Dick Harter
Birth dateOctober 14, 1930
Birth placePottstown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Death dateMarch 12, 2012 (aged 81)
Death placeHilton Head Island, South Carolina, U.S.
High schoolThe Hill School
(Pottstown, Pennsylvania)
CollegePenn (1950–1953)
Cyears 11955–1956
Cteam 1Penn (freshmen)
Cyears 21956–1958
Cteam 2Germantown Academy
Cyears 31958–1965
Cteam 3Penn (assistant)
Cyears 41965–1966
Cteam 4Rider
Cyears 51966–1971
Cteam 5Penn
Cyears 61971–1978
Cteam 6Oregon
Cyears 71978–1983
Cteam 7Penn State
Cyears 8–
Cteam 8Detroit Pistons (assistant)
Cyears 9–
Cteam 9Indiana Pacers (assistant)
Cyears 10–
Cteam 10Charlotte Hornets
Cyears 11–
Cteam 11New York Knicks (assistant)
Cyears 12–
Cteam 12Portland Trail Blazers (assistant)
Cyears 13–
Cteam 13Indiana Pacers (assistant)
Cyears 14–
Cteam 14Boston Celtics (assistant)
Cyears 15–
Cteam 15Philadelphia 76ers (assistant)
Cyears 16–
Cteam 16Indiana Pacers (assistant)
Highlights

Richard Alvin Harter (October 14, 1930 – March 12, 2012) was an American basketball coach who served as both a head and assistant coach in both the NBA and NCAA.[1]

Early life

Born in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, Harter attended the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia,[2] where he played basketball for the Quakers and graduated in 1953. He served two years as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, and then was an assistant freshman coach back at Penn for a year. He then coached at Germantown Academy for three years, then back to Penn in 1959 as an assistant coach.[3]

College head coach

Harter left Penn in 1965 to become head coach at Rider University, then returned to Penn as its head coach.[2] After success at Penn, with just one regular season defeat in his final two seasons, Harter was hired in April 1971 at the University of Oregon in Eugene.[3] He succeeded Steve Belko, who stepped down after fifteen years and consecutive 17–9 seasons to become assistant athletic director.

Harter was regarded as one of the top defensive coaches in the 1970s, where his "Kamikaze Kids" at Oregon in the Pac-8 were known for a swarming defense. Many basketball notables came from Harter's Duck program, including Stu Jackson and former Oregon head coach Ernie Kent.[4] After seven seasons in Eugene, Harter left Oregon in 1978, at a salary of $38,000 annually, for Penn State and $41,000,[5] where he stayed for five seasons.[2]

NBA coach

Harter's first job in the NBA was as an assistant coach with the Detroit Pistons in the 1982–83 season. He left in 1986 to become an assistant for the Indiana Pacers. In 1988, he was hired into his first head coaching position, with the expansion Charlotte Hornets; he was the franchise's first ever head coach.[6] In the team's second season Harter was fired in 1990 during mid-season when the Hornets' record was 8–32.[7] Harter went on to be an assistant coach for the New York Knicks under Pat Riley (1991–1994), Portland Trail Blazers under P. J. Carlesimo (1994–1997), Indiana Pacers under Larry Bird (1997–2000), and Boston Celtics under Jim O'Brien.[8][9] Harter joined the Philadelphia 76ers' coaching staff on May 5, 2004.[6] On June 13, 2007, Harter joined the Indiana Pacers for the third time, as an assistant coach under O'Brien.[10]

Death

Harter died on March 12, 2012, at the age of 81.[2][11][12] The cause of death was cancer, said Penn athletic director Steve Bilsky, a co-captain on the 1971 team. Harter died at a hospital at Hilton Head, South Carolina, where he had a residence.[13]

Head coaching record

NBA

|- |align="left"|Charlotte |align="left"| | 82 || 20 || 62 || ||align="center"|6th in Atlantic || – || – || – || |align="center"|Missed Playoffs |- |align="left"|Charlotte |align="left"| | 40 || 8 || 32 || ||align="center"|(fired)|| – || – || – || |align="center"| – |- class="sortbottom" |align="left"|Career | || 122 || 28 || 94 || || || – || – || – ||

References

  1. ^ "Obituary: Richard A. Harter". Burlington Free Press. August 12, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
  2. ^ Fentress, Aaron (March 12, 2012). "Former Oregon Ducks basketball coach Dick Harter dies at 81". The Oregonian. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  3. ^ Cawood, Neil (April 21, 1971). "'Long, drawn out, tough decision,' says new Duck coach". Eugene Register-Guard. p. 1D.
  4. ^ Clark, Bob (March 12, 2012). "'Kamikaze Kids' coach Dick Harter, who led standout Oregon teams, dies at 81". Eugene Register-Guard. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
  5. ^ Newnham, Blaine (March 14, 1978). "Harter picks Penn State after all". Eugene Register-Guard. p. 1C.
  6. ^ Harter joins O'Brien's staff - NBA - ESPN
  7. ^ Dick Harter NBA & ABA Basketball Coaching Record | Basketball-Reference.com
  8. ^ Celtics find winning combination on defense - NBA - ESPN
  9. ^ "Philadelphia 76ers Names Penn Alumnus Dick Harter Assistant Coach". Penn Athletics. May 6, 2004. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
  10. ^ "76-year-old Harter returning for third stint with Pacers". San Diego Union-Tribune. June 14, 2007. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
  11. ^ "Sugar-Former Charlotte Hornets coach Dick Harter dies". Indiavision news. March 13, 2012. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2012.
  12. ^ "Ex-NBA assistant Dick Harter dies". ESPN. Associated Press. March 13, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
  13. ^ "Dick Harter, former Penn, NBA coach, dies at 81"