| | DENVER -- Denver Nuggets president and head coach Dan Issel
on Tuesday signed a four-year contract to remain with the team, the
club announced.
Issel, who spent 10 years of his Hall-of-Fame playing career
with the Nuggets, became the team's general manager in March 1998.
On Sept. 14, 1999, he took over as president of basketball
operations and head coach.
"We are extremely pleased to have Dan in the fold for several
years to come," said Don Elliman, president of Ascent Sports
Holdings, which owns the Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and Pepsi
Center. "He has a proven track record of producing results, and we
are confident in his abilities to lead this franchise to success
both on and off the court."
It was the second signing of a sports executive by Ascent in the
past two weeks. On Jan. 17, Elliman signed Avalanche general
manager Pierre Lacroix to a contract extension believed to be for
five years.
Last year, Denver billionaire Donald Sturm bid $461 million to
purchase the three sports properties from Ascent, but the deal fell
through and Ascent retained possession.
Issel had agreed with Sturm on a new contract, which was torn up
when those negotiations collapsed. He has been working under his
previous contract as general manager.
The contract was announced just hours after Issel concluded a
five-player deal that brings Orlando's Chris Gatling and Tariq
Abdul-Wahad to the Nuggets in exchange for Ron Mercer, Chauncey
Billups and Johnny Taylor.
"I'm delighted to receive such a strong commitment from Ascent
and Don," Issel said. "He has provided a steadying influence
since his arrival and has been a pleasure to work with. I look
forward to continuing our efforts to make this basketball team a
contender."
In his second stint as the Nuggets head coach, Issel has led the
team to a 20-22 record this season. Denver won only 14 games last
season and just 11 the season before. Issel compiled a 96-102
record in two-plus seasons as Denver's head coach from 1992-95.
In 1994, he led the Nuggets to a first-round playoff upset of
Seattle -- the first time an eighth-seeded team had knocked off a
No. 1 seed. | |
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