Doug Moe, former player and longtime NBA coach, dies at 87
Under the guidance of former coach Doug Moe,
shown at right with Dan Issel during the 1983 season,
the Denver Nuggets led the NBA in scoring in five consecutive seasons.
John Iacono / Sports Illustrated via Getty Images
Feb. 17, 2026 - Updated 11:12 pm EST
Doug Moe, the longtime Denver Nuggets coach who pioneered fast-paced offense, has passed away at 87.
Moe coached the Nuggets for 10 seasons, winning Coach of the Year honors in 1988 after guiding Denver to a 54-28 record. The Nuggets finished with a winning record in seven of Moe’s nine full seasons as head coach.
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) February 17, 2026
Moe also coached four seasons with the San Antonio Spurs from 1976 to 1980, finishing with a winning record in his first three seasons before being fired with the team at .500 in his final year in San Antonio.
Moe’s final head-coaching season came with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1992-93. Less than two months after he was hired, the Sixers traded star forward Charles Barkley to the Phoenix Suns. Moe was fired 56 games into the season with the Sixers’ record at 19-37. He returned to coaching in 2003, when he began a five-year run as an assistant to former Nuggets coach George Karl.
Doug Moe was my big brother. I am sad today. I will miss him.
Love you forever Doug. ❤️🩹 pic.twitter.com/Emc8Iik8xD
— George Karl (@CoachKarl22) February 17, 2026
Under Moe’s guidance, the Nuggets led the NBA in scoring in five consecutive seasons. In addition to coaching in the highest-scoring game in NBA history, Moe’s Nuggets hold NBA records for the most points per game in a season (126.48 in 1981-82), the most consecutive games with at least 100 points (136) and are the only team to score 100 points or more in all 82 games (1981-82). The NBA acknowledged Moe’s passing via X. In 2018, the league recognized Moe’s contributions to basketball by giving him with that year’s Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award.
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… pic.twitter.com/yevDSjYjuP
— NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2026
Moe coached George Gervin, who won three scoring titles under Moe with the Spurs in the late ’70s, and Alex English, who won the 1982-83 scoring title and captured all eight of his All-Star selections under Moe. English, who played 10 of his 15 seasons under Moe in Denver, scored more points than any other player in the ’80s.
Moe played five ABA seasons with the New Orleans Buccaneers, Oakland Oaks, Carolina Cougars and Virginia Squires, earning All-Star honors in his first three seasons.
Born in Brooklyn, New York on Sept. 21, 1938, Douglas Edwin Moe eventually starred at the University of North Carolina, where he secured two All-American selections. He averaged 16.5 points across 60 appearances for the Tar Heels, including a collegiate career-high of 20.4 during the 1960-61 season, the second-highest scoring average on the team that season.
Unfortunately, Moe’s college career ended controversially after his admission for being associated with a point-shaving scandal, for which he received $75 to fly to New Jersey for a meeting related to the scandal. Moe declined the opportunity to throw games but saw his reputation suffer because of his aforementioned affiliation, resulting in a prolonged wait to join the ABA. He spent the next six seasons unable to join the NBA, leading to him enlisting in the Army and hooping at the pro level in Italy.
In 1967, Moe played his first of five ABA seasons, which spanned stints with the New Orleans Buccaneers, Oakland Oaks, Carolina Cougars and Virginia Squires, earning All-Star honors in his first three seasons.
During his rookie season with the Buccaneers, he averaged 24.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists en route to finishing second in ABA MVP voting. For the 1968-69 season, Moe was the third-leading scorer for the Oakland Oaks, which featured Naismith Hall of Famer Rick Barry and former Tar Heels teammate Larry Brown. That season, Moe finished 10th in MVP voting and ranked ninth for the 1969-70 season. Afterward, he spent the next two seasons with the Squires, with whom his scoring average dipped to 10.2 points. Moe finished his ABA career with averages of 16.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists across 378 career appearances. In 1997, he was among the 30 players and people selected for the ABA’s All-Time Team.
Although Moe is not inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, he remains an unquestionable figure in the ABA’s fast-paced, entertaining style, which he eventually helped bring to the NBA during his aforementioned successful stint as head coach of the Nuggets. During Moe’s time leading Denver, the Nuggets ranked eighth in win percentage (.550) and total wins (406). His 628 head-coaching wins rank 26th in NBA history. Among Nuggets coaches, his 432 wins trail only Michael Malone (471) for the team’s all-time lead. Denver retired the number 432 in honor of Moe.
The night Doug Moe and Michael Adams gave the NBA a sneak peek into its future
Back in the '80s, the 3 was often a desperation shot. That started to change when a revolutionary coach gave a small guard the green light.
Darnell Mayberry is an editor at The Athletic with more than 20 years of experience in sports journalism.
Throughout his career, he has focused extensively on the NBA, reporting for The Athletic and previously for The Oklahoman.
Follow Darnell on Twitter @DarnellMayberry
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