Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato[1] (born November 23, 1937 in Irvington, New Jersey) was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic. In 1999, he took over as the head coach for the WNBA's New York Liberty, making his WNBA debut on June 10, 1999 when he guided the Liberty to an 87-60 victory over the defending Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Rockers. With the Liberty posting impressive attendance figures for the third straight season, Madison Square Garden played host to the first-ever WNBA All-Star game - a sellout (18,649) - on July 14, 1999. Four Liberty players were selected to the Eastern Conference squad: Rebecca Lobo, Teresa Weatherspoon, Kym Hampton, and Vickie Johnson. With Adubato at the helm, the Liberty posted an overall mark of 18-14 and won its first Eastern Conference title. After defeating Charlotte in the first round of the playoffs, the team faced a rematch with the defending WNBA Champion Houston Comets. Despite falling short of the title, the series was pushed to a third game when Weatherspoon made the most famous shot in WNBA history - a half court buzzer-beating shot that won Game Two before a stunned Houston squad and Compaq Center crowd. Under Adubato, the Liberty went to the finals three out of four seasons and won the Eastern Conference Regular-Season championship three times.
Adubato took over as coach of the Washington Mystics, but left the Mystics on June 1, 2007, reportedly upset over his team's 0-4 start to the season, a number of recent transactions, and his contract status.
Adubato currently serves as the radio colorman for the Orlando Magic.
Adubato served as an assistant NBA coach for the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, and Orlando Magic.
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| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Dick Vitale |
Detroit Pistons head coach 1979–1980 (interim) |
Succeeded by Scotty Robertson |
| Preceded by John MacLeod |
Dallas Mavericks head coach 1989–1992 |
Succeeded by Gar Heard (interim) |
| Preceded by Brian Hill |
Orlando Magic head coach 1997 (interim) |
Succeeded by Chuck Daly |
| Preceded by Nancy Darsch |
New York Liberty head coach 1998–2004 |
Succeeded by Pat Coyle |
| Preceded by Michael Adams |
Washington Mystics head coach 2005–2007 |
Succeeded by Tree Rollins (Interim) |
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- 1937 births
- Living people
- Atlanta Hawks assistant coaches
- Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coaches
- Dallas Mavericks assistant coaches
- Dallas Mavericks head coaches
- Detroit Pistons assistant coaches
- Detroit Pistons head coaches
- High school basketball coaches in the United States
- National Basketball Association head coaches
- New York Knicks assistant coaches
- New York Liberty head coaches
- Orlando Magic assistant coaches
- Orlando Magic head coaches
- Washington Mystics head coaches
- William Paterson University alumni
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