Longtime Bulls coach Del Harris retires

CHICAGO, June 2 (UPI) -- Del Harris, who spent 50 seasons as a basketball coach including 1,013 games as an NBA head coach, has retired, the Chicago Bulls said Tuesday.

Harris, who turns 72 this month, left the staff of Bulls Coach Vinny Del Negro this week, ending a professional career that began in 1976 with Houston. He began coaching in Puerto Rico and coached nine seasons at Earlham College.

Harris' school-record 176 victories at Earlham earned him inductions into the Indiana Hall of Fame and NAIA Hall of Fame.

He was head coach of the Rockets for four seasons, including 1980-81 when the team lost in the NBA Finals. Harris coached Milwaukee for five seasons and had four-plus-season stint with the Los Angeles Lakers.

While with the Lakers his teams had three consecutive 50-win seasons.

The rest of his 50-year career was as an assistant. He was as a coach, scout or consultant in the NBA for 29 seasons.