Nelson, 68, guided the Warriors to a 48-34 record in 2007-08, marking the team’s best record since 1993-94 and just the ninth time in franchise history (since 1946) and the third time since 1975-76 that the team has amassed 48 victories in a single season. Additionally, Golden State’s 48-34 (.585) record in 2007-08 marks the best record for a non-playoff team since the NBA adopted its current 16-team postseason format prior to the 1984 NBA Playoffs.

After starting the 2007-08 season 0-6, the Warriors posted a 48-28 record through the remainder of the season. Nelson’s squad was successful both at home and on the road, posting a 27-14 mark at ORACLE Arena, and a 21-20 record on the road – which marked just the seventh time in franchise history (since 1946) and just the third time since 1975-76 that the Warriors won at least 21 games on the road. Golden State led the NBA in scoring (111.0 ppg) while putting together a string of 37-consecutive games of at least 100 points, which was the longest such streak in the NBA since 1992-93. Additionally, the Warriors led the NBA in fast break points (23.0 ppg), points off turnovers (20.0 ppg) and points in the paint (48.6 ppg), while also ranking second in the NBA in steals (9.07 spg).

COACH	W	L	PCT
Lenny Wilkens	1,332	1,155	.536
Don Nelson	1,280	954	.573
Pat Riley	1,210	694	.636
Jerry Sloan	1,089	717	.603
Larry Brown	1,010	800	.558
Phil Jackson	976	418	.700
Bill Fitch	944	1,106	.460
Red Auerbach	938	479	.662
Dick Motta	935	1,017	.479
George Karl	879	614	.589

In his most recent two-season stint with Golden State, Nelson has posted a combined 90-74 record (.549), leading the Warriors to their first consecutive winning seasons since 1990-91 (44-38) and 1991-92 (55-27). Nelson returned to Golden State prior to the 2006-07 season, leading the Warriors to a 42-40 record and their first trip to the NBA Playoffs in 13 years. Additionally, he guided Golden State to a First Round triumph over the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks, marking the first time that a #8 seed had defeated a #1 seed in a seven-game series in NBA history.

Currently in his 30th season as an NBA head coach, Nelson is the second-winningest coach in NBA history (1,280), trailing only Lenny Wilkens (1,332). Overall, he has compiled a 1,280-954 (.573) record in 2,234 regular-season games over a span of 29 years. Only Wilkens has coached more NBA games (2,487). In fact, as Nelson is in his 45th year in the NBA as a player, coach, general manager or consultant, only Wilkens has more combined games as a player and head coach than the 3,287 that “Nellie” has notched thus far in his career.

In his first stint with Golden State, Nelson spent six-plus years as the team’s head coach and general manager from 1988-89 through the first 45 games of the 1994-95 campaign, amassing an overall record of 277-260 (.516) in 537 regular-season contests. The Warriors qualified for the playoffs in four of his six complete seasons with the team (1989, 1991, 1992, 1994), highlighted by a pair of 50-win seasons in 1991-92 (55-27) and 1993-94 (50-32). In addition to earning NBA Coach of the Year honors with the Warriors in 1991-92, Nelson also served as head coach of the Western Conference All-Star team in 1992.

During his previous tenure with the club, the Warriors ranked among the top four scoring teams in the NBA in each of his six complete seasons, including the 1989-90 (116.3) and 1991-92 (118.7) campaigns, when Golden State led the NBA in points per game. He originally joined the Warriors as executive vice president on July 1, 1987 and was named general manager on December 30, 1987 before taking over as head coach the following season. He resigned his position with the club on February 13, 1995. His overall record in eight-plus seasons as head coach with Golden State entering 2008-09 is 367-334 (.524).

One of only two coaches in league history (joining Pat Riley) to earn NBA Coach of the Year honors on three different occasions (1983 and 1985 with Milwaukee, 1992 with Golden State), Nelson has enjoyed coaching stints in four NBA cities, including Milwaukee (1976-1987), Golden State (1988-1995, 2006-08), New York (1995-96) and Dallas (1997-2005). He is one of only two coaches in league annals (joining Wilkens) to register 250-plus victories with three different teams, having accomplished the feat in Milwaukee (540), Golden State (367) and Dallas (339). Nelson’s teams have registered 50-or-more wins in 13 of his 29 seasons as a head coach, placing him third on the all-time list of 50-win campaigns trailing only Pat Riley (17) and Phil Jackson (14). He has led his teams to 18 playoff appearances and ranks 10th on the NBA’s all-time playoff winning list with 75 post-season victories.

Prior to joining the Warriors, Nelson spent his most recent successful tenure with the Dallas Mavericks. He spent six full seasons - and parts of two others - as the head coach of the Mavericks, punctuated by four consecutive 50-win campaigns from 2000-01 to 2003-04 (53, 57, 60, 52). He resigned as head coach of the Mavericks 64 games into the 2004-05 season (42-22) on March 19, 2005 and served as a consultant with Dallas from that point on until being hired by the Warriors. Overall, he guided the Mavericks to a 339-251 mark in 590 regular season games (.575) and four post-season appearances. Among his many honors, Nelson was named one of the top-10 coaches in NBA history by a panel of former coaches, players during the league's 50th anniversary season in 1997. He also coached Dream Team II to a gold medal at the 1994 World Championships in Toronto. In 14 seasons as an NBA player, Nelson averaged 10.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in 1,053 contests. He was drafted by the Chicago Zephyrs in 1962 (19th overall) and played one season before his contract was sold to the Los Angeles Lakers. After two seasons in L.A. he was waived and signed as a free agent by the Boston Celtics in October, 1965. In 11 seasons with the Celtics, he was a member of five NBA Championship teams (1966, 1968, 1969, 1974 and 1976). His retired uniform #19, honoring his career as one of the game’s greatest “sixth men” was raised to the Boston Garden rafters in 1978. Born on May 15, 1940, in Muskegon, Michigan, Don Arvid Nelson was a two-time All-American at Iowa, where he graduated in 1962. Don married Joy Wolfgram on June 19, 1991, in a ceremony that was held on the Warriors’ court inside the Oakland Coliseum. Nelson has five grown children, Julie, Donn, Christie, Katie and Lee.