(Iowa City, IA) – Former University of Iowa men’s basketball student-athlete Don Nelson passed away Aug. 9 at the age of 86.
Nelson played for the Hawkeyes from 1959-62, helping Iowa to 45 victories over his three seasons. He earned third-team All-America honors in 1962, was a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, and was named the team’s Most Valuable Player in 1960, 1961 and 1962.
Nelson finished his Iowa career with 1,522 points, averaging 21.2 points per game over 72 contests. At the time of his departure for the NBA, he was the Hawkeyes’ all-time leading scorer. His 21.2 career scoring average ranks fourth in Iowa history.
During the 1960-61 season, Nelson averaged 23.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game as Iowa finished as the Big Ten runner-up. As a senior, he again averaged 23.8 points per game while posting 11.9 rebounds per contest.
Fifty years after leaving Iowa City to begin his professional career, Nelson returned to the University of Iowa and officially graduated on May 12, 2012, earning his bachelor’s degree in physical education.
Nelson went on to enjoy a remarkable career as both a player and coach in the NBA. He won five NBA championships as a member of the Boston Celtics, and the franchise retired his No. 19 jersey in 1978.
As a coach, Nelson became the second-winningest coach in NBA history. He held the league record for career coaching victories with 1,335 for 12 seasons before Gregg Popovich surpassed him in 2022. Nelson was named NBA Coach of the Year three times, earning the honor in 1983, 1985 and 1992.
Over more than 40 years in the NBA as a player, coach and general manager, Nelson led teams to 18 playoff appearances and recorded 75 postseason victories. He is one of only two NBA coaches to win at least 250 games with three different teams. Nelson also coached Dream Team II to a gold medal at the 1994 FIBA World Championship.
In 1996, Nelson was named one of the NBA’s 10 greatest coaches of all time. He remains the only coach with more than 1,000 career NBA victories who also won multiple NBA championships as a player.
Nelson captured five NBA championships with the Boston Celtics in 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974 and 1976. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame in 1989.
