Dick Versace

Richard Patrick Versace (born April 16, 1940) is a former basketball coach and executive. He is also the
first American of Puerto Rican descent to have coached a National Basketball Association (NBA) team.[1]

Contents
Early years
College
Season-by-season results
NBA
Later years
Personal life
See also
References
External links

Early years
Versace was born in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. His parents were Colonel Humbert Joseph Versace, an Italian
American and Marie Teresa Rios, a Puerto Rican-Irish American author. The 1960s television sitcom The
Flying Nun was based on one of her books. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, though he did
not play basketball.[2]

Versace has coached at the high school and collegiate level and in the NBA. Versace coached at St. Joseph
High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin and Gordon Tech in Chicago. Oddly, his first coaching position after
college was at Forrest-Strawn- Wing High School in the small Central Illinois community of Forrest during the
years of 1964 and 1965. The odd thing being that he was the head football coach. He led the team to an 8-1
record and a Vermilion Valley Conference championship. He coached junior varsity basketball that winter.
Versace began his college coaching career at St. Louis University in 1973, after compiling a 204-66 record at
the high school coaching level. He then moved to Michigan State University, where he was heavily involved
in the recruitment of Magic Johnson. Versace's first head coaching assignment was at the Jackson Community
College in 1976. In the early 1980s, he was head men's basketball coach at Bradley University, where he led
the team to the 1982 NIT championship. In the 1985-86 season, he was named National College Coach of the
Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers' Association. That year, his Bradley Braves went 32-3 and were ranked as
high as #7 in the nation during the season. His back court players included future NBA star Hersey Hawkins
and future Bradley Head Coach Jim Les.

College
Versace became the head coach at Bradley University in 1978 and remained at Bradley until 1986. In his
second season at Bradley the team finished first in the Missouri Valley Conference and qualifying for the
NCAA tournament. Losing in the first round to Texas A&M. In 1981-82 Bradley finished first in the MVC
but lost in the semifinals of the MVC tournament. They were not selected to the NCAA tournament but won
the NIT championship. In Versace’s final season at Bradley they finished 32-3 for the season and 16-0 in the
MVC. Losing in the second round of the NCAA tournament to eventual champion Louisville.

Season-by-season results
Statistics overview

Season Coach Overall Conference Standing Postseason

Dick Versace (Missouri Valley Conference) (1978–1986)

1978–79 Bradley University 9–17 3–13 T–8th

1979–80 Bradley University 23–10 13–3 1st NCAA First Round
1980–81 Bradley University 18–9 10–6 T–4th
1981–82 Bradley University 26–10 13–3 1st NIT Champions
1982–83 Bradley University 16–13 10–8 5th
1983–84 Bradley University 15–13 7–9 T–5th
1984–85 Bradley University 17–13 9–7 T–4th
1985–86 Bradley University 32–3 16–0 1st NCAA Second Round

Bradley University: 156–88 (.639) 81–49

Total: 156–88 (.639)

National champion Postseason invitational champion

Conference regular season champion Conference regular season and conference tournament
champion
Division regular season champion Division regular season and conference tournament champion
Conference tournament champion

NBA
He later served as an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons under head coach Chuck Daly. Versace then
became head coach of the Indiana Pacers for two years, from 1988 through 1990. After leaving the Pacers job,
Versace became a sportscaster on TNT and on WMAQ TV in Chicago. Versace served as an assistant coach
for the Milwaukee Bucks during the 1997-98 season.

In 1999, Versace was named President of Basketball Operations for the then-Vancouver Grizzlies. After
Versace's first season in Vancouver, the Grizzlies were relocated and became the Memphis Grizzlies. And in
2002, the Grizzlies hired NBA legend Jerry West as President of Basketball Operations, and Versace assumed
the role of General Manager and remained with the team through the end of the 2004-2005 season. Prior to
joining the Grizzlies, Versace worked for Michael Heisley's acquisition team as Versace oversaw Heisley's
pursuit and ultimate purchase of the Vancouver Grizzlies.

Later years
On October 8, 2007, Versace announced that he would run as a Democrat for the 18th Congressional District
seat then held by Republican Congressman Ray Lahood, who was retiring. On December 8, 2007, however,
Versace announced that he would not be running due to "unforeseen personal circumstances."[3]

Personal life
Versace is the brother of Medal of Honor recipient Rocky Versace, who was executed by the Viet Cong in
1965.[4] He is the brother of Dr. Stephen (his twin), Trilby Versace, and Michael Versace Rios. Versace is
divorced and has two children, David and Julie.

See also
List of notable Puerto Ricans
Sports in Puerto Rico

References
1. Los Angeles Times (http://articles.latimes.com/2007/nov/16/sports/sp-briefing16)
2. The Sporting News Official NBA Register 1989–90. St. Louis, Missouri: Sporting News. 1989.
p. 288. ISBN 0-89204-328-8.
3. Versace drops out (http://www.week.com/news/local/12267206.html) Archived (https://web.arch
ive.org/web/20071211171116/http://www.week.com/news/local/12267206.html) 2007-12-11 at
the Wayback Machine
4. "Archived copy" (https://web.archive.org/web/20110728040558/http://www.somf.org/moh/versa
ce_rocque_USA.htm). Archived from the original (http://www.somf.org/moh/versace_rocque_U
SA.htm) on 2011-07-28. Retrieved 2011-02-20.

External links
BasketballReference.com: Dick Versace (https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/versa
di99c.html)

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This page was last edited on 25 February 2021, at 17:17 (UTC).

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