After graduating college in 1947, Winter immediately entered the coaching profession as an assistant to Hall-of-Famer Jack Gardner at Kansas State University. He would work as a basketball coach for the next 61 years.

In 1952, Winter began a two-year stint as head coach at Marquette University, becoming the youngest coach in major college basketball. In 1954 Winter returned to Kansas State.[4][5] Winter served as Kansas State's head coach for the following 15 years, posting a 261-118 (.689) record. He still owns the record for most league titles (eight) in school history and twice led the Wildcats to the Final Four (1958 and 1964). Winter guided K-State to postseason play seven times overall, including six trips to the NCAA Tournament, and boasts one of the highest winning percentages in K-State's history.

Winter was named UPI National Coach of the Year in 1958 after he led Kansas State to the Final Four by knocking off Oscar Robertson and second-ranked Cincinnati in an 83-80 double-overtime thriller. Junior center Bob Boozer was one of three Wildcats to be named a first team All-America, along with teammates Jack Parr and Roy DeWitz. K-State advanced to their fourth Final Four in 1964. Winter’s Wildcats knocked off Texas Western and Wichita State to reach Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. Two-time Big Eight selection Willie Murrell averaged 25.3 points per game during the run, which ended in a 90-82 loss to eventual national champion UCLA.

In 1962, Winter also wrote the book, entitled The Triple-Post Offense, on the triangle offense – the offense which he utilized with such success at Kansas State. Following his leaving Kansas State to his assistant Cotton Fitzsimmons, Winter served shorter stints as head coach at the University of Washington (where he was hired by then Athletic Director Joseph Kearney), Northwestern University, and Long Beach State. In 1982, LSU’s Dale Brown, who Winter befriended when Brown was a high school coach, hired him as an assistant for one year 1983-84.[6] In total, Winter won 454 games at the collegiate level.

Professional coaching

Winter was hired by Pete Newell as head coach of the Houston Rockets for two seasons, 1971–1973, posting a 51-78 (.395) record.

In 1985, Winter started another chapter of his life after contemplating retirement, serving as an assistant coach with the Chicago Bulls, and teaching the triangle offense to Michael Jordan. He was hired to the position by General Manager Jerry Krause, an old friend he had met while at Kansas State. As an assistant to Phil Jackson, who took over as the Bulls' head coach in 1989, Winter and his triangle offense were an integral part of the Bulls' NBA championships in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, and 1998. Winter followed Phil Jackson to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he collected three additional championship rings, in 2000, 2001, and 2002. Winter was also a consultant for the NBA-champion 2008–09 Los Angeles Lakers team.[7]

mreinman wrote:I would love to see the triangle proven without MJ, Kobe, Shaq

CrushAlot wrote:

mreinman wrote:I would love to see the triangle proven without MJ, Kobe, Shaq

Didn't Wisconsin run the triangle or parts of it this past year.?

Wisconsin runs the Swing Offense.

The Swing is a four-out patterned offense with continuity. All five players are interchangeable, and spacing, screening, cutting and accurate passing are vital. All five players have opportunities to post up inside, and the Badgers often invert their offense and post guards. The offense is deliberate (Wisconsin ranks 333rd out of 351 in the nation in adjusted tempo), often with multiple passes and places value on each possession with high percentage inside shots, or free-throws. Unlike some of the recent, newer offenses that feature dribble penetration as their engine of point generation, the Swing offense is truly a “team-offense” that places a premium on good passing, screening and cutting.

The Swing offense blends elements from the UCLA offense, the flex offense, and the triangle offense. But the Swing is not magic, the Badgers limit turnovers because of fundamentals. When Wisconsin players receive the ball on the perimeter, they get in triple-threat position, and look into the post or take the ball to the action the Swing creates. Wisconsin players rarely waste dribbles. They do not take off without a plan. Deliberate? Yes, but very effective.

The Swing begins as a four-out/one-in set. The two top players occupy the slots and set up just wider than the lane lines on the perimeter. The two wings are wide and positioned at or above what is known as the “motion line.” Ryan wants his players above this line so they have two avenues of attack from the wing.

mreinman wrote:I would love to see the triangle proven without MJ, Kobe, Shaq

I would love to see any offense operate without great players and win the finals. I would have loved to see ATL beat a super ISO team last year. They lost to a team who's best player set the record for the worst shooting 3pt shooting % I believe.

mreinman wrote:I would love to see the triangle proven without MJ, Kobe, Shaq

Bingo. You and me both.

Nalod wrote:

mreinman wrote:I would love to see the triangle proven without MJ, Kobe, Shaq

I just did.

Non of the above won without it except Shaq in Miami.

thats a really weak argument (or maybe just trying to be humorous - hehe?)

mreinman wrote:I would love to see the triangle proven without MJ, Kobe, Shaq

Every system needs stars to win. If there was a system that could win without stars, all teams would use it. But keep something in mind, these teams not only won titles, but became dynasties. Even stars today like Lebron and Duncan can't put together 3 titles in a row. Phil did it, what, 3 times? And no team has done it even once since. Lebron, Wade, and Bosh didn't. Regardless of who he had on his team, that's beyond impressive.

Knixkik wrote:

mreinman wrote:I would love to see the triangle proven without MJ, Kobe, Shaq

Every system needs stars to win. If there was a system that could win without stars, all teams would use it. But keep something in mind, these teams not only won titles, but became dynasties. Even stars today like Lebron and Duncan can't put together 3 titles in a row. Phil did it, what, 3 times? And no team has done it even once since. Lebron, Wade, and Bosh didn't. Regardless of who he had on his team, that's beyond impressive.

This is the system that Phil chose to win all those regular season games, playoff games and titles with. We just got started with the process with some less than optimal players last year and got rid of those guys and now have a better group of guys to move forward with. We need to give this some time to develop. I like the talent Phil has brought in and I think they will be a better fit for this system.

Nalod wrote:Knicks came in with Phil and he DEMANDED he have all say in setting up this franchise from how decisions were to be made, how the roster would be constructed, and how the team would play.

But that doesn't mean I don't sometimes wonder what is going on behind the scenes. So help me with your opinion.

For example, I was a little disappointed that Steve Kerr and Pau Gasol didn't think enough of Phil Jackson and the triangle culture to want to come to New York and revive it here. What am I missing about that (?)

And how actually good is Jackson's ability to judge in advance whether players are suited for the Triangle (?) What evidence do we have to answer that . . . one way or another (?) We can all agree that the 2014-2015 Knicks roster wasn't a success running the triangle -- but how well did Jackson really know that beforehand (?)

Malcolm wrote:

Nalod wrote:Knicks came in with Phil and he DEMANDED he have all say in setting up this franchise from how decisions were to be made, how the roster would be constructed, and how the team would play.

I'm on board with this.

But that doesn't mean I don't sometimes wonder what is going on behind the scenes. So help me with your opinion.

For example, I was a little disappointed that Steve Kerr and Pau Gasol didn't think enough of Phil Jackson and the triangle culture to want to come to New York and revive it here. What am I missing about that (?)

And how actually good is Jackson's ability to judge in advance whether players are suited for the Triangle (?) What evidence do we have to answer that . . . one way or another (?) We can all agree that the 2014-2015 Knicks roster wasn't a success running the triangle -- but how well did Jackson really know that beforehand (?)

Kerr - Better team, closer to home

Gasol - Better team, more money, twilight of carrer, playoffs

Phil - inheriter roster, cleaaned house for salary cap space 2015-16, building culture, building his own team, jury is still out. Tradeable contracts, can tweak roster with trades.