Former NBA player and longtime coach Doug Moe has died at the age of 87, the Denver Nuggets confirmed on Tuesday.
Moe was best known as the Nuggets’ head coach in the 1980s, where he built one of the league’s most exciting offenses. His fast-paced “run-and-gun” system focused on quick ball movement and scoring, which helped Denver lead the NBA in scoring multiple times.
He coached the Nuggets for 10 seasons, finishing with 432 wins – a franchise record at the time. Denver reached the playoffs for nine consecutive seasons under his leadership. Moe was named NBA Coach of the Year in 1987-88 after leading the team to a 54-28 record.
Before coaching, Moe was a three-time ABA All-Star and won a championship with the Oakland Oaks in 1969. He later coached the San Antonio Spurs and finished his NBA coaching career with 628 wins.
In 2018, Moe received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the game. The Nuggets honored him as “a compassionate leader” who helped shape one of the franchise’s most memorable eras.
He is survived by his wife, Jane, and son, David.