Bernie Bickerstaff
Vice President & General Manager

Bernie Bickerstaff joined the Charlotte Sting as the team�s vice president and general manager on February 13, 2003 after nearly three decades as a head coach, assistant coach, general manager and team president in the NBA

Bickerstaff spent 10 seasons as an NBA head coach with the Washington Wizards (1996-99), the Denver Nuggets (1994-96) and the Seattle Supersonics (1985-90) and 12 seasons as an assistant coach with the Washington Bullets (1973-85). His overall record as a head coach in the NBA stands at 338-348 (.493), and his 338 coaching victories rank 34th on the list of NBA�s winningest coaches.

Taking over the Wizards in mid 1997, Bickerstaff oversaw Washington�s return to credibility leading them to a 22-13 record over their last 45 games while securing the team�s first playoff berth in nine seasons.

Prior to his stint with the Wizards, Bickerstaff served seven-years with the Denver Nuggets. In 1990, he was named the team's general manager and president, and later assumed head coaching duties midway through the 1994-95 season. Coaching only 32 games during his first season with the Nuggets, Bickerstaff led the team to a 20-12 record and a trip to the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The following year, Bickerstaff stepped down as head coach of the Nuggets and assumed the duties as the team's general manager in an effort to build a stronger talent base for the team.

Bickerstaff's NBA head coaching experience also includes five seasons with the Seattle Supersonics. Named the 1986-87 NBA Coach of the Year, Bickerstaff led the Sonics' to three post-season appearances, including a trip to the 1987 Western Conference Finals.

Bickerstaff began his NBA coaching career in Washington in 1973, joining the Bullets as the youngest NBA assistant coach at 29 years old. While with Washington, Bickerstaff helped the team reach the post season 10 times, and the NBA Finals three times, including the 1978 NBA Championship.

The Kentucky native began his coaching career at his alma mater, the University of San Diego, where he started as an assistant coach (1968-69). In 1969, he became head coach of the Toreros, finishing in 1973 with a .529 career winning percentage. In 1995, Bickerstaff was inducted into the University of San Diego's Hall of Fame.

Other accolades on Bickerstaff�s resume include the prestigious Horace Mann Award for Leadership (1987) and the 1987 Sports Person of the Year, presented by the New York Pro-Am Basketball Association. Bickerstaff's hometown of Benham, Kentucky also dedicated a street in his honor, Bernard Bickerstaff Boulevard.

Most recently, Bickerstaff served in multiple roles with the IBL�s St. Louis Swarm including head coach, general manager, team owner and active member of the Swarm�s Board of Directors. He led St. Louis to league titles in 2000 and 2001, earning Coach of the Year honors in both seasons. Bickerstaff also serves as a consultant with the Harlem Globetrotters, and is president of Bickerstaff Sports & Entertainment. He is a part of Comcast�s postgame coverage of the Washington Wizards, and serves as a color analyst for college basketball games broadcast on MBC.

Bickerstaff and his wife, Eugenia, have three children and two grandchildren. Bickerstaff also has two other children and four other grandchildren.