Bill Berry

William Edward Berry (born 1942) is an American former basketball coach.

Early life and college career Berry was born in Winnemucca, Nevada and graduated from Humboldt County High School in 1960. He then attended Michigan State University. From 1961 to 1964, Berry played on the Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team under coach Forddy Anderson. At Michigan State, Berry was the top team rebounder for the 1962–63 season with 184 total rebounds and 9.2 per game. Berry earned his bachelor's degree in 1965 and master's degree in 1969 from Michigan State, both in physical education. In a 21–9 season in 1980–81, San Jose State qualified for the 1981 National Invitation Tournament. San Jose State also had three straight seasons over .500 from 1984 to 1987. However, the 1988–89 Spartans finished 5–23. In January 1989, when the team was 5–11, 10 of the 14 players on the Spartans men's basketball team accused Berry of "mental cruelty" and refused to play or practice under Berry as coach. However, the players declined to provide specific examples. Berry then organized a new team of walk-on athletes, including star football player Johnny Johnson. San Jose State dismissed Berry after the season on March 24, 1989.

After San Jose State, Berry entered the NBA as a scout and assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings in 1989. He transferred to the Houston Rockets as a scout in 1991 and then assistant coach in February 1992 under Rudy Tomjanovich. Berry was an assistant coach to the Rockets 1994 and 1995 championship teams. From 1999 to 2003, Berry was an assistant coach for the Chicago Bulls Berry coached two games, both losses, and Bill Cartwright became permanent head coach effective December 28. On September 7, 2006, the Washington Wizards announced that Bill Berry would join the team as an assistant coach to head coach Eddie Jordan.

Personal life Bill Berry has been married to Clarice "Reese" Berry since 1963 and had two children. The Berry family lived in Morgan Hill, California, during Bill Berry's tenure at San Jose State. Their son Ricky Berry (1964–1989) played college basketball at San Jose State under Bill Berry and in the NBA for the Sacramento Kings before committing suicide in 1989.

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NBA