TORONTO -- Sam Mitchell remembers the advice he got from Bill Fitch when he was cut by the Houston Rockets in 1985.

Fitch told him to persevere, regardless of what others say.

Mitchell did just that, as a player and a coach. On Tuesday, he was honored as NBA coach of the year after leading the Toronto Raptors to a franchise-record-tying 47 victories and their first Atlantic Division title.

"It floors you," Mitchell said. "You're thankful. Words just can't express it."

Mitchell won the Red Auerbach Trophy in a decisive vote over Utah's Jerry Sloan. He picked up 49 first-place votes for a total of 394 points in balloting by 128 basketball writers and broadcasters. Sloan had 301 points followed by Dallas' Avery Johnson with 268.

"He did a tremendous job," Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "Well deserved, very well deserved."

The sixth coach in Raptors' history, Mitchell guided Toronto to an NBA-best 20-game improvement (27-55) over the 2005-06 season. Toronto trailed New Jersey 1-0 entering Game 2 of the first-round series Tuesday night.

"We recognized him for it this morning," forward Chris Bosh said. "But the thing I love about him is he said it was a team effort."

Mitchell was the last cut on the Rockets in 1985. Fitch, a two-time NBA coach of the year, insisted he not give up.


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We need to give that black man a hand. The NBA's 2007 Coach of the Year.