Dick Motta inducted into the Big Sky Hall of Fame

Weber State men's basketball legendary coach Dick Motta was inducted into the Big Sky Hall of Fame on Saturday, July 20, as part of the 2024 class. The Hall of Fame ceremony was held in Spokane, Washington as part of the Big Sky Kickoff.

Motta, 92, is part of the third Big Sky Conference Hall of Fame class and is the fifth member with Weber State ties inducted. Damian Lillard was inducted in the inaugural class in 2022 and Lindsey Anderson, Jamie Martin, and coach Charles "Chick" Hislop were inducted in 2023.

Motta previously was inducted into the Weber State Hall of Fame in 1990 and had a banner with the number "164" raised to the rafters at the Dee Events Center in March 2022, representing the number of wins for Motta during his eight seasons as head coach at Weber State. He was the first coach in WSU history to have a jersey retired.

Motta built the Weber State basketball program to national prominence spanning the junior college and Division I ranks, before having a long career in the NBA, including winning an NBA championship.

He coached at Weber State for eight seasons from 1960-68. He was the head coach for two seasons during the junior college years of 1960-61 and 1961-62 and totaled a 44-17 record. He then coached for six years as a Division I school and was 120-33. He led the Wildcats to a 164-50 overall record in his full eight seasons, a .766 winning percentage.

A Utah native, Motta graduated from Utah State and then began his coaching career at Grace High School in Grace, Idaho, where he taught school and coached, including leading the team to a state championship. One of his students was Phil Johnson who went on to play at Weber State and then served as an assistant coach under Motta, before becoming head coach. Johnson later was an NBA Coach of The Year and had a long career as an assistant coach with the Utah Jazz.

He began his career at Weber Junior College in 1960 where he not only was the head basketball coach, he also spent time as the head baseball coach and an assistant football coach.

In 1962, Weber State became a four-year school and transitioned to Division I. In his six seasons as a Division I coach, Motta compiled a record of 120-33 and was 40-15 in five seasons in the Big Sky.

He guided the Wildcats to three Big Sky Championships, winning titles in 1965, 1966, and 1968. He also led Weber State to its first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament in 1968.

He coached several players now in the Weber State Hall of Fame including Nolan Archibald, Jon O'Dell, Mike Sivulich, Dan Sparks, Justus Thigpen, Jerry Trice, and Gene Visscher. He also recruited Willie Sojourner to Ogden.

He was named the Big Sky Coach of the Year in 1965. He still ranks third in conference history in overall and conference winning percentage.

Motta left Weber State directly for the NBA in 1968 when he became the head coach of the Chicago Bulls. That began a 25-year career in the NBA that included a championship.

He coached 1,952 games in his 25 years in the NBA, the eighth-most games coached in league history. He ranks 14th in NBA history in career wins with 935.

Motta spent the first eight years with the Bulls and led the team to the NBA Playoffs six times. He was also named the NBA Coach of the Year in 1971. He coached Jerry Sloan all eight seasons in Chicago.

In 1976, he left to become the head coach of the Washington Bullets, and in 1978, he guided the Bullets to the NBA Championship. The Bullets also advanced to the NBA Finals in 1979.

He coached four seasons in Washington before becoming the head coach of the expansion Dallas Mavericks in 1980. He spent the next seven seasons in Dallas and led the team to the playoffs four times. In 1989, he became the head coach of the Sacramento Kings for the next three seasons, before returning to Dallas for two more years. He also spent the 1996-97 season as the head coach of the Denver Nuggets.

Motta received the NBA Coaches Association Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.

He is one of eight members of the 2024 Big Sky Hall of Fame class.

2024 Big Sky Hall of Fame Class (Alphabetical Order)
Natalie Doma, Women's Basketball, Idaho State (2004-08)
Lindsay Haupt, Volleyball, Sacramento State (2004-07)
Sonny Holland, Football Head Coach, Montana State (1971-77)
Bill Kollar, Football, Montana State (1971-73)
Orlando Lightfoot, Men's Basketball, Idaho (1991-94)
Erik Meyer, Football, Eastern Washington (2002-05)
Dick Motta, Men's Basketball Head Coach, Weber State (1960-68)
Don Read, Football Head Coach, Montana (1986-95)

Weber State University Athletics

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