John Kuester

John Dewitt Kuester Jr., born February 6, 1955, is an American basketball coach and scout who played three seasons in the National Basketball Association from 1977 to 1980. A 6-foot-2-inch, 180-pound guard, Kuester began at Benedictine, where he played four years under coach Warren Rutledge and led the Cadets to three consecutive state Catholic League titles, finishing 31–3 in his senior year. He went on to play four seasons with the University of North Carolina Tar Heels from 1973 to 1977 under head coach Dean Smith, winning two ACC championships and reaching the NCAA tournament four times. That run included an appearance in the 1977 NCAA Finals, a 67–59 loss to Marquette. Kuester was voted UNC's best defensive player in both his junior and senior years, in 1976 and 1977, and was named Most Valuable Player of the 1977 ACC Tournament. After his three NBA playing seasons ended in 1980, Kuester coached in the college ranks before moving to the NBA sidelines as an assistant. In July 2009 he was named head coach of the Detroit Pistons, a position he held for two seasons.