Dunleavy: Coach Of The Year

May 21, 1999 / 3:03 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Mike Dunleavy was voted NBA Coach of the Year Friday after guiding the Portland Trail Blazers to their first Pacific Division title since the 1991-92 season.

Dunleavy received 48 of a possible 118 votes from a panel of NBA sports writers and broadcasters.

Philadelphia's Larry Brown was second with 23 votes, followed by Utah's Jerry Sloan (15), Orlando's Chuck Daly (13), Miami's Pat Riley (8), San Antonio's Gregg Popovich and Charlotte's Paul Silas (4 each) and Milwaukee's George Karl, Toronto's Butch Carter and Atlanta's Lenny Wilkens (1 each).

Last year's winner, Larry Bird of Indiana, did not get any votes.

This was the first time in Dunleavy's eight-year coaching career -- two with the Los Angeles Lakers, four with Milwaukee and two with Portland -- that he received the award, which is sponsored by IBM.

He led the Trail Blazers to a 35-15 record in the shortened season. Portland won the division title by four games ahead of the Lakers.

The Trail Blazers, winners of 22 of 25 home games, feature a balanced attack in which nine players led the team in nine statistical categories.

Dunleavy will receive the Red Auerbach Trophy, named in honor of the former
Boston Celtics coach.