Los Angeles Lakers: 5 best coaches in franchise history to never win a ring

2. Fred Schaus (1960-67)

Not exactly a familiar name, right? Well if you take a look way back into the history of the Lakers, you’ll find Fred Schaus listed as the first head coach after the team made the move to Los Angeles. That’s not the only reason he finds himself at No. 2, though.

Under Schaus, the Lakers enjoyed plenty of success. As a matter of fact, he took the team to four NBA Finals in five years, although he failed to win a single ring — all four series were lost to the Boston Celtics. Still, not many NBA coaches can say they made four Finals appearances in their careers, let alone in five years.

Schaus had the privilege of coaching players like West and Elgin Baylor during their heydays. The four missed opportunities at basketball immortality were definitely disappointing, but that sustained success simply can’t be ignored.

During his time as the Lakers’ head honcho, Schaus led them to a record of 315-245. While not an outstanding win percentage compared to other coaches in franchise history, it was still a strong effort during that day and age.

In some folks’ books, losing four Finals would be a bad thing. While I can see that point of view, I believe Schaus did a terrific job of capitalizing on the talent he had while setting the stage for his successors.