John MacLeod (basketball)

John Matthew MacLeod (October 3, 1937 – April 14, 2019) was an American basketball coach in the NCAA and the National Basketball Association, most notably with the Phoenix Suns. After coaching for the University of Oklahoma, MacLeod was hired to coach the Suns in 1973. In 1976, he led them to their second postseason in team history, which culminated with an appearance in the 1976 NBA Finals; he would lead the team to eight further postseason appearances in his tenure. In fourteen years, MacLeod led them to 579 wins, which is the most in franchise history.

Career
MacLeod was a star high school basketball player before playing at Bellarmine College.

MacLeod coached the Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball team for six years before being hired to coach the Phoenix Suns in 1973, a position he held until 1987. During this stint, MacLeod was named the head coach of the Western Conference All-Star Team in 1981. After his departure from Phoenix, MacLeod went on to coach the Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks. In 1991, he was hired to be the head coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, where he won Big East Coach of the Year in 1997. In 1999, MacLeod resigned from his position and returned to Phoenix for one season as an assistant coach. MacLeod spent three seasons as an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets before ending his coaching career as an assistant for the Golden State Warriors.

MacLeod was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005 and to the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.

MacLeod was inducted into the Phoenix Suns Ring of Honor on April 18, 2012, as the winningest coach in franchise history.

Personal
On April 14, 2019, McLeod died of complications from Alzheimer's disease.