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There weren’t nearly as many Los Angeles Lakers head coaches as there were players during Dr. Jerry Buss’s ownership, but there were certainly plenty.

Over the span of a quarter-century, the Lakers became a prime destination for NBA signal-callers, the men who roam the sidelines and choreograph the on-court action.

Jack McKinney was Buss’ first head coach, starting out the 1979-80 season with a 10-4 record before suffering a serious head injury in a fall while bicycling.

McKinney was succeeded by assistant coach Paul Westhead, who would lead the Lakers to an NBA championship that season. It was the first of Buss’ 10 championship titles. Westhead served for one more full season and was replaced during the early part of the 1981-82 season.

Westhead’s replacement was Pat Riley, who had won a title as a player with the Lakers in 1972 and had subsequently moved into the broadcast booth, before becoming an assistant coach.

Riley would go on to become as closely associated with the Showtime era as any of the star players on the court.

The man with the slicked-back hair and custom suits was the mastermind of the team’s explosive fast-break offense and also incorporated an effective blue-collar defense as the team aged. Riley won five championships as a head coach with the Lakers and was also a three-time NBA Coach of the Year. He is currently the President of the Miami Heat.

The 1990s brought a lot of changes to the Lakers.

Mike Dunleavy, Sr. took over as head coach for the 1990-91 season and led the Lakers to the NBA Finals but lost to the Chicago Bulls. Dunleavy returned the following season and made it to the Western Conference playoffs, losing in the first round to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Next up was Randy Pfund who also made it to the playoffs in his first season as head coach, losing in the first round to the Phoenix Suns.

Under Pfund, the Lakers began the following season with a 27-37 record, prompting another change. Longtime Lakers executive Bill Bertka took over the coaching reins for two games, followed by none other than Magic Johnson who posted a 5-11 record. It would be the first time that the Lakers had not advanced to the playoffs under Buss’ ownership.

Del Harris rounded out most of the remaining decade, coaching four full seasons and the first 12 games of the 1998-99 season. He brought the team to the playoffs in each of his full seasons and to the Western Conference Finals in 1998 before being swept by the Utah Jazz. Harris was the NBA Coach of the Year in 1995.

Harris was let go in February 1999 and replaced by Bertka for one game, followed by Kurt Rambis for the remainder of the lockout-shortened season. The Lakers made it to the Western Conference Semifinals before being swept by the San Antonio Spurs.

The Lakers entered a new era of excellence with the arrival of Phil Jackson, who had delivered six championship rings during his nine seasons as head coach for the Chicago Bulls.

Jackson made an impact immediately, coaching star players O’Neal and Bryant, and winning a title in his first season. Per Steve Springer of The Los Angeles Times, Buss gave credit to Jackson in the Staples media room, after the 2000 trophy ceremony:

I felt confident we would have a big improvement, but to take us to the championship in the first year? That's something I couldn't even imagine. At least in my mind, I doubt whether anybody else could have done that.

There were other changes as well—Jackson began a long-term relationship with Jeanie Buss, daughter of the owner and the head of business operations. They are currently engaged to be married.

Under Jackson, the Lakers also won titles in 2001 and 2002, and were swept by the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals. Jackson left at the end of the season.

Rudy Tomjanovich was the next head coach hired by Buss, but left his position midway through the season, citing health issues. Assistant coach Frank Hamblen finished out the season in the head coach's chair. It was the second time under Buss’s stewardship that the team failed to reach the playoffs.

Jackson returned to coach the Lakers for another six seasons, including two more championships.

Mike Brown, a former NBA Coach of the Year with the Cleveland Cavaliers, took over for the Lakers for the 2011-12 lockout-shortened season, losing in the Western Conference Semis. That summer, Dwight Howard and Steve Nash joined the Lakers amid high expectations. Brown was fired after going 1-5 to start the new season.

Three months before his passing, Dr. Buss presided over one last major hiring.

While Jackson was considered for a third stand with the team, the job ultimately went to Mike D’Antoni who was known for his up-tempo system. Before D’Antoni actively took over the reins, however, Lakers assistant Bernie Bickerstaff coached five games—and won them all!

D’Antoni is now in his second season with the Lakers, and admittedly, it’s been a challenge. The roster has been decimated by injuries, and the team’s record currently stands at 18-35. The Purple and Gold will look to regroup during the summer and head into another season under Buss family ownership.