Jerry Colangelo

Jerry Colangelo
Born	(1939-11-20) November 20, 1939 Chicago Heights, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, sports executive
Known for	Ownership and management of Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury, Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Rattlers; chairman of basketball operations for Philadelphia 76ers; director of USA Basketball; Chairman of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame; leader of National Italian American Foundation

Jerry Colangelo (born November 20, 1939) is a prominent American entrepreneur and sports executive. He has previously owned the Phoenix Suns of the NBA, the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA, the Arizona Sandsharks of the Continental Indoor Soccer League, the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League, as well as the Arizona Diamondbacks from Major League Baseball. Colangelo played a significant role in moving the original Winnipeg Jets NHL franchise to Phoenix, where they became known as the Phoenix Coyotes (later renamed the Arizona Coyotes). In 2014, Grand Canyon University honored him by renaming its Christian-based business school after him, replacing the previous dedication to Ken Blanchard. Between December 2015 and April 2016, he held the position of chairman of basketball operations for the Philadelphia 76ers, subsequently serving as a special advisor until December 2018.

In 1968, Colangelo became the youngest general manager in professional sports history upon his appointment by the Suns. His tenure managing an NBA franchise is second only to that of Red Auerbach with the Boston Celtics.

Colangelo acquired 37,000 acres in Buckeye, Arizona, known as Douglas Ranch, in 2002. This land was later sold to The Howard Hughes Corporation in 2021 and rebranded as Teravalis.

Appointed director of USA Basketball in 2005, Colangelo oversaw national teams competing at both the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2010 FIBA World Championship. Since 2009, he has served as Chairman of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Additionally, he leads the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting Italian-American heritage and culture.

Early life

Born and raised in Chicago Heights, Illinois, Colangelo grew up in an Italian-American working-class household. At Bloom Township High School, he participated in both basketball and baseball. Initially enrolling at the University of Kansas, he transferred to the University of Illinois after his prospective teammate Wilt Chamberlain departed. While at Illinois, he earned All-Big Ten recognition, captained the basketball squad during his senior year, and was later inducted into the Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame. Besides basketball, he played baseball for two seasons and graduated in 1962 with a degree in physical education.

In his memoir How You Play the Game, Colangelo describes working at a tuxedo rental store in Chicago Heights following his college graduation.

Basketball

Colangelo’s professional sports journey began in 1966 with the Chicago Bulls, where he served as marketing director, scout, and assistant to the team president. Two years later, in 1968, he became the inaugural general manager for the expansion team Phoenix Suns, making him the youngest GM across professional sports at that time. Upon relocating to Arizona, he had only $200 to his name.

Among early setbacks was losing a 1969 coin toss that determined rights to UCLA star Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). The Suns reached their first NBA Finals in 1976 but were defeated by the Boston Celtics. During that decade, Colangelo also took on head coaching duties twice, achieving close to a .500 win-loss record.

The 1980s presented challenges including a player drug scandal, the tragic death of center Nick Vanos in 1987, and missing playoff appearances between 1985 and 1988. In 1987, Colangelo led an investor group to purchase ownership of the Suns and acquired star player Kevin Johnson. The following season saw nearly double wins for Phoenix in 1988–89 and initiated a streak of thirteen consecutive playoff berths. He also contributed financially to building America West Arena in 1989.

A pivotal trade in 1992 brought Charles Barkley to Phoenix, resulting in a second NBA Finals appearance in 1993 where they lost to Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. Despite on-court achievements, Barkley’s relationship with Colangelo soured, culminating in Barkley’s trade to Houston in 1996.

Colangelo earned four NBA Executive of the Year awards while with Phoenix—the highest number attained by any executive with a single franchise. He eventually passed team presidency to his son, Bryan Colangelo, who later secured two Executive of the Year titles with Phoenix and Toronto.

On December 7, 2015, Jerry Colangelo returned to NBA management as chairman of basketball operations and special advisor for the Philadelphia 76ers. After Sam Hinkie resigned amid internal conflicts involving Jerry, Bryan was appointed general manager and president in April 2016. This marked a professional reunion between father and son for the first time since 2004. Jerry stepped down from his chairman role but continued as a special advisor. Before Bryan’s eventual resignation following controversy, Jerry reportedly sought to safeguard his son's role through his connections within the NBA.

In July 2018, Colangelo announced intentions to depart from his position with the Sixers by year-end.

Additional sports ventures

Colangelo has played a significant role in managing multiple professional sports franchises based in Arizona.

Baseball

During a visit to Chicago for a Suns game, Colangelo attended a Chicago Cubs match at Wrigley Field, which inspired him to pursue an MLB expansion franchise for Arizona. By 1994, he had gathered a group of investors in preparation for Major League Baseball's expansion discussions. His efforts culminated in 1995 when his consortium was granted the Arizona Diamondbacks expansion franchise.

The Diamondbacks debuted in the 1998 season. Colangelo appointed Joe Garagiola, Jr. as general manager and brought on board Buck Showalter, recently departed from managing the New York Yankees, to serve as the team's future manager. Strategic acquisitions included signing pitcher Randy Johnson in 1999 and acquiring Curt Schilling through trade in 2000. Johnson and Schilling jointly earned MVP honors during the 2001 World Series, guiding the Diamondbacks to a seven-game triumph over the Yankees—marking Phoenix's sole major men's professional sports championship as of 2025.

To assemble this championship-caliber roster, Colangelo took on considerable financial obligations, requesting that 12 leading players agree to defer their salaries for four years with repayments spread over eight years. This financial arrangement contributed to the franchise's decline by 2004, when they recorded a franchise-low 51–111 season.

By that time, Colangelo had stepped down as managing general partner and divested his ownership stake. He was succeeded by Ken Kendrick, while Jeff Moorad assumed the roles of CEO and operational leader.

In an interview with USA Today, Colangelo defended his bold approach to constructing a competitive team, contrasting it with the struggles faced by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who endured losing seasons up until 2008. He cited economic downturns and disappointing revenue from baseball’s central fund as primary reasons behind the strategy’s shortcomings.

Women's basketball

Colangelo's involvement in women's professional basketball began in 1997 with the establishment of the Women's National Basketball Association team, the Phoenix Mercury. The Mercury advanced to the WNBA Finals in their second season but were defeated by the Houston Comets.

Arena football

In 1992, Colangelo founded the Arena Football League's Arizona Rattlers, maintaining ownership until 2005. Under his guidance, the Rattlers secured Arena Bowl titles in 1994 and 1997 and consistently ranked among the AFL’s top franchises, reaching Arena Bowls again in 2002, 2003, and 2004.

Hockey

Following the unsuccessful attempt to relocate the Winnipeg Jets to Minneapolis, Colangelo played a key role in bringing an NHL team to Arizona by orchestrating the franchise’s move to become the Phoenix Coyotes in 1996. This relocation positioned Phoenix as one of only thirteen U.S. metropolitan areas hosting teams across all four major North American professional sports leagues. The Coyotes competed within Phoenix city limits until 2003 before relocating to Glendale until 2022, subsequently moving to Tempe at Arizona State University until their hockey operations were sold to a Utah-based ownership group in 2024.

Departure from sports

In April 2004, Colangelo divested his holdings in the Suns, Mercury, and Rattlers, selling them to an investment consortium led by San Diego businessman and Tucson native Robert Sarver for $401 million. Later that year, in August, he sold his controlling stake in the Arizona Diamondbacks to investors headed by Jeff Moorad.

Other ventures

In 2003, Colangelo became part of an investment consortium focused on significant projects in Buckeye, Arizona, including a large-scale residential development exceeding 300,000 homes known as Douglas Ranch, along with a smaller community called Trillium. Subsequently, Howard Hughes Holdings took charge of developing Douglas Ranch and collaborated with Colangelo’s group on the Trillium project.

JDM Partners, Colangelo’s investment company, purchased the insolvent Wigwam Resort located in Litchfield Park, Arizona in 2008.

He played a key role in founding Grand Canyon University’s Colangelo School of Sports Business in 2011 and acted as an advisor to the institution. On September 25, 2014, the university honored him by renaming its business college the Colangelo College of Business.

Distinctions

Colangelo earned the title of NBA Executive of the Year on four occasions (1976, 1981, 1989, 1993). He holds honorary membership in the Marchegiana Society from his birthplace of Chicago Heights, Illinois, where a street has been named after him.

In 1994, he was presented with the Golden Plate Award by the American Academy of Achievement. Arizona State University conferred an honorary degree upon him on May 9, 2002. His induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame took place on April 4, 2004.

On November 4, 2007, Colangelo was celebrated in the Phoenix Suns Ring of Honor during a matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He serves as the National Leadership Director for the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame and is also an inductee; this Hall is housed within the Colangelo Building situated in Chicago’s Little Italy.

The Phoenix Rotary 100 recognized him with the John D. Driggs Outstanding Career Achievement and Community Service Award on October 21, 2016. Later, on May 18, 2019, The Lincoln Academy of Illinois bestowed upon him the Order of Lincoln award, which represents the highest accolade given by the state.

Personal background

Colangelo is a committed Christian who prioritizes his faith above all else and regards his professional platform as a divine responsibility.

He is married to Joan, whom he met through a blind date during their college years. Together they have four children: Kathy Holcombe, Kristen Young, Mandie Colangelo, and Bryan Colangelo. Bryan has occupied executive positions with both the Phoenix Suns and Philadelphia 76ers and collaborated professionally with his father during their respective periods with these teams.