Westphal,
51, succeeds Jan van Breda Kolff who resigned as the Waves’ head coach in
April to accept a similar position at St. Bonaventure. Westphal signed a
five-year contract to become the program’s 11th head coach.
“We
are fortunate to have a strong basketball tradition at Pepperdine, and I have
every reason to believe that Paul can continue to move the program forward,”
said Dr. John Watson, Director of Athletics. “Paul has compiled an impressive
resume as a coach and player, and I am confident that he will elevate our
program to a new level of excellence.”
Dating
back to the start of the 1978-79 season, Pepperdine basketball teams have
compiled a cumulative 23-year record of 422-264 (.615)—the second-highest
winning percentage for NCAA Division I programs in California—and advanced to
post-season play 16 times, including NCAA Tournament berths in 1979, 1982, 1983,
1985, 1986, 1991, 1992, 1994 and 2000.
Westphal
brings more than 12 years of coaching experience to Pepperdine, including stints
with the Phoenix Suns and the Seattle SuperSonics. With the Suns, he compiled a
191-88 (.685) record in three-plus seasons and guided the team to the 1993 NBA
Finals. Additionally, he served as the head coach for two-plus seasons in
Seattle beginning in 1998, posting a 76-71 (.515) mark.
“I
am absolutely thrilled about the opportunity at Pepperdine,” said Westphal.
“I believe in this school. The University’s basketball tradition is
outstanding, and I am anxious to roll up my sleeves and get started.”
Westphal
began his coaching career in 1985 at Southwestern Baptist Bible College in
Phoenix. He directed the team to a 21-9 record and a berth in the 1986 National
Little College Athletic Association Tournament. Westphal then became the head
coach at Grand Canyon College in Phoenix where he compiled a 63-18 (.778) record
in two seasons, including a 37-6 mark and the NAIA national title in 1988.
After
three years in the college ranks, Westphal became an assistant coach with the
Suns in 1988 where he remained for four seasons before being elevated to the
head coaching spot on July 1, 1992.
As
the head coach in Phoenix, he led the Suns to three of their most successful
seasons in franchise history. In his first season in 1992-93, the Suns captured
the Pacific Division title, won a club-record 62 games and made just the second
appearance in the NBA Finals in team history. The 62 victories broke the NBA
record for most victories by a rookie coach set by Bill Russell in 1966-67.
During
the 1994-95 campaign, Westphal became the second-fastest NBA head coach to win
150 games, accomplishing the fete in 208 games, just five games shy of the
all-time mark held by Phil Jackson.
In
his three full seasons in Phoenix, the Suns surpassed the 55-victory mark each
year, winning two Pacific Division titles (1993 and 1995) and one Western
Conference championship (1993).
Phoenix
advanced to the second round of the NBA Playoffs in 1994 and 1995, but were
eliminated in seven games both seasons by the Houston Rockets who went on to
claim the NBA title. He coached the Western Conference All-Stars to victory in
both 1993 and 1995.
Following
his three-plus season stint in Phoenix, Westphal returned to the NBA as the head
coach at Seattle for the lockout-shortened 1998-99 campaign, directing the
SuperSonics to a 25-25 record. Seattle posted a 45-37 mark during the 1999-2000
campaign and advanced to the playoffs, losing a five-game first round series to
the Utah Jazz.
Including
the playoffs, Westphal’s overall NBA head coaching record stands at 294-181,
and the .619 winning percentage ranks among the best on the league’s all-time
chart.
Westphal’s
NBA playing career began as a first-round draft choice by the Boston Celtics
(10th pick overall) in 1972. He played 12 seasons in the NBA for Boston,
Phoenix, New York and Seattle, and was a five-time NBA All-Star and a member of
the 1974 Celtics team that won the NBA title. He was selected to the All-NBA
team four times.
After
suffering a broken foot, he was tabbed the NBA’s “Comeback Player of the
Year” as a member of the Knicks in 1982-83.
Westphal
helped Phoenix advance to the NBA Finals in 1976, losing to his former team the
Boston Celtics. He played an integral role in Game 5 of that series in which the
Celtics prevailed at the Boston Garden by a final score of 128-126 in triple
overtime. It is considered by many observers to be the greatest game in NBA
history.
Currently
No. 5 on the Suns’ all-time scoring list with 9,564 points, Westphal’s No.
44 jersey was retired on April 15, 1989. In 823 career NBA games, he scored
12,809 points (15.6 scoring average), grabbed 1,580 rebounds, handed out 3,591
assists and recorded 1,022 steals. Westphal notched a career shooting mark of
50.4 percent and was an 82.0 percent career free throw shooter. A member of nine
playoff teams, he averaged a career-best 25.2 points a game in 1978, and led the
Suns in scoring for five consecutive seasons.
A
three-time All-Pacific 8 Conference performer and a two-time All-American at USC,
Westphal averaged 16.4 points in three seasons with the Trojans. As a junior,
USC compiled a 24-2 record during the 1970-71 campaign, with the only two losses
being to crosstown rival UCLA.
Despite
his senior season being cut short due to a knee injury. Westphal was elected to
USC’s Athletics “Hall of Fame” in 1997.
Westphal
graduated from Redondo Beach's Aviation High in 1968, where he was tabbed CIF
“Player of the Year” as a senior after averaging 32.5 points a game. Perhaps
the greatest compliment was when Street Zebra magazine named him the Los
Angeles/Orange County “Prep Basketball Player of the Century.”
Westphal and his wife, Cindy, have two children, Victoria Higa, a recent graduate of Pepperdine, and Michael, a junior guard on the Pepperdine team.