Butch van Breda Kolff

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"VBK" redirects here. For Butch van Breda Kolff's son, see Jan van Breda Kolff.

Willem Hendrik "Butch" van Breda Kolff (born October 28, 1922 in Glen Ridge, New Jersey) is an American former New York University and professional basketball player and coach. He spent four seasons playing with the New York Knicks of the NBA (1946-50). In 1967 he became head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, and guided them to the NBA finals in 1968 and 1969, but losing twice to the Boston Celtics. Van Breda Kolff also coached the Detroit Pistons, Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Jazz, compiling an 266-256 record overall.

Beyond the NBA, the coach known as "VBK" and "Bill" by the fans had two tenures at the head men's basketball coach at Hofstra University on New York's Long Island, in the 1950s-60s and the 1980s-90s.

Preceded by: Frank Reilly	Hofstra Head Men's Basketball Coach 1955–1962	Succeeded by: Paul Lynner
Preceded by: Jake McCandless	Princeton Head Men's Basketball Coach 1962–1967	Succeeded by: Pete Carril
Preceded by: Fred Schaus	Los Angeles Lakers Head Coach 1967–1969	Succeeded by: Joe Mullaney
Preceded by: Paul Seymour	Detroit Pistons Head Coach 1969–1971	Succeeded by: Terry Dischinger
Preceded by: Cotton Fitzsimmons	Phoenix Suns Head Coach 1972	Succeeded by: Jerry Colangelo
Preceded by: Bob Bass	Memphis Tams Head Coach 1973–1974	Succeeded by: Joe Mullaney
Preceded by: Elgin Baylor (interim)	New Orleans Jazz Head Coach 1974–1976	Succeeded by: Elgin Baylor
Preceded by: Dick Berg	Hofstra Head Men's Basketball Coach 1988–1994	Succeeded by: Jay Wright