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Indiana Pacers: Top 5 Coaches In Franchise History

By Adrian Lawhorn

Mar 31, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers coach Frank Vogel yells from the sidelines against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 31, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers coach Frank Vogel yells from the sidelines against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 18, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; A general view of the 50 year logo on the court prior to the game between the Indiana Pacers and the Phoenix Suns at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 18, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; A general view of the 50 year logo on the court prior to the game between the Indiana Pacers and the Phoenix Suns at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Bobby ‘Slick’ Leonard

Tenure: 12 seasons (1968-80)
Regular Season Winning %: .537
Playoff Winning %: .595
Conference Titles: 5
League Championships: 3

If it’s true that players and coaches are ultimately judged by championships, then the No. 1 spot on this list is a no-brainer. Slick Leonard is a Hoosier through-and-through; he grew up in Terre Haute and starred at Indiana University as a college player.

Leonard coached in the NBA for a couple seasons before taking the reins of the Pacers, who at the time were a fledgling ABA franchise in their second year of existence.

Leonard and the upstart Pacers found immediate and sustained success, building the team into what many consider to be the model franchise in ABA league history.

Indiana went to five division finals and won three league championships during the ABA years, and even though things didn’t initially go so well for the Pacers once the ABA and NBA merged in 1976, Leonard’s place in franchise history was already secure.

Bobby Leonard’s three ABA championships separate him from all other Indiana Pacers coaches, but his long tenure that spanned the ABA and NBA years is also a significant factor in his No. 1 ranking.

Leonard’s 12 seasons as head coach of the Pacers dwarfs the length of time any other man has coached the team (the next-highest total is six years), and “Slick” established Indiana as a viable franchise at a time when that was a difficult task in professional basketball.

Bobby Leonard’s association with the Pacers didn’t end there, as he is now in his 32nd year as a broadcaster for the team, currently handling radio commentary duties.

Next: 25 Greatest Scorers of All-Time

Bobby “Slick” Leonard is not only the most successful Pacers head coach of all time, he is a beloved franchise cornerstone who’s vast contributions to the team cannot truly be measured.

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