View source for Gordon Chiesa

{{Short description|American basketball player and coach}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{BLP sources|date=March 2010}}
'''Gordon Chiesa''' (born {{birth based on age as of date|31|1981|6|11|noage=1}}<ref name=NYT1981/>) is an American basketball coach at the collegiate and NBA level, who served as the assistant coach for the [[Utah Jazz]] for 16 seasons from 1989–90 to 2004–05.

==Early life==
A native of [[Union City, New Jersey]],<ref name=NBA.com>[http://www.nba.com/coachfile/gordon_chiesa/ "Gordon Chiesa"]. [[NBA]].com. Retrieved August 30, 2013.</ref><ref>Garcia, Julian (November 1, 2005). [http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/sports/planinic-stay-extra-year-n-article-1.600889 "PLANINIC WILL STAY EXTRA YEAR IN N.J."]. ''[[New York Daily News]]'' (New York).</ref> he played prep basketball at [[St. Michael's High School (Union City, New Jersey)|St. Michael's High School]] in his hometown.<ref name=NYT1981>[https://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/11/sports/manhattan-names-chiesa-as-head-basketball-coach.html "Manhattan Names Chiesa As Head Basketball Coach"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', June 11, 1981. Accessed December 20, 2023. "Chiesa, 31 years old, grew up in Union City, N.J., and played for St. Michael's High School there."</ref>

As a college student, Chiesa played point guard and left [[St. Thomas Aquinas College]] in [[Sparkill, New York]], as the school's all-time leader in career assists (448) and assists average (8.1 apg).  He led the Spartans to a 21–6 record and a postseason bid in his senior year.{{citation needed|date=August 2013}}

==Career==
Chiesa's career began as the athletic director and head basketball coach at his alma mater of St. Thomas Aquinas College, where he guided the Spartans to three 20-win seasons and several postseason tournaments.{{citation needed|date=August 2013}}

Following his tenure at St. Thomas Aquinas, Chiesa served as an assistant coach at Dartmouth from 1979 to 1981. He then accepted the head coaching position at Manhattan College, where he coached from 1981 to 1985 and was named the Metro Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1983. Chiesa joined Rick Pitino's staff at [[Providence College]] as an assistant coach from 1985 to 1987, before becoming head coach for the 1987–88 season. After posting a miserable 11–17 record, Chiesa was replaced as head coach by [[Rick Barnes]] who the following season posted an impressive 18–11 record and led the same team to the first round of the [[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament]].

He joined the [[Orlando Magic]] on August 30, 2012, as special consultant to the head coach.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nba.com/magic/news/magic-complete-coaching-staff_083012 |title=Magic complete coaching staff|work=OrlandoMagic.com |accessdate=August 30, 2012}}</ref>  He previously served as a consultant for the [[NBA Development League]] for the previous two seasons (2010–12). During his coaching career, Chiesa served as an assistant coach for two Hall of Fame coaches – [[Jerry Sloan]] with the Utah Jazz and [[Rick Pitino]] at Providence College.<ref name=Jaspers/>

Chiesa was an assistant coach with the [[Utah Jazz]], for 16 seasons from 1989–90 to 2004–05. During his tenure, he helped guide Utah to a pair of Western Conference crowns, three Midwest Division championships, a regular season record of 809–471 (.632) and 14 consecutive postseason appearances, including 149 playoff games. Chiesa has also been an assistant coach with New Jersey, Seattle and Memphis, and was director of pro scouting for the Grizzlies.<ref name=Jaspers>[https://gojaspers.com/news/2013/8/14/209133380.aspx "NBA's Gordon Chiesa Returns to Draddy Gym for Annual Clinic"], [[Manhattan Jaspers men's basketball]], August 14, 2013. Accessed December 21, 2023. "Chiesa has also served as an assistant coach with the Nets, SuperSonics and Grizzlies and was the Grizzlies' director of pro scouting."</ref>

Chiesa is one of a select few assistant coaches to serve in both the [[NBA Finals]] (1997 and 1998) and the [[NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship|NCAA Final Four]] (1987).{{citation needed|date=August 2013}}

Chiesa was inducted into the [[Hudson County, New Jersey|Hudson County]] Sports Hall of Fame in January 2001 for his achievements as a college and professional basketball coach.<ref>[https://hudsoncountysportshalloffame.org/inductees/ Inductees], Hudson County Sports Hall of Fame. Accessed December 21, 2023.</ref> He was also inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in September 2009.{{citation needed|date=August 2013}}

==Personal life==
Chiesa and his wife, Nancy, have two sons, Matthew and Craig.<ref name=NBA.com/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Manhattan Jaspers basketball coach navbox}}
{{Providence Friars men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year navbox}}

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[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American men's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:American men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Basketball coaches from New Jersey]]
[[Category:College men's basketball head coaches in the United States]]
[[Category:Dartmouth Big Green men's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:Manhattan Jaspers men's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:Memphis Grizzlies assistant coaches]]
[[Category:New Jersey Nets assistant coaches]]
[[Category:Orlando Magic assistant coaches]]
[[Category:Providence Friars men's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Union City, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Hudson County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:St. Michael's High School (Union City, New Jersey) alumni]]
[[Category:St. Thomas Aquinas College faculty]]
[[Category:St. Thomas Aquinas Spartans men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Utah Jazz assistant coaches]]