Fitch won 944 regular-season games in his career, 11th all-time among coaches.
The National Basketball Coaches Association said, “The NBCA joins the NBA family in mourning the passing of longtime Coach, Bill Fitch. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Fitch family during this very difficult time.”
The Washington Post reported that, according to Carlisle, Fitch’s daughter Marcy Ann Coville said he had died in Conroe, Texas.
Fitch coached the Cleveland Cavaliers, Celtics, Houston Rockets, New Jersey Nets and Los Angeles Clippers and led his NBA teams to the playoffs 13 times in his 25 seasons.
A two-time NBA Coach of the Year winner, Fitch was the first coach of the expansion Cavaliers in 1970 and went on to win the NBA Finals in 1981 in his second season leading Boston. Fitch guided Houston to the NBA Finals in 1986 when the Rockets lost to the Celtics.
Fitch also coached at the collegiate level at Minnesota, Bowling Green, North Dakota and his alma mater, Coe College.
CNN’s Jill Martin contributed to this report.
