Houli's World
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News in the College Basketball World Cavaliers hire Randy Wittman as coach
CLEVELAND (July 7, 1999) -- The Cleveland Cavaliers said they wanted a coach who would do away with the slow-paced game of Mike Fratello and give fans something exciting to watch. Randy Wittman promised to deliver.
The Cavs on Wednesday hired Wittman, a longtime Minnesota Timberwolves assistant with no head coaching experience, to fill the vacancy left when Fratello was fired June 1.
A member of Indiana's 1981 NCAA championship team and a journeyman in his NBA playing days, Wittman, 39, takes over a team that needs to woo fans back to Gund Arena.
Wittman made it clear he understands.
"If we put an entertaining product on the floor, wins will come," he said.
Wittman, who played under Fratello in the 1980s in Atlanta, plans to loosen things up.
"If you don't have fun playing the game, you're not going to be worth a hoot," he said. "I want them to have the freedom to play the game."
Cavs center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, one of a few players who watched as Wittman was introduced during a news conference, liked what he heard.
"It's exciting to see a new guy with new ideas come in here. He's got the whole team behind him," Ilgauskas said.
Cleveland general manager Jim Paxson, who headed the coaching search, said he recommended Wittman to Cavs owner Gordon Gund because "he is the coach who will be most flexible and adaptable with respect to both players and the NBA game as it continues to evolve."
"Others with head coaching experience might be viewed by some as safer choices," he said. "For us, Randy Wittman is the right choice."
Paxson would not disclose the length of Wittman's contract or how much he'll be paid.
Paxson was simultaneously preparing for the draft as he looked for a coach. He recommended Wittman to Gund just before the draft and the former assistant met with Gund last Thursday.
Gund said he was impressed with Wittman's straightforward manner and potential as a teacher.
"We are absolutely, positively certain we ended up with the best choice," he said.
Wittman is well-regarded in NBA coaching circles, and in five years with the Timberwolves gained a reputation as one of the league's brightest assistants.
Before going to Minnesota, he spent the 1993-94 season as an assistant with the Dallas Mavericks. He also worked a year in Indiana on Bob Hill's coaching staff with the Pacers.
A nine-year NBA veteran, Wittman was a first-round draft pick of the Washington Bullets but was traded to the Atlanta Hawks before the 1983-84 season. He finished his career averaging 7.4 points per game following playing stints in Atlanta, Sacramento and Indiana.
In addition to playing for Indiana's 1981 NCAA title team, Wittman was a two-time academic All-American with the Hoosiers. Indiana coach Bob Knight on Wednesday called Wittman one of the smartest players he ever coached.
"For a player, he had a rare understanding of just what it takes to win and how to go about it," he said.
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