Dick Vitale coached at the high school, college, and NBA levels before becoming a legendary ESPN broadcaster.

Where did Dick Vitale coach?

Here’s the quick rundown of where Dick Vitale coached over his career before TV:

  • Garfield, New Jersey (schools) – He started out coaching at an elementary/junior high level in Garfield, N.J., in the late 1950s.
  • East Rutherford High School (New Jersey) – From 1964 to 1971, he was the head coach at East Rutherford High School, where he went 131–47 and won two New Jersey state championships.
  • Rutgers University (assistant coach) – From 1971 to 1973, he moved into college basketball as an assistant coach at Rutgers under head coach Dick Lloyd.
  • University of Detroit / Detroit Mercy (head coach) – From 1973 to 1977, he was the head coach at the University of Detroit (now Detroit Mercy), leading the Titans to a 78–30 record, a 21-game win streak, and the 1977 NCAA Tournament (reaching the Sweet 16/second round).
  • Detroit Pistons (NBA head coach) – He became head coach of the Detroit Pistons in 1978–79, posting a 30–52 record his first season before being dismissed early in his second year after a 4–8 start.

After that, Vitale jumped to television, joining ESPN in 1979 and becoming one of the most recognizable voices in college basketball.

Mini table: Dick Vitale coaching stops

[3] [5][3] [1][5] [7][5][1] [3][5][1]
Level Team/School Role Years
School Garfield (N.J.) schools Youth / high school coach Late 1950s–early 1960s (approx.)
High school East Rutherford High (N.J.) Head coach 1964–1971
College Rutgers University Assistant coach 1971–1973
College University of Detroit (Detroit Mercy) Head coach 1973–1977
NBA Detroit Pistons Head coach 1978–1979

In other words, when you ask “where did Dick Vitale coach,” the core answer most fans mean is: University of Detroit (Detroit Mercy) and the Detroit Pistons , with earlier success at East Rutherford High and a stop as a Rutgers assistant along the way.

TL;DR: He coached at Garfield and East Rutherford High Schools in New Jersey, was an assistant at Rutgers, became head coach at the University of Detroit (Detroit Mercy), and then coached the Detroit Pistons in the NBA before moving to ESPN.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.