Bill Fitch, who won a championship as head coach of the Boston Celtics and led the Houston Rockets to the 1986 NBA Finals during a Hall of Fame coaching career spanning three decades, has died. He was 89.
After retiring in 1998, Fitch lived in the Houston area. He died Wednesday, surrounded by family in the Lake Conroe area.
Fitch coached for 25 seasons in the NBA, starting with the expansion Cleveland Cavaliers in 1970. He was Larry Bird's first pro coach with Boston in 1979, won a title with the Celtics in 1981 and spent time with Houston, New Jersey and the Los Angeles Clippers.