Since his time in the coal mining and tobacco industry, Dwane Casey has come a really long way to be recognized as one of the outstanding coaches in the NBA. The head coach of the Detroit Pistons, whose career has spanned several decades, has certainly paid his full salary to reach the heights he is now at.
Unlike many coaches who started as players, this exceptional coach began his coaching career at the tender age of 13 with his minor league, and since then he has been unstoppable on his way from the minor leagues to the NCAA and eventually the NBA. Here is a detailed account of what he has achieved over the years.
Dwane Casey Bio
Born as Dwane Casey in Indianapolis, Indiana, ?n April 17, 1957, coach Casey w??, but grew up in Morganfield, Kentucky His parents were a young couple at the time they had him and took him to his maternal home in Morganfield when he was only three years old and raised by his maternal grandparents, Urey and Elizabeth Miller. His grandfather Urey had two jobs – one as a laundry worker in two different laundries and another job at a cemetery – all in an effort to make ends meet. The hard life that Casey faced hardened him and made him responsible at a very young age.
He received his high school education at Union County High School, which he graduated from in 1975. During high school, he played basketball and was good at it (his uncles had taught him to play), which was reflected in the fact that he graduated as a top recruit and had many offers from various colleges. Casey ended up at the university th? ?f Kentucky and played basketball with the Wildcats. He led the team to fame and glory at the 1978 NCAA Tournament Championship. Despite his heroics in the game, his academics never suffered as they did in 1979 when Dwane Casey graduated college with a B.A. in Business Administration, winning the All-Academic Award.
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Coaching Career
Most NBA coaches started their coaching careers based on a very successful playing career, but Dwane Casey’s path to building a successful coaching career for himself did not follow the usual pattern. His first coaching assignment ever came when he was only 13 years old. The then Commissioner of Morganfield Baseball, Earl McKendree, assigned him to coach a team of U-10 baseball players.
He began his career as a basketball coach in 1979 when he was appointed an assistant coach to coach Joe B. Hall at Kentucky. After a year-long learning process, he ended up at the top and trained in Western Kentucky for five years before returning to the University of Kentucky as an assistant coach in 1985. A bribery dispute (whose innocence was proven) led to his resignation from Kentucky, and then he moved to Japan to work as a head coach in the Japanese basketball league.
Upon his return to the United States, he worked as an assistant coach for Seattle SuperSonics and played his part when they won four titles in the Pacific Division. Minnesota Timberwolves was next for Dwane Casey, only this time as head coach. His tenure lasted only one and a half seasons before he was fired. Between 2008 and 2011 he was an assistant coach at the Dallas Mavericks. They won their first championship – the NBA Finals – against the Miami Heat in 2011 after won had won the divisional title the previous season.
After raising his profile, the Toronto Raptors brought him on board as head coach in 2011 and he signed a three-year contract that was extended for another three years in 2014. His ride with the Raptors was a success, even if he started slowly. He broke the record for the most wins (in a season and overall) of the team and led them to several finals. His efforts were not considered good enough, however, as he was dismissed from the Raptors in May 2018 after winning both the NBCA Coach of the Year and NBA Coach of the Year awards in a single season.
While observers were stunned by the Raptors’ decision to dismiss Casey, the Detroit Pistons cashed in and signed him on June 11, 2018, with a five-year contract, just one month after the Toronto Raptors showed him the door.
Dwane Casey Net Worth
Although Dwane Casey has been in the world of basketball for quite some time, his most successful job was with the Toronto Raptors. It was also the longest he had ever had, as it was seven years before he was surprisingly removed from office in 2018. His last contract with the Raptors had a salary base of about $6 million for the three years.
And although the details of his 5-year contract with the Detroit Pistons were not disclosed, it is reported that it was worth $7 million per year. His net worth is estimated at $9 million.
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Family – Wife, Children
Dwane Casey is married to a woman who has been a support to him even in the most difficult times. Her name is Brenda Marie Casey and they got married in 2006. They live together in Seattle, Washington, and share their home with their two children – Justine and Zachary Casey.
Brenda Marie is a sports marketing executive and received her high school education at Issaquah High School before enrolling at Pepperdine University for her college education. Since graduating in 1999, Brenda has worked with a number of companies but currently works at the Kaufmann Sports Management Group.
Dwane Casey’s Height
The head coach of Detriot Pistons is in great shape and loves to keep his body that way. He is also a six-footer and at his age, he stays sharp, which is a key point for a coach of a basketball team. Exactly, his height is stated as 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) and his weight is 88 kg (195 lb).
