Johnny Bach, gone at 91. (Getty Images)
Johnny Bach, gone at 91. (Getty Images)

Longtime Chicago Bulls assistant coach Johnny Bach died Monday from complications of a stroke among other health ailments. He was a World War II veteran and a basketball coach for an incredible 56 years across college and professional ranks. Michael Jordan provides this statement to the Chicago Tribune about Bach, who coached Jordan with the Bulls from 1986 to 1994. 

Several times each week, Johnny Bach would find a quiet place in his home and put pen to paper, his exquisite cursive detailing observations or words of encouragement intended for coaches — some he knew, some he didn't — around the country.

Source: Johnny Bach dies at 91; Michael Jordan: 'He was more than a coach to me'. 

Bach worked under Phil Jackson with Chicago and Jackson gave a heartfelt comment on his former assistant, who was also his mentor and friend. From Bulls.com: 

Bach was knowledgeable about the East Coast game and could tell a great story. He was fascinating and vibrant—an evangelist. Winter, on the other hand, was knowledgeable about the West Coast game and knew all the educators of the game. Tex would go to bed at 10pm on an off night, while Johnny would stay at the bar and tell stories late into the night. Tex was dogmatic about the game and the way it should be played, whereas John was about "let's get this hand to hand conflict on". I was their student for 2 years. I thought I knew the NBA game, which I did, but I didn't know the history of the game of basketball.
Johnny Bach and I had the job as video recorders to set up the pre-game tapes for our next opponents. These video recorders were new devices that would let us cut and paste tape into 7-10 min videos of the coming opponents. We would get competitive about our product trying to outdo each other's edits. Johnny would end his tapes with an ace of spades on a rifle butt signifying an enemy kill. He talked in WWII terminology. My generation protested the Vietnam conflict and I'd end mine with Jimi Hendrix's anthem at Woodstock or Talking Heads “Stop Making Sense”. One day John was preparing a video of MKE Bucks and called me over to the video editor. "Check this out", he said. "Del Harris has started using Horst Pinholster's Pinwheel offense." There wasn't much you could put by John Bach and he loved defense. Many people don't know that when I was given the job as the Bulls coach I named John as the defensive coordinator, but knew Tex was the offensive coordinator. That early Bulls team was a terror on defense with Pippen, Jordan, and Grant as the Dobermans of D. We had 3 types of presses besides a full court man-to-man press that put teams under duress. John was the defensive teacher of that first 3-Peat team.
Johnny Bach was an identical twin. This brother was lost to him during WWII. He was a pilot in the Pacific and one day, did not return on a mission. John, a gunner ensign, would get his pilot's license and wear his brother's wings as a bracelet on his wrist. He loved to fly. One day when the team was in Pittsburg for a preseason game, John was out all afternoon—he was a man, who loved to explore. That night at the game he took off his shirt and proudly showed us his full fighting eagle tattooed on his chest. Tonight I'll think of him and that spirit he embodied, especially his motto after a late night on the road. "What? You can't be tired, you can sleep in the grave." Sleep well, Johnny.

Source: Phil Jackson on Johnny Bach | Chicago Bulls. 

Bach coached with the Pistons, Hornets and Wizards before returning to the Bulls in the early 00's for a brief stint before his retirement. He was 91.