Legendary Coach Paul Westhead Wins Chuck Daly Award in 2026

Paul Westhead received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award for his unmatched coaching career spanning six decades.

Unique Coaching Legacy Paul Westhead built a coaching career that stands out in basketball history. He captured an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1980 and later guided the Phoenix Mercury to a WNBA title in 2007. At the college level, his 1989-90 Loyola Marymount team, starring Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble, remains the highest-scoring squad ever in NCAA Division I play. ## Award Presented at NBA Finals The National Basketball Coaches Association honored Westhead’s contributions on June 5, 2026, naming him the recipient of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award. He was officially recognized during Game 2 of the NBA Finals in San Antonio that same evening. Westhead turned 87 in the year of the award. ## Revolutionary Offensive Approach Westhead earned a reputation as an offensive innovator whose fast-paced, run-and-gun strategy transformed the game. While this aggressive style did not always yield immediate success in the NBA, it produced remarkable results at Loyola Marymount. His teams led NCAA Division I in scoring for three straight seasons, setting multiple records that remain unmatched decades later. ## Extensive Coaching Journey Westhead’s coaching career stretched across more than half a century, beginning with a high school position in Philadelphia during the late 1960s. He served as head coach for three men’s college programs—La Salle, Loyola Marymount, and George Mason—as well as one women’s program, Oregon. His NBA experience included head coaching roles with the Lakers, Bulls, and Nuggets over parts of six seasons. ## Diverse Professional Experience Beyond college and the NBA, Westhead coached two ABA teams and spent a year leading a professional team in Japan. He also spent one season at the helm of the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury. His coaching stops included stints in multiple leagues and countries, reflecting his adaptability and enduring impact on the sport. ## Chuck Daly Award Background The Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award pays tribute to the Hall of Fame coach whose legacy included setting new standards for integrity, competitive excellence, and tireless promotion of the NBA. Recent recipients of the award include Don Nelson (2025), Rudy Tomjanovich (2024), Rick Adelman (2023), Mike Fratello (2022), Larry Brown (2021), and Del Harris (2020). ## Notable Past Honorees The list of previous winners features coaching icons such as Frank Layden (2019), Doug Moe (2018), Al Attles and Hubie Brown (2017), K.C. Jones and Jerry Sloan (2016), Dick Motta (2015), Bernie Bickerstaff (2014), Bill Fitch (2013), Pat Riley (2012), Lenny Wilkens (2011), Jack Ramsay and Tex Winter (2010), and Tommy Heinsohn (2009).