About Brendan Malone
Lived 1942 – 2023 (aged 81). Brendan Malone was an American basketball coach.
Brendan Thomas Malone (April 21, 1935 – October 10, 2023) was an American professional basketball coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Early life Brendan Thomas Malone was born on April 21, 1935. He grew up in Astoria, Queens in New York City and graduated from Rice High School. Malone's father, also named Brendan, unloaded freight cars for the Railway Express Agency. Malone then attended Iona College. He played only one game in 1960 for the Iona Gaels men's basketball team and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1962.
He was the father of former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone.
Coaching career After graduating from Iona, Malone then became a Catholic Youth Organization basketball coach for the Church of the Most Precious Blood in Astoria, Queens, Malone also enrolled at New York University and graduated with a master's degree in physical education in 1968. From 1970 to 1976, Malone was varsity basketball coach at Power Memorial and led Power Memorial to two city championships. During his six-season stint, Malone earned three "Coach of the Year" honors. He also served in a similar capacity at the collegiate level with Yale (1977–1978), and Syracuse (1978–1984 under Jim Boeheim) before becoming head coach at Rhode Island from 1984 to 1986. Malone stayed in Detroit until 1995 and also coached under Ron Rothstein in the 1992–93 season and Don Chaney from 1993 to 1995. Malone helped coach the Pistons to the 1989 and 1990 NBA championship titles. Malone only lasted one season as head coach of the Raptors, going 21–61, but handed the championship Bulls one of their few losses that season. Following his time with the Raptors, Malone served as an assistant coach with the Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons and as a consultant with the Seattle SuperSonics. He was the interim head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2004–05.
On July 3, 2007, Malone was one of four assistants hired to serve under new Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy. On June 25, 2013, he was hired as an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings, under new head coach Michael Malone, his son, who himself was hired earlier that month. However, on October 23, 2013, his resignation was announced, with the "rigors of coaching in the NBA" cited as the reason. On May 30, 2014, Malone was one of three assistants hired to serve under new Detroit Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy. On June 15, 2016, Malone became a scout in the New York region for the Pistons, giving up his assistant job in the process.
Death Brendan Malone died on October 10, 2023, at the age of 88.
Head coaching record College
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NBA
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Important facts
People in Brendan Malone's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Brendan Malone's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Brendan Malone?
American basketball coach (1942–2023)
When was Brendan Malone born?
Brendan Malone was born on 21 April 1942 in New York City.
When did Brendan Malone die?
Brendan Malone died on 10 October 2023 in Armonk.
What was Brendan Malone's occupation?
Brendan Malone was a basketball coach.
What nationality was Brendan Malone?
Brendan Malone was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Brendan Malone. https://biography.guide/brendan-malone/
MLA: "Brendan Malone." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/brendan-malone/.
Chicago: "Brendan Malone." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/brendan-malone/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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