Cotton Fitzsimmons
A charismatic, cigar-chomping motivator who became the fiery heart and winningest coach in Phoenix Suns history.
1931–2004 (age 73)·American basketball coach·Birthday: October 7·The Silent Generation
Biography
Cotton Fitzsimmons coached basketball with the energy of a sideline tornado, his voice and his sharp suits becoming fixtures in the NBA for decades. While he led several teams, his soul became entwined with the Phoenix Suns, an organization he coached in three separate stints and helped shape into an exciting, consistent winner. Fitzsimmons was a master of maximizing talent and morale, known for his psychological touch with players. He took over a Suns team in 1988 that had won just 28 games and immediately propelled them to 55 wins and a trip to the Western Conference Finals, earning Coach of the Year honors. Though he never won a championship, his up-tempo style and infectious personality made the Suns a must-watch team and laid the groundwork for the era of Charles Barkley that followed.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Cotton was born in 1931, placing them squarely in The Silent 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 Cotton Was Born
The biggest hits of 1931
#1 Movie
Frankenstein
Best Picture
Cimarron
Cotton's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1931Born
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1936Started school
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1944Became a teenager
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1947Could drive
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1949Could vote
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Turned 21
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
1961Turned 30
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 40
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 50
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 60
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 70
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2004Died at 73
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
Key Achievements
- Won the NBA Coach of the Year award twice (1979 with the Kansas City Kings, 1989 with the Phoenix Suns).
- Coached the Phoenix Suns to 832 of his 832 career NBA victories, making him the franchise's all-time wins leader.
- Led the Suns to the Western Conference Finals in 1989 and 1990, revitalizing the franchise.
- Accumulated over 1,000 total victories as a head coach when combining his NBA, college, and junior college records.
Did You Know?
His nickname 'Cotton' originated in childhood due to his bright white hair.
He was known for his superstition of wearing the same suit for every game during a winning streak.
Fitzsimmons began his coaching career at the junior college level, winning a national championship at Moberly Junior College in 1966.
He once traded himself—as a coach—in a deal that sent him from the Atlanta Hawks to the Buffalo Braves for a draft pick.
“You can't ever get too high or too low. The key is to stay somewhere in the middle, in the meaty part of the curve.”
