NBA Mourns Passing of Pioneering Coach Doug Moe

Moe, a former two-time All-American at North Carolina, was 87 years old.

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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The NBA has announced the death of long-time coach Doug Moe, a former two-time All-American at the University of North Carolina. Moe spent 15 seasons as an NBA head coach with the Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, and Philadelphia 76ers, compiling a 628-529 record and earning NBA Coach of the Year honors.

Why it matters

Moe was an early advocate for a fast-paced, wide-open style of play that helped shape the modern NBA game. He was later recognized with the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award for his lasting impact on the coaching profession.

The details

In addition to his coaching career, Moe was a former two-time All-American player at North Carolina, where he played from 1958-61. As an NBA head coach, he spent four years with the Spurs, 10 years with the Nuggets, and one year with the 76ers.

  • Doug Moe passed away on February 17, 2026.

The players

Doug Moe

A long-time NBA coach who spent 15 seasons as a head coach with the Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, and Philadelphia 76ers. He was a former two-time All-American player at the University of North Carolina.

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What they’re saying

“The NBA mourns the passing of Doug Moe, a pioneering coach whose vision and influence helped shape the modern game. An early advocate of a fast, wide-open style of play, he won more than 600 games as head coach of the Nuggets, Spurs and 76ers, earned NBA Coach of the Year honors and later received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award for his lasting impact on the profession.”

— NBA (Twitter)

The takeaway

Doug Moe's innovative coaching style and lasting impact on the NBA game will be remembered as the league mourns the passing of this pioneering figure.