Alex Hannum

Alex Hannum
Born	Alexander Murray Hannum (1923-07-19) 19 July 1923 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died	18 January 2002(2002-01-18) (aged 78)
Other names	Sarge
Occupation(s)	Professional basketball player and coach
Years active	1948–1969 (player and coach)
Known for	Winning NBA championships as a coach with St. Louis Hawks (1958) and Philadelphia 76ers (1967); first coach to win both NBA and ABA championships

Alexander Murray Hannum (July 19, 1923 – January 18, 2002) was a distinguished American professional basketball athlete and coach. Known by the nickname Sarge due to his military service, Hannum played as a center for six different teams, most prominently the Milwaukee Hawks, who later became the St. Louis Hawks, competing in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for three seasons.

Throughout his 12-year coaching tenure in the NBA, Hannum led the Hawks to secure the championship in 1958 and guided the Philadelphia 76ers to their 1967 title. He gained recognition as a formidable adversary to the Boston Celtics, famously coaching the only teams that disrupted their 13-year championship streak.

Later, Hannum shifted to the rival league, the American Basketball Association (ABA), where he coached the Oakland Oaks to victory in the 1968–69 season. This accomplishment made him the first coach to win both NBA and ABA championships, a feat later equaled solely by Bill Sharman.

In honor of his contributions to basketball, Hannum was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998.

Early life

Born on July 19, 1923, in Los Angeles, California, Alexander Murray Hannum attended Hamilton High School, where he distinguished himself as a talented basketball player.

College career

Hannum enrolled at the University of Southern California (USC), participating on their basketball team during the 1942 and 1943 seasons before pausing his athletic career to serve in World War II. After three years in military service, he returned to USC for the 1946–47 and 1947–48 seasons. He captained the team in 1948 and received All-Conference recognition for his performance.

During his time at USC, Hannum played under Hall of Fame coach Sam Barry, who also mentored future Hall of Famers Tex Winter and Bill Sharman. Sharman was Hannum’s teammate from 1946 through 1948, with both sharing the court alongside Winter during the 1946-47 season.

Professional career

On May 10, 1948, Hannum was selected by the Indianapolis Jets as a fourth-round pick in the 1948 BAA Draft.

Oshkosh All-Stars (1948–1949)

Following three years competing in Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball with the Los Angeles Shamrocks, Hannum joined the National Basketball League’s Oshkosh All-Stars. In the 1948–49 campaign, he averaged 5.7 points per game across regular season and playoff contests. That season marked Oshkosh’s final year as they fell short in the NBL finals.

Syracuse Nationals (1949–1951)

Between 1949 and 1951, Hannum saw limited playing time with the Syracuse Nationals. A notable incident from this period includes him becoming one of only three NBA players ever to accumulate more than six personal fouls in a single game—he committed seven fouls on December 26, 1950, facing off against the Boston Celtics.

Baltimore Bullets (1951–1952)

On July 14, 1951, Syracuse traded Hannum along with Fred Scolari to the Baltimore Bullets in exchange for Red Rocha. During his stint with Baltimore in the 1951–52 season, he achieved personal bests by averaging 27.4 minutes and scoring 7.7 points per game over 35 appearances.

Rochester Royals (1952–1954)

Hannum’s rights were transferred to the Rochester Royals on January 18, 1952. He finished that season with Rochester and continued playing there through to the end of the 1953–54 season.

Milwaukee / St. Louis Hawks (1954–1956)

On December 10, 1954, the Milwaukee Hawks acquired Hannum's rights through a sale. He competed for the Milwaukee / St. Louis Hawks from 1954 until 1956, including the period after the franchise moved from Milwaukee to St. Louis following the 1954–55 campaign.

Fort Wayne Pistons (1956)

In 1956, Hannum signed with the Fort Wayne Pistons but was released on December 12 of the same year.

Return to St. Louis Hawks (1956–1957)

Hannum rejoined the St. Louis Hawks as a free agent on December 17, 1956, and played through the remainder of the 1956–57 season, which marked the conclusion of his playing career.

St. Louis Hawks (1956–1958)

During the midpoint of the 1956–57 season, Hannum took on the role of player-coach for the St. Louis Hawks, becoming their third head coach that year. After Red Holzman was dismissed, teammate Slater Martin briefly assumed coaching responsibilities but handed over duties to Hannum after one game and resigned after eight games. Hannum was officially appointed head coach on January 21, 1957.

Under his leadership, the Hawks posted a 15–16 record for the remainder of that season. Although this was a losing record, the relatively weak Western Division allowed them to clinch the division title and advance to the NBA Finals, where they were narrowly defeated by the Boston Celtics in a seven-game series, losing by two points in double overtime in Game 7.

Following his retirement as a player after that season, Hannum guided the Hawks to a 41–31 record and secured another division championship in 1957–58, with key contributions from Hall of Famers Bob Pettit, Cliff Hagan, and Martin. In a rematch of the NBA Finals against the Celtics, the Hawks won Game 1 on Boston’s home court and decisively captured Game 6 at home when Pettit scored an impressive 50 points, including 19 of the last 21 points. This victory remains the only NBA Finals defeat suffered by the Celtics between 1956–57 and 1965–66.

Significantly, these two seasons—1957–58 with the Hawks and 1966–67 with the Philadelphia 76ers—represent the only occasions when Celtics legend Bill Russell did not win a championship, both losses coming against teams coached by Hannum.

As of 2024, this stands as the only NBA championship in Hawks franchise history. However, Hannum was not retained following that season because owner Ben Kerner declined to offer him a two-year contract. Kerner replaced Hannum with Andy Phillip for the 1958–59 season; Phillip was soon succeeded by Ed Macauley.

National Industrial Basketball League

Hannum served as coach of the Wichita Vickers in the AAU’s National Industrial Basketball League during both the 1958–59 and 1959–60 seasons.

Syracuse Nationals (1960–1963)

In 1960, Hannum returned to coaching in the NBA with the Syracuse Nationals. His first season concluded with an appearance in the Eastern Finals, followed by first-round playoff eliminations in each of the subsequent two seasons. He departed after the 1962–63 campaign—the Nationals’ final year in Syracuse prior to their relocation to Philadelphia—where future Hall of Famer Dolph Schayes, formerly one of Hannum’s players, took over coaching duties.

San Francisco Warriors (1963–1966)

After their relocation from Philadelphia in 1962, Hannum expressed interest in coaching the San Francisco Warriors. Initially considered a third option behind Frank McGuire and Bob Feerick, he was ultimately hired for the 1963–64 season following Feerick’s dismissal.

That year featured rookie sensation Nate Thurmond joining star player Wilt Chamberlain, leading to a strong 48–32 record and an appearance in the NBA Finals where they fell to the Boston Celtics. Hannum received NBA Coach of the Year honors for his efforts. The subsequent season proved difficult: after trading Chamberlain midseason and despite drafting Rick Barry in 1965, the team managed only a 35–45 record and missed playoff qualification by one game. Hannum was relieved of his coaching duties following that campaign.

Philadelphia 76ers (1966–1968)

In 1966, Hannum took over as head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, a franchise that had moved from Syracuse three years prior. He succeeded Dolph Schayes, who was dismissed despite earning NBA Coach of the Year honors due to disagreements with Wilt Chamberlain. Hannum reunited with familiar players from his Syracuse tenure, such as Hal Greer and Chet Walker, while also coaching Chamberlain again, whom he had previously guided in Golden State. He transformed the team's offensive approach by prioritizing scoring through movement and adopting a more deliberate, half-court pace. Hannum encouraged Chamberlain to act more as a facilitator rather than the primary scorer. This adjustment resulted in Chamberlain posting a career-low average of 24.1 points per game but achieving an impressive 68.3% shooting accuracy.

Under Hannum’s direction, Chamberlain emphasized defense and playmaking, finishing his first season ranked third in the league for assists (7.8 per game), trailing only Hall of Famers Guy Rodgers and Oscar Robertson. The subsequent year saw Chamberlain increase his assists to 8.6 per game, second only to Robertson, and lead the league in total assists.

During Hannum’s inaugural season with the Sixers, the team set an NBA record by starting 46–4 and concluding with a 68–13 record—the best in league history at that time. Following a March 3, 1967 victory over the Pistons, Hannum joined Red Auerbach as one of the few coaches to surpass 60 wins in a single season. The Sixers broke the NBA wins record with their 63rd triumph against the Celtics, and Hannum became the first coach to reach 65 victories in one campaign. Chamberlain secured his second straight MVP award. Hannum led Philadelphia to capture the 1967 NBA championship, halting Boston Celtics’ eight-year reign.

This title distinguished Hannum as one of just three NBA coaches to win championships with two different teams, alongside Phil Jackson and Pat Riley. The following year, Philadelphia won 62 games and clinched another division title but fell in the Eastern Division Finals after star Billy Cunningham sustained a wrist injury. The Sixers became the first team in NBA history to lose a playoff series after holding a 3-1 lead. After that season, Hannum departed to become head coach of the Oakland Oaks in the newly established American Basketball Association.

Oakland Oaks (1968–1969)

On May 3, 1968, Hannum accepted the position of head coach and executive vice president for the Oakland Oaks in the American Basketball Association. The team was owned by singer Pat Boone, along with S. Kenneth Davidson and Dennis A. Murphy. Hannum selected this opportunity over coaching the Warriors due to an offer that included ownership shares and a competitive advantage over Warriors owner Mieuli. The Oaks roster featured Rick Barry, who had sat out an entire season rather than continue with Golden State and was also granted an ownership stake.

Tasked with turning around the ABA's worst team from the previous year, Hannum guided Oakland to an impressive 60-win season highlighted by a 25–4 start and a 16-game winning streak, despite Barry missing significant time due to a knee injury and appearing in only 35 games. Hannum also coached the Western Division squad in the ABA All-Star Game, becoming the first coach to lead All-Star teams in both major leagues—the NBA and ABA.

The Oaks captured the 1969 ABA Championship by defeating the Indiana Pacers, propelled by Warren Jabali’s Playoffs MVP performance that included a standout 39-point effort in Game 5. Key contributors on the roster were point guard Larry Brown and backup small forward Doug Moe, both of whom later enjoyed lengthy coaching careers; Brown eventually earned Hall of Fame induction.

This championship marked the first basketball title won by a West Coast team. Hannum joined USC teammate Bill Sharman as one of only two coaches to claim championships in both NBA and ABA history, earning ABA Coach of the Year recognition for his efforts. He exited following that season when new ownership under Earl Foreman relocated the franchise to become the Washington Caps.

San Diego Rockets (1969–1971)

Hannum assumed the head coaching position for the San Diego Rockets partway through the 1969–1970 season, taking over from Jack McMahon after 26 games. In their third year, the franchise secured 27 victories that season and elevated their performance to 40 wins the following year. They finished just one game behind San Francisco in the Pacific Division, narrowly missing a playoff berth. Among Hannum's roster was future Hall of Fame coach Pat Riley. Shortly after the season concluded, on April 8, 1971, Hannum departed from the team, which soon after moved to Houston, Texas. His former USC teammate, Tex Winter, took over as head coach.

Denver Rockets (1971–1974)

On April 8, 1971, Hannum resigned from his NBA coaching role with the Rockets to become president, general manager, and head coach of the ABA's Denver Rockets (later renamed Denver Nuggets). He revamped the team's colors from orange and black to columbine blue and yellow. During his initial season, Denver was eliminated in a seven-game playoff series by the Indiana Pacers. Larry Brown played point guard under Hannum’s leadership.

On June 13, 1972, Hannum acquired ownership of the Rockets alongside partners A.G. "Bud" Fischer and Frank M. Goldberg. A notable incident occurred on October 26, 1972, when Hannum directed his players to intentionally foul Virginia Squires shooters during the fourth quarter—an unconventional strategy that led to a forfeit after multiple players fouled out. Hannum characterized this move as an experimental approach related to evolving pressure defense tactics.

In the 1972–73 season, Hannum guided Denver back into the playoffs but was defeated in the opening round by Indiana. The next year, they lost a one-game tiebreaker against the San Diego Conquistadors. On April 30, 1974, Hannum was relieved of all duties and replaced by Larry Brown as head coach. Hannum did not return to coaching thereafter.

Across both NBA and ABA tenures, Hannum compiled a combined coaching record of 649 wins and 564 losses (.535), with a playoff record of 61–46 (.570) over eleven postseason appearances spanning sixteen seasons.

Honors

In recognition of his contributions to basketball, Hannum was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998.

Throughout his coaching career, at least fourteen players who later entered the Hall of Fame played under Hannum’s guidance. These included Pettit, Chamberlain, Barry, Cliff Hagan, Ed Macauley, Slater Martin, Dolph Schayes, Nate Thurmond, Billy Cunningham, Hal Greer, Elvin Hayes, Calvin Murphy, Chet Walker, and Guy Rodgers (with the Warriors). Additionally, future Hall of Fame coaches Pat Riley and Larry Brown were among his players. Hall-of-Famer Al Attles (also with the Warriors), who served as player, coach, and executive over six decades, also played under Hannum.

Personal life

A native of Los Angeles and an alumnus of the University of Southern California, Hannum passed away at age 78 in San Diego.

NBA

Source

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	MPG	FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	PPG
1949–50	Syracuse	64	–	.363	.688	–	2.0	7.5
1950–51	Syracuse	63	–	.368	.543	4.8	1.9	7.5
1951–52	Baltimore	35*	27.4	.353	.683	5.5	2.1	7.7
Template:Nbay	Rochester	31*	17.7	.395	.750	4.6	1.9	5.5
1952–53	Rochester	68	18.9	.358	.662	4.1	1.2	5.1
1953–54	Rochester	72	23.7	.348	.622	4.9	1.5	6.3
1954–55	Milwaukee	53	20.5	.352	.570	4.6	2.0	5.9
1955–56	St. Louis	71	20.8	.322	.604	4.8	2.2	5.4
1956–57	Fort Wayne	22	10.0	.382	.600	2.5	.5	3.2
Template:Nbay	St. Louis	37	11.4	.327	.694	2.8	.5	3.3
Career		516	19.8	.354	.629	4.5	1.7	6.0

Playoff Performance

Year	Team	GP	MPG	FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	PPG
1950	Syracuse	11	–	.442	.500	–	.9	8.5
1951	Syracuse	7	–	.436	.800	6.7	2.4	6.0
1952	Rochester	6	24.3	.381	.615	4.3	1.3	6.7
1953	Rochester	3	17.3	.400	.375	1.3	.7	3.7
1954	Rochester	6	17.8	.414	.625	3.7	.8	6.5
1956	St. Louis	8	19.9	.318	.543	3.6	1.3	7.6
1957	St. Louis	2	3.0	.000	–	.0	.0	.0
Career Totals		43	18.8	.394	.565	4.0	1.2	6.7

Coaching Record

Season	Team	G	W	L	Win %	Division Standing	Playoff G	Playoff W	Playoff L	Result
St. Louis		31	15	16	—	1st in Western	10	6	4	Lost in NBA Finals
St. Louis		72	41	31	—	1st in Western	11	8	3	NBA Champions – 1958 NBA Finals
Syracuse		79	38	41	—	3rd in Eastern	8	4	4	Lost in Division finals
Syracuse		'80'	41	39	—	'3rd in Eastern'	5	2	3	Eliminated in Division semifinals
'Syracuse'	'80'	48	32	—	'2nd in Eastern'	8	4	4	Exited in Division semifinals
'San Francisco'	'80'	48	32	—	'1st in Western'	8	4	4	Defeated in NBA Finals
'San Francisco'	'80'	17	63	—	'5th in Western'	—	—	—	Did not qualify for playoffs
'San Francisco'	'80'	35	45	—	'4th in Western'	—	—	—	No playoff appearance
'Philadelphia'	'81'	68	13	—	'1st in Eastern'	15	11	4	NBA Champions
'Philadelphia'	'82'	62	20	—	'1st in Eastern'	13	7	6	Lost Division finals
'Oakland'	'78'	60	18	—	'1st in Western'	16	12	4	ABA Champions
'San Diego'	'56'	18	38		'7th in Western'	—	—	—	Did not reach playoffs
'San Diego'	'82'	40	42||||style='text-align:center;'| 3rd in Pacific|| —|| —|| —	Missed postseason
1971–72 Denver Rockets season	Denver	84	34	50	—	style='text-align:center;'	4th in Western	7	3	4		Lost Division semifinals
1972–73 Denver Rockets season	Denver	84	47	37	—	style='text-align:center;'	3rd in Western	5	1	4		Lost Division semifinals
1973–74 Denver Rockets season	Denver	84	37	47	—	style='text-align:center;'	4th in Western | — | — | — | No playoff participation
{ style='text-align:center;' colspan=2} Overall Career | 1213 | 649 | 564 |	| 107 | 61 | 46 |} External links Coaching statistics at Basketball Reference