Hall of Fame coach Bill Fitch dies, led Celtics to ’81 title

By TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer

CLEVELAND (AP) — Bill Fitch, who guided the Boston Celtics to one of their championships during a Hall of Fame coaching career, has died. He was 89. A two-time NBA coach of the year, Fitch died Wednesday in Lake Conroe, Texas. Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said Fitch’s daughter, Marcy Ann Coville, said he was surrounded by family. No cause of death was given. Fitch coached for 25 seasons in the NBA, starting with the expansion Cleveland Cavaliers in 1970. He was Larry Bird’s first pro coach with Boston, later won a title with the Celtics in 1981 and spent time with Houston, New Jersey and the Los Angeles Clippers before retiring in 1998. He was elected to the National Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.