Carroll Dawson, longtime Rockets assistant coach and general manager, dies at 86

The Houston Rockets announced Monday that former assistant coach and general manager Carroll Dawson has died. He was 86. 

Dawson’s career with the Rockets spans 27 years, which began in 1980 when he joined the team as an assistant coach after serving as the head coach at Baylor for four seasons. Dawson spent 17 years as an assistant with the Rockets, serving under four different head coaches, including Hall of Famers Del Harris and Rudy Tomjanovich. During Dawson’s time on the bench with the Rockets, he was part of four NBA Finals teams, winning two of them in 1994 and 1995. He played a pivotal role in helping Hakeem Olajuwon develop into the Hall of Fame basketball player he’s known as today, and was seen as indispensable on the coaching staff even as new head coaches filed in.

Dawson’s front office career with the Rockets began in 1996, but that only happened because back in 1989 he was struck by lightning while golfing. In the next few years his vision deteriorated, and he was no longer able to fulfill his coaching duties. He then became the team’s general manager, a post he held until 2007. Just as impactful as Dawson was an assistant coach, he carried that over as an executive, where he spearheaded the decision to draft Yao Ming with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft. Dawson was also behind the trade that brought Tracy McGrady to the Rockets in 2004, forming a potent offensive duo that made four trips to the playoffs.

“For nearly three decades, CD was a cornerstone of our organization, instrumental in shaping the careers of stars like Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson,” the Rockets said in a statement. “A proud Texas native, CD served as the only coach to be present for all four of Houston’s NBA Finals appearances, including the back-to-back championship teams. As general manager, he brought iconic talents to Houston including Charles Barkley, Steve Francis, Yao Ming, and Tracy McGrady, while also assembling the four-time WNBA champion Houston Comets.

While CD’s contributions to basketball were remarkable, it was his character that truly stood out. We will deeply miss his uplifting spirit, infectious humor, and kind-hearted nature.”

In addition to being the GM for the Rockets, Dawson simultaneously served as the first general manager for the WNBA’s Houston Comets from 1997 to 2007. In the first four seasons in charge of the Comets, Dawson helped build the WNBA’s first dynasty, as the Comets won the league’s first four championships led by Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoops and Tina Thompson. 

As a staple of Houston sports, when Dawson retired from being general manager of the Rockets, the team hung a banner with his initials “CD” in the rafters of the Toyota Center.