5 Shortest Coaching Stints in NBA History

#3 Rudy Tomjanovich with the Lakers (43 Games)

Tomjanovich at the press conference when he announced his resignation

Following a recovery from bowel cancer - a condition that he was diagnosed within 2003 and which caused him to resign from the Houston Rockets' locker room as the head coach - Rudy T was ready to be back in the thick of the action. He was actively pursued as a replacement for the outgoing Phil Jackson in the summer of 2004, and he duly signed a five-year, $30 million contract.

He got off to a successful start with his new franchise, despite the fact that they were dealing with the departures of Shaquille O'Neal, Gary Payton and Karl Malone. This Kobe-led team was on course to make the playoffs with a 24-19 record 43 games in, but Tomjanovich's health again took a turn for the worse.

Citing mental and physical exhaustion from the sheer grind of the NBA schedule, Tomjanovich resigned from the head coaching post. There were murmurs that he did not get along with Kobe Bryant, but both of them vehemently deny the existence of any rift. The fact that Rudy T never put his name in consideration for another head coaching role is enough of an indication that he resigned out of health concerns and not Mamba concerns.