What is Stan Van Gundy's Net Worth?
Stan Van Gundy is a former professional basketball coach who has a net worth of $20 million. Stan Van Gundy was the head coach of the NBA's Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, and New Orleans Pelicans. In 2009, he led the Magic to the NBA Finals. After retiring as a coach in 2021, Van Gundy began doing television commentary for NBA games on TNT and college basketball on CBS.
Early Life and Education
Stan Van Gundy was born on August 26, 1959 in Indio, California. His father Bill was a basketball coach at State University of New York Brockport. Van Gundy has a younger brother named Jeff Van Gundy who also became a basketball coach. As a teenager, Van Gundy went to Alhambra High School in Martinez, California. For college, he attended SUNY Brockport, where he played basketball under his father. Van Gundy graduated in 1981.
College Coaching Career
Van Gundy began his basketball coaching career on the college level, serving as an assistant coach at the University of Vermont from 1981 to 1983. After that, from 1983 to 1986, he was the head coach at Castleton State College in Vermont. In the 1984-85 season, Van Gundy led Castleton to an NAIA District 5 tournament championship. Following his tenure at Castleton, he went to New York and served as an assistant coach at Canisius College from 1986 to 1987, and then at Fordham University from 1987 to 1988. Van Gundy subsequently became the head coach at the University of Lowell, soon renamed the University of Massachusetts Lowell. He served four seasons there until 1992, and then became an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Van Gundy was promoted to head coach at Wisconsin in 1994, but following a disappointing season, he was fired in 1995.
NBA Coaching Career
In 1995, Van Gundy joined the NBA as an assistant coach for the Miami Heat. He served in that position for eight seasons under head coach Pat Riley. When Riley abruptly resigned prior to the 2003-04 season, Van Gundy became the Heat's new head coach. He went on to lead the team to a 42-win season and a place in the 2004 NBA playoffs. The next season, Van Gundy led the Heat to the best record in the Eastern Conference, with 59 wins. Back in the playoffs, the team made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they fell to the Detroit Pistons. Just 21 games into the 2005-06 season, Van Gundy resigned from his coaching position so he could spend more time with his family. He was replaced by Riley, who that very season led the Heat to their first NBA championship title.
Van Gundy became the head coach of the Orlando Magic in 2007. In his first season with the team, he led the Magic to a 52-win season and the team's first division championship in over 20 years. Van Gundy continued his success the following season by leading the Magic to a 59-win season and a second consecutive division championship. Moreover, he led the Magic to the 2009 NBA Finals. Despite putting up a fight early in the tournament, the team was ultimately defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers in five games. Van Gundy remained with the Magic until May of 2012, when he was fired.
Two years after his dismissal from the Magic, Van Gundy was hired as the new head coach of the Detroit Pistons; he also became the team's new president of basketball operations. During his first season coaching the team, he won his 400th career game as an NBA coach. Van Gundy had his best season with the Pistons in 2015-16, clinching a playoff berth. After four seasons with the team, he was fired in May of 2018. Two-and-a-half years later, Van Gundy became the new head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans. However, he only served one year with the team before he was let go in 2021.
Contracts & Salaries
In 2014, Stan signed a 5-year, $35 million contract with The Pistons. That worked out to a salary of $7 million per year. Upon joining the Pelicans, he signed a 4-year, $20 million contract ($5 million per year).
Television Sports Commentary
After leaving his coaching position with the Pelicans, Van Gundy began doing television commentary for NBA games on TNT. He also does commentary for college basketball games on CBS.
Personal Life & Real Estate
With his late wife Kim, Van Gundy had four children. The couple was married for 25 years until Kim died by suicide in the summer of 2023. In August 2014, the Van Gundys paid $2.18 million for a 6,000-square-foot lake house in Clarkston, Michigan. They sold this house in July 2020 for $2.1 million. In August 2021 they sold a house in New Orleans for a bit under $2 million.