Looking Back on What Flip Saunders Accomplished
Learn about the great Flip Saunders on what would have been his 70th birthday.
Flip Saunders was best known for his head coaching stints in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) and the Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, and Washington Wizards in the NBA.
Today, February 23, 2025 would have marked Flip’s 70th birthday, in this article, you’ll learn about the life and career of Flip Saunders, how much he accomplished, and how he’s passed the Saunders name to his son Ryan.
Before Coaching
Philip “Flip” Saunders was born on February 23, 1955 in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. Saunders attended Cuyahoga Heights High School, where he was named Ohio's Class A High School Basketball Player of the Year in 1973, his senior season. He led the state in scoring, averaging with 32.0 points per game.
Afterwards, Flip attended the University of Minnesota and played basketball for the Golden Gophers. He started 101 out of 103 games he played, teaming up with Ray Williams, Mychal Thompson, Kevin McHale, and Osborne Lockhart.
He was later inducted into the Minnesota Gophers Hall of fame in 2004.
Flip was married and had 4 children, including his son Ryan, who later became an assistant coach under Flip during his Washington Wizards and second Minnesota Timberwolves coaching stints.
Golden Valley Lutheran (1977-1981)
Flip started his coaching career with the Golden Valley Lutheran College men’s basketball team, the royals.
Saunders never lost a home game, with a 56-0 record.
Minnesota Golden Gophers (1981-1986)
Saunders returned to his alumni, the University of Minnesota as an assistant coach for their men's basketball team, the Golden Gophers under his former head coach Jim Dutcher.
Tulsa Golden Hurricane (1986-1988)
Coach Saunders then became an assistant coach for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane men's basketball team under head coach J.D. Barnett.
Rapid City Thrillers (1988-1989)
Saunders was named the head coach of the Rapid City Thrillers in 1988. In his first and only season with the team, they finished 38-16, 1st in the CBA's West Division, reaching the Western Division Finals, but lost in 6 games against the Rockford Lightning.
The team’s general manager was Eric Musselman, who later became the head coach of the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings. Eric’s father, Bill had recruited Flip when Bill was head coach at the University of Minnesota.
Notable players on the Thrillers roster:
Billy Donovan - Future Marshall Thundering, Florida Gators, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Chicago Bulls head coach.
Sidney Lowe - Future NBA player and future head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves and NC State Wolfpack men’s basketball team.
Keith Smart - Future NBA player and future head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, and Sacramento Kings.
La Crosse Catbirds (1989-1994)
Saunders became the head coach of the La Crosse Catbirds, a former basketball team that was located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The team won 2 championships under Flip’s coaching.
Saunders had an overall head coaching record of 181-99 with the team and won CBA Coach of the Year in 1990 and 1992.
Sioux Falls Skyforce (1994-1995)
Saunders became the head coach of the Sioux Falls Skyforce, a team located in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). The team is now located in the NBA’s G-League and is owned by the Miami Heat.
In Saunders’ first and only season with the team, they finished 34-22, making the post-season. They lost in the first round to the Omaha Racers in 3 games.
Minnesota Timberwolves (1995-2004)
Returning to the state of Minnesota, Flip was named the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 19, 1995 after the team fired Bill Blair. The team finished 26-55, missing the playoffs.
The Timberwolves under Flip Saunders:
1996-1997: Finished with a record of 40-42, lost in the first round in 3 games against the Houston Rockets.
1997-1998, they were eliminated in the first round by the Seattle SuperSonics in 5 games.
1998-1999: Lockout year, only 50 games were played. Finished with a record of 25-25, lost in the First round to the San Antonio Spurs 1-3.
1999-2000: 50-32, lost to the Portland Trail Blazers in 4 games in the first round.
2000-2001: 47-35, lost to the San Antonio Spurs in 3 games in the first round.
2001-2002: 50-32, lost to the Dallas Mavericks in 3 games in the first round.
2002-2003: 51-31, lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in 6 games in the first round.
2003-2004: Record of 58-24, lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in 6 games in the Western Conference Finals.
2004-2005: Record of 44-38, missing the playoffs.
As of 2025, Flip Saunders remains as the franchise leader in coaching wins with a record of 427-392.
He notably coached Kevin Garnett, Tom Gugliotta, Sam Mitchell, Jerome Allen, Doug West, Spud Webb, Terry Porter, Isaiah Rider, Stephon Marbury, Malik Sealy, Bobby Jackson, Joe Smith, Wally Szczerbiak, Chauncey Billups, Robert Pack, Fred Hoiberg, and Latrell Sprewell.
Detroit Pistons (2005-2008)
Coach Saunders then replaced Larry Brown as the Detroit Pistons head coach. In his first season, Flip led the team to a 64–18 record, 1st seed in the Eastern Conference, making the playoffs. In every year Flip Saunders coached, They would reach the Eastern Conference Finals:
2005-2006: Lost to the Miami Heat in 6 games (2-4).
2006-2007: Lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 6 games (2-4)
2007-2008: Lost to the Boston Celtics in 6 games (2-4)
Saunders was fired in 2008. As of 2025, the Pistons have not made it further than the first round in the NBA playoffs since Saunders was the head coach.
He notably coached Chauncey Billups, Tayshaun Prince, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Lindsey Hunter, Chris Webber, and Richard Hamilton.
Washington Wizards (2009-2012)
Coach Saunders was hired to become the head coach of the Washington Wizards. Notably on his coaching staff was Ryan Saunders, Flip’s son and Sam Cassell, former Timberwolves player Flip had coached years prior in Minnesota.
Saunders was fired after 17 games in January 2012, which was also a lockout year. Assistant coach Randy Wittman was named the interim and would go on to coach the Wizards until 2016.
Saunders finished his Wizards tenure with a 51-130 head coaching record and notably coached Gilbert Arenas, Shaun Livingston, JaVale McGee, Earl Boykins, Nick Young, Mike Miller, Rashard Lewis, and John Wall.
ESPN (2012-2013)
Saunders signed with ESPN as a NBA studio analyst on October 31, 2012.
Return to the Timberwolves (2013-2015)
Flip Saunders returned to the Timberwolves on May 3, 2013 and was named the President of Basketball Operations. He would later also become the head coach of the team on June 5, 2014 after Rick Adelman retired from coaching earlier in April.
Saunders was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in August 2015. Assistant coach Sam Mitchell was named the interim for the remainder of the season.
Unfortunately Flip Saunders passed away on October 25, 2015 due to complications of the treatment he was receiving.
Passing Down the Torch
Flip’s son Ryan was one of his biggest accomplishments. Ryan followed in his footsteps by not only playing college basketball at the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers like his father, but he also became a coach in the NBA.
Ryan’s first NBA coaching job was with the Washington Wizards in 2009 as an assistant coach under Flip. Ryan remained with the Wizards until 2014 when Flip was named the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. They spent 1 full season together on the bench until Flip was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in August 2015 and later passed away that October.
In 2019, Ryan became the interim and later head coach of the Timberwolves until 2021. He later joined the Denver Nuggets coaching staff under Michael Malone, who was close to the Saunders family, winning a NBA championship in 2023 as one of Malone’s top assistants.
“You got to let your young guys play and the biggest thing is you have to identify if the young player is going to be there or not be there.” - Flip Saunders on rebuilding teams
Although Flip Saunders isn’t with us anymore, we reflect on his life today, on his 70th birthday. Coach Saunders made an impact on every team he’s ever coached, whether it was on the college level, the CBA, or the NBA, he never experienced failure.
Happy Birthday Flip Saunders, and thank you.
New found respect for Flip.