Tony DiLeo
Tony DiLeo | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 8, 1955 United States |
| Occupation(s) | Basketball executive, coach |
| Years active | 1981–2012 |
| Known for | Head coach and executive for the Philadelphia 76ers |
Tony DiLeo (born August 8, 1955) is a retired American basketball executive and coach. During the 2008–09 NBA season, he took over as the 21st head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, succeeding Maurice Cheeks after the team began with a 9–14 record. Under his leadership, the Sixers improved to a 32–27 run, concluding the season with an even 41–41 record and advancing to the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, where they were defeated by the Orlando Magic. Following that season, DiLeo chose not to continue in the head coaching role and instead returned to the Sixers’ front office as senior vice president and assistant general manager. In 2012, he was elevated to general manager but was relieved of his duties by the end of that year.
High school
DiLeo distinguished himself as a basketball player at Cinnaminson High School located in Cinnaminson Township, New Jersey.
Collegiate career
He competed in college basketball at both Tennessee Tech and La Salle University, earning first-team Academic All-American honors during his junior year. He graduated summa cum laude from La Salle’s School of Business.
International basketball
DiLeo captured nine national championships in West Germany’s premier leagues—seven titles with the women’s team DJK Agon 08 Düsseldorf and two with the men’s squad BSC Saturn Köln. His achievements included being named Coach of the Year in 1987. From 1981 through 1985, he served as the Women’s National Coach for the West German federation. During this tenure, he authored the European Basketball Handbook, designed to assist American players transitioning to European basketball.
Philadelphia 76ers
Starting in the 1990–91 season, DiLeo became part of the Philadelphia 76ers’ basketball operations. Over time, he held multiple positions such as director of scouting, assistant coach, and Director of Player Personnel (1999–2003). In September 2003, he was promoted to Senior Vice President and Assistant General Manager.
After Maurice Cheeks was dismissed on December 13, 2008, DiLeo stepped in as interim head coach. He guided the team from an initial 9–14 record to finish the 2008–09 campaign at an even .500 (41–41), earning the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs against the third-seeded Orlando Magic. Although Philadelphia won game one, they dropped four of the next five games, including a critical loss in game six. On May 12, DiLeo requested removal from consideration for continuing as head coach and returned to his executive role as senior vice president and assistant general manager.
In 2012, DiLeo was named general manager of the Sixers organization.
Head coaching record
|- | align="left" |Philadelphia | align="left" | |59||32||27||.542|| align="center" |2nd in Atlantic||6||2||4||.333 | align="center" |Eliminated in First Round |-class="sortbottom" | align="left" |Career | ||59||32||27||.542|| ||6||2||4||.333
Personal life
Tony DiLeo is married to Anna DiLeo, a former professional basketball player from Romania who competed in Germany. Their two sons are active in basketball: T. J. DiLeo played collegiate basketball at Temple University before pursuing a professional career overseas; Max DiLeo competed at Monmouth University and currently plays professionally in Europe. The family lives in South Jersey.