The English professor who revolutionized basketball with a high-speed, literary approach to the game.
In short: Paul Westhead, a former English teacher nicknamed The Professor, became a coaching legend by applying an unorthodox, high-octane run-and-gun style known as The System. He remains the only coach in history to win championships in both the NBA and the WNBA, leaving a trail of record-breaking scores in his wake.
Paul Westhead’s career began in the classroom, but his influence on basketball was defined by a relentless, fast-paced philosophy. After early stints in high school and at La Salle University, he rose to national prominence with the Los Angeles Lakers. Taking over as interim head coach in 1979, he guided a team featuring Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the 1980 NBA championship. Despite this success, his tenure ended in 1981 amid friction over his tactical preferences; while Johnson favored a fast-break style, Westhead insisted on an isolation offense centered on Abdul-Jabbar. Lakers owner Jerry Buss later revealed he had already decided to fire Westhead before the team's internal tensions reached their peak.
Westhead’s most iconic work occurred at Loyola Marymount University between 1985 and 1990. Implementing his signature run-and-gun style, he transformed the smaller school into a national contender. His teams led Division I in scoring for three consecutive years, peaking in 1990 with an NCAA-record 122.4 points per game. This era was marked by tragedy and triumph, specifically the 1990 NCAA tournament run following the on-court death of star player Hank Gathers. The team’s inspired performance captured the college basketball world, culminating in a Regional Final appearance where they finally fell to the eventual national champion, UNLV.
The Professor’s tactical obsession often yielded extreme results. When he brought his system to the Denver Nuggets in the early 1990s, the team set an NBA record for points allowed per game, earning the nickname Enver Nuggets—a play on the lack of a 'D.' Yet, Westhead’s adaptability remained his hallmark. In 2007, he led the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury to a championship, proving his high-speed approach could thrive in different environments. By the time he concluded his career at the University of Oregon in 2014, he had left an indelible mark on the sport, blending literary sensibilities with a pace of play that few teams could match.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Paul Westhead
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