John Dewitt Kuester, Jr. is an American basketball coach. He played in the NBA from 1977 to 1980 and then coached in the college ranks before moving on to the NBA sidelines as an assistant. Kuester was named head coach of the Detroit Pistons on July 9, 2009. An agreement was made after the Pistons and their first choice, Avery Johnson, broke off contract talks. Kuester coached the Pistons for two seasons. He was a 6'2" and 180 lb guard and played collegiately with the University of North Carolina Tar Heels from 1973–77. Kuester played four years at Benedictine for legendary... coach Warren Rutledge. His senior year the Cadets were 33-1. Kuester played four seasons with the UNC Tar Heels under head coach Dean Smith, for whom he won two ACC championships and helped reach the NCAA Tournament four times, including an appearance in the 1977 NCAA Finals, in which they lost to Marquette 67–59. In both his junior and senior year , Kuester was voted UNC's best defensive player.
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