Van Chancellor
Inducted:
2007
Stats
Born
September 27, 1943
Louisville, Mississippi, U.S.
Position
Coach
College:
University of Mississippi
Van Chancellor is the legendary architect of the first professional basketball dynasty of the modern era. While he never coached in the NBA, he is the most decorated coach in WNBA history, leading the Houston Comets to the league's first four consecutive championships (1997–2000). His Comets teams, led by the "Big Three" of Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes, and Tina Thompson, dominated the early years of the league with a combination of defensive intensity and high-IQ offensive sets.
Before his professional success, Chancellor spent 19 seasons as the head coach at Ole Miss, where he turned the Lady Rebels into a national power with 14 NCAA tournament appearances. He later returned to the college ranks to lead LSU to a Final Four in 2008. On the international stage, he maintained a perfect 38–0 record as the head coach of Team USA, securing a gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.
Chancellor's Awards and Records
- Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (2001)
- 3x WNBA Coach of the Year
- 4x WNBA Champion
- 3x SEC Coach of the Year (1987, 1990, 1992)
- WNBA All-Decade Team Coach (2006)
- 2025 Houston Sports Hall of Fame Inductee
- Architect of the WNBA’s first dynasty
- Olympic silver medalist as head coach
NBA Team
Houston Comets (1997–2006)
NBA Stats
WNBA Championships:
4 (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000)
WNBA Career Record:
211–111 (.655)
NCAA Career Record:
530–195 (.731)
Olympic Gold Medals:
1 (2004 - Head Coach)
WNBA Coach of the Year:
3 (1997, 1998, 1999)
USA Basketball Record:
38–0 (Perfect)
Olympic medals (as coach):
Silver (1996)