Tony Barone

Anthony Andrew Barone Sr. (July 20, 1946 – June 25, 2019) was an American basketball coach and scout. A native of Chicago, he was head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Barone was appointed as the team's interim coach by Grizzlies general manager Jerry West after West fired Mike Fratello on December 28, 2006. Prior to landing his first head coaching job after Fratello's dismissal, Barone had served as an assistant coach for five seasons. Barone was also the Grizzlies' director of player personnel.

Tony Barone

Barone in his senior year at Duke
Personal information
Born	(1946-07-20)July 20, 1946 Chicago, Illinois
Died	June 25, 2019(2019-06-25) (aged 72)
Nationality	American
Career information
High school	St. George (Evanston, Illinois)
College	Duke (1965–1968)
Coaching career	1972–2007
Career history
As coach:
1972–1974	Duke (assistant)
1978–1985	Bradley (assistant)
1985–1991	Creighton
1991–1998	Texas A&M
2002–2004	Memphis Grizzlies (assistant)
2006–2007	Memphis Grizzlies
Career highlights and awards
2× MVC regular season champions (1989, 1991) 2× MVC Tournament champions (1989, 1991)

Barone was an Academic All-American while playing at Duke, where he graduated with a degree in English in 1971. He was previously the head coach at Creighton from 1985 to 1991. During his time at Creighton, Barone compiled a 102–82 record and led Creighton to two NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament appearances. Barone was pursued by major Division I programs and took the head coach position at Texas A&M, where he led the team from 1991 to 1998. During his Texas A&M tenure, Barone compiled a record of 76–120 while having only one winning season. Barone was fired as head coach at Texas A&M following the 1997–98 season. He was a member of the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.

Barone died on June 25, 2019 at the age of 72.[1]