the basketball and baseball teams during his collegiate years.
Source: ESPN
