Butch van Breda Kolff
A fiery, chain-smoking basketball lifer who coached everyone from Bill Bradley at Princeton to Wilt Chamberlain in the pros.
1922–2007 (age 85)·American basketball player and coach·Birthday: October 28·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Butch van Breda Kolff was the archetype of the old-school basketball coach: tough, opinionated, and utterly devoted to the game. His journey began as a scrappy guard for the New York Knicks in the league's early days, but his true calling was on the sideline. He built a powerhouse at Princeton in the 1960s, guiding a team led by the cerebral Bill Bradley to the 1965 NCAA Final Four and instilling a disciplined, team-oriented style. His move to the NBA was characteristically tumultuous; he famously clashed with the dominant personality of Wilt Chamberlain while coaching the Los Angeles Lakers, a conflict that some believe cost the team the 1969 championship. Van Breda Kolff never stayed anywhere for long, bouncing between colleges, the NBA, and even the ABA, leaving a trail of improved teams and heated disagreements in equal measure. His career was a marathon of grit, spanning over four decades and countless gyms, embodying a breed of coach for whom basketball was less a job than a compulsion.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Butch was born in 1922, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Butch Was Born
The biggest hits of 1922
#1 Movie
Robin Hood
Butch's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1922Born
King Tut's tomb discovered in Egypt
President: Warren G. Harding"April Showers" — Al Jolson
1927Started school
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1935Became a teenager
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1938Could drive
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1940Could vote
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1943Turned 21
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1952Turned 30
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1962Turned 40
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1972Turned 50
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1982Turned 60
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 70
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 80
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2007Died at 85
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
Key Achievements
- Coached Princeton University to the 1965 NCAA Final Four, led by All-American Bill Bradley.
- Led the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA Finals in 1968 and 1969 as head coach.
- Won conference championships as a head coach in the Ivy League, NBA, ABA, and Continental Basketball Association.
- Coached at the collegiate level for over 20 years, with notable tenures at Lafayette, Princeton, and the University of New Orleans.
- Played four seasons in the NBA for the New York Knicks from 1946 to 1950.
Did You Know?
He was the head coach of the New Orleans Jazz when they drafted Pete Maravich.
His father, Jan van Breda Kolff, was also a professional basketball player and coach.
He once resigned from a coaching job at Hofstra University by writing his resignation on a napkin.
He coached the Detroit Pistons during the 1971-72 season when they set a record for most losses in a season (which has since been broken).
“The game is simple: pass the ball, set a pick, and take the open shot.”
