Sunday, March 06, 2005

Coach Mike Fratello

Atlanta Hawks

NBA Coach of the Year, as judged by writers and broadcasters... Signed new contract following last season... Feisty to a fault... Some observers felt it took him awhile to learn what to do with a fast-break team... Admitted he cut his coaching teeth on the half-court style of Hubie Brown, but said he's an uptempo kind of guy at heart... Made Dominique Wilkins a better player with a firm but understanding hand... Yanked Wilkins immediately after each forced shot or bad pass, explained what he did wrong, then reinserted him into the game... Gave Spud Webb a chance and was rewarded many times... Born Feb. 24, 1947, in Hackensack, NJ... Attended Montclair State (N.J.) College... Improved three-year head-coaching to 124-122 with 50-32 finish.