Flip Saunders

Flip Saunders
Flip Saunders
Born	Philip Daniel Saunders; Template:Birth date; Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Died	October 25, 2015 (aged 60)
Occupation(s)	Basketball player, coach, executive
Years active	1970s–2015
Known for	Coaching Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, Washington Wizards; President of Basketball Operations for Timberwolves

Philip Daniel "Flip" Saunders (February 23, 1955 – October 25, 2015) was a prominent figure in American basketball, both as a player and coach. Throughout his coaching tenure, he guided teams such as the La Crosse Catbirds, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, and Washington Wizards.

High school and college playing career

Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1955, Saunders distinguished himself as an All-state basketball standout at Cuyahoga Heights High School, located near Cleveland. During his senior year in 1973, he earned the title of Ohio's Class A High School Basketball Player of the Year after leading the state with an impressive average of 32.0 points per game. At the University of Minnesota, Saunders started in 101 out of 103 games and, in his final year, shared the court with notable players including Ray Williams, Mychal Thompson, and Kevin McHale.

College

Saunders launched his coaching journey at Golden Valley Lutheran College, where he amassed a remarkable 92–13 record over four seasons, including an undefeated 56–0 record on home court. In 1981, he returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach, contributing to the Golden Gophers' capture of the Big Ten championship. Following five seasons there, he spent two years assisting at the University of Tulsa before transitioning to professional basketball.

CBA: Rapid City, La Crosse, and Sioux Falls

In the 1988–89 season, Saunders took charge of the Rapid City Thrillers in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), collaborating with general manager Eric Musselman. He then led the La Crosse Catbirds for five years (1989–94), securing two CBA titles in 1990 and 1992. Additionally, Saunders coached the Sioux Falls Skyforce during the 1994–95 season while holding executive positions as general manager (1991–93) and president (1991–94) of the Catbirds.

Over seven CBA seasons, Saunders achieved seven straight campaigns with over 30 wins, earned two Coach of the Year honors (1989 and 1992), and facilitated the advancement of 23 players to NBA rosters. His total of 253 victories places him second on the all-time CBA coaching wins list.

Minnesota Timberwolves tenure (NBA)

On May 11, 1995, Saunders was appointed general manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves, working alongside former teammate Kevin McHale. Following a challenging start to the season with a 6–14 record, Saunders assumed head coaching duties on December 18, 1995, while McHale focused on basketball operations. Despite finishing that season at 20–42, Saunders played a key role in nurturing young talent like Kevin Garnett.

During his first complete NBA season (1996–97), Saunders guided Minnesota to its first-ever playoff berth and then secured the franchise’s inaugural winning season the following year. Under his leadership, the Timberwolves set franchise records by winning 50 games in both the 1999–2000 and 2001–2002 campaigns.

After clinching their first division championship and advancing to the Western Conference finals in 2003–04, the team encountered difficulties during the next season. Saunders was dismissed on February 12, 2005; McHale took over as head coach but was unable to return Minnesota to postseason play, ending their nine-year playoff streak. While some supporters considered Saunders’ firing unjust—pointing to contract disputes involving key players like Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell—others felt a leadership change was needed after his decade-long association with the team.

Detroit Pistons (NBA)

On July 21, 2005, Saunders took over as head coach of the Detroit Pistons, succeeding Larry Brown. In his debut season, he had the honor of coaching the Eastern Conference All-Stars during the 2006 NBA All-Star Game. The Pistons boasted an impressive four All-Stars—Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Rip Hamilton, and Chauncey Billups—making them one of just five teams in the league to achieve this distinction. After a strong showing by the Western Conference in the first half, Saunders strategically utilized all four Pistons extensively in the second half, sparking a defensive resurgence that helped secure a victory for the East. That season, Detroit achieved a franchise-record 64–18 tally, finishing with the best overall record in the NBA. They advanced past the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs before being eliminated by the Miami Heat, who went on to win the championship, in the Eastern Conference finals.

The next season saw Detroit overcome the departure of Ben Wallace in free agency to finish with a 53–29 record, clinching first place in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons once again reached the Eastern Conference finals but were defeated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games.

In 2007–08, Detroit posted a 59–23 record—their third-best ever—and entered the postseason as the second seed. Under Saunders’ leadership, they made their third straight appearance in the Eastern Conference finals but fell to the Boston Celtics, who ultimately secured the NBA title.

Saunders was dismissed on June 3, 2008, shortly after their loss to Boston. Pistons president Joe Dumars explained that a “new voice” was necessary for the team’s direction. Although some reports indicated Saunders struggled to gain full locker room respect and failed to elevate performance during crucial moments, Chauncey Billups publicly expressed support for him.

Throughout his three-year tenure with Detroit, Saunders led the team to three consecutive Central Division championships and three straight trips to the Eastern Conference finals—part of a six-year run beginning in 2002–03. As of 2025, the Pistons have not captured another division title and have managed only two playoff victories since his exit, with just two seasons finishing above .500.

Washington Wizards (NBA)

Saunders agreed to become head coach of the Washington Wizards on April 14, 2009, reportedly signing a four-year contract valued at $18 million. His tenure ended on January 24, 2012, after compiling a 51–130 record. He was succeeded by former Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman.

Second stint with Minnesota Timberwolves

Saunders returned to helm the Minnesota Timberwolves as head coach on June 6, 2014. During this period, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, prompting him to delegate coaching responsibilities to assistant coach and former NBA Coach of the Year recipient Sam Mitchell. With a total of 427 wins spanning ten seasons over two separate stints, Saunders holds the franchise record for most coaching victories and was the only coach to guide Minnesota to both a winning season and playoff appearance until 2017–18.

Boston Celtics (NBA)

On April 29, 2012, Saunders joined the Boston Celtics organization in an advisory capacity.

Return to Timberwolves

Saunders was appointed President of Basketball Operations for the Timberwolves on May 3, 2013. He resumed head coaching duties on June 5, 2014. While undergoing treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma, he entrusted front office responsibilities to general manager Milt Newton.

Personal life

Saunders and his wife Debbie were parents to four children. Their son, Ryan, competed in basketball at the University of Minnesota and subsequently held roles as an NBA assistant coach with the Wizards and Timberwolves, served as head coach for the Timberwolves, and earned an NBA championship as an assistant coach with the Denver Nuggets during the 2023 season. His daughters Mindy, Kim, and Rachel also studied at the University of Minnesota; notably, Kim and Rachel were members of the university's dance team, which secured eight national titles along with a World Championship.

In a close call on August 1, 2007, Saunders was nearly caught in the collapse of the I-35W Mississippi River bridge in Minneapolis, being approximately (60 feet) from the incident.

Death

On August 11, 2015, Saunders revealed he had been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and was undergoing treatment while intending to maintain his positions as head coach and president of the Timberwolves. Nevertheless, after spending more than a month hospitalized due to complications in September, team owner Glen Taylor announced that Saunders would be absent for the following season. Saunders passed away on October 25, 2015, at age 60.

The Timberwolves commemorated him on February 15, 2018, with a "Flip Saunders Night," during which a permanent banner was unveiled at the Target Center in his memory. Over three years posthumously, Saunders' son Ryan Saunders took over as head coach of the Timberwolves, succeeding Tom Thibodeau.

On January 4, 2020, Cuyahoga Heights High School in Ohio dedicated its south gymnasium to Flip Saunders. The dedication ceremony was attended by Saunders' family along with the entire 2020 Minnesota Timberwolves basketball squad.

Head coaching record

|- | style="text-align:left;"|Minnesota | style="text-align:left;"| | 62||20||42|||| style="text-align:center;"|6th in Midwest||—||—||—||— | style="text-align:center;"|Did not qualify for playoffs |- | style="text-align:left;"|Minnesota | style="text-align:left;"| | 82||40||42|||| style="text-align:center;"|3rd in Midwest||3||0||3|| | style="text-align:center;"|Eliminated in First round |- | style="text-align:left;"|Minnesota | style="text-align:left;"| | 82||45||37|||| style="text-align:center;"|3rd in Midwest||5||2||3|| | style="text-align:center;"|Eliminated in First round |- | style="text-align:left;"|Minnesota | style="text-align:left;"| | 50||25||25|||| style="text-align:center;"|4th in Midwest||4||1||3|| | style="text-align:center;"|Eliminated in First round |- | style="text-align:left;"|Minnesota | style="text-align:left;"| | 82||50||32|||| style="text-align:center;"|3rd in Midwest||4||1||3|| | style="text-align:center;"|Eliminated in First round |- | style="text-align:left;"|Minnesota | style="text-align:left;"| | 82||47||35|||| style="text-align:center;"|4th in Midwest||4||1||3|| | style="text-align:center;"|Eliminated in First round |-

| style="text-align:left;" |Minnesota 
| style="text-align:left;" | 
| 82 || 50 || 32 ||  || style="text-align:center;" |3rd in Midwest || 3 || 0 || 3 ||  
| style="text-align:center;" |Eliminated in First round

|-

| style="text-align:left;" |Minnesota 
| style="text-align:left;" | 
| 82 || 51 || 31 ||  || style="text-align:center;" |3rd in Midwest || 6 || 2 || 4 ||  
| style="text-align:center;" |Eliminated in First round

|-

| style="text-align:left;" |Minnesota 
| style="text-align:left;" | 
| 82 || 58 || 24 ||  || style="text-align:center;" |1st in Midwest || 18 || 10 || 8 ||  
| style="text-align:center;" |Lost in Conference finals

|-

| style="text-align:left;" |Minnesota 
| style="text-align:left;" | 
| 51 || 25 || 26 ||  || style="text-align:center;"|(fired) || — || — || — || — 
|- 
| style="text-align:left;" |Detroit 
| style="text-align:left;" | 
| 82 || 64 || 18 ||  || style="text-align:center;" |1st in Central || 18 || 10 || 8 ||  
| style="text-align:center;" |Lost in Conference finals

|-

| style="text-align:left;" |Detroit 
| style="text-align:left;" | 
| 82 || 53 || 29 ||  || style="text-align:center;" |1st in Central || 16 || 10 || 6 ||

External links

Profile on NBA.com