The best father-son, player-coach combos in sports history

The bond between a father and son is a special one, made all the more unique and complex when Dad also goes by the name "Coach."

In honor of Father's Day, let's look back at some of the most famous and successful examples of fathers coaching their sons in college or professional sports.

Felipe and Moises Alou

World Series champion and six-time All-Star outfielder Moises Alou spent the early part of his MLB career playing for his father, Felipe Alou, then the manager of the Montreal Expos.

From 1992 to 1996, the pair compiled a 409-335 record in Montreal, but failed to make the postseason.

Moises left to play for the Florida Marlins in 1997 and jumped to the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs before he rejoined his dad in San Francisco from 2005-2006.

In their second stint together, the Alous suffered back-to-back losing seasons. However, in 2005, Moises received his sixth career All-Star nomination, after he posted a .321 batting average and .400 on-base percentage.

Doc and Austin Rivers

While the two are now enemies on the hardwood, Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers and his son, Austin, briefly teamed up while the elder Rivers coached the Los Angeles Clippers.

Back in January 2015, Austin was traded to L.A. and became the first son to play for his father in an NBA game. The alliance quickly paid off, as Austin scored a then-career-high 28 points in a 129-98 win against Sacramento a month into his signing.

During his three-year tenure in Los Angeles, Austin averaged 10.7 points per game in 25.6 minutes of playing time. He also averaged 8.9 points in three postseason appearances.

Despite decent success together, the Rivers endured an awkward family moment in June 2018, when Doc traded Austin to the Washington Wizards.

Now when they meet on the court, the tension is thick.

Nonetheless, Austin and Doc are admittedly closer now because of their time in Los Angeles. As Austin told his father in a podcast interview, "When you became my actual coach, we started talking about other things than basketball... I think that changed our relationship."

Press and Pete Maravich

One of the greatest NBA players of the 1970s, Pete Maravich, developed into a star while playing for his father, Press, at LSU.

A three-time unanimous NCAA first-team All-American, Pete finished his college career as the NCAA’s career leader in total points (3,667) and scoring average (44.2 ppg) — records that stand today.

"Pistol Pete" racked up those eye-popping stats in just three full seasons, and neither the 3-point line nor shot clock existed at the time.

He later became one of the youngest players inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Pete and Press made a run in the 1970 NIT, which was then considered equally as prestigious as the NCAA tournament. The Tigers finished in fourth place and were knocked out by tournament champion Marquette.

Wade and Allan Houston

College basketball is rife with examples of the father-son, coach-player dynamic.

Anther one of the more famous instances occurred at Tennessee, where two-time NBA All-Star and Olympic gold medalist Allan Houston competed with his dad, Wade.

Wade was hired as head coach the same year Allan enrolled at Tennessee in 1989. Together, the two produced a pedestrian 60-68 record and never earned a bid to the NCAA tournament.

On the positive side, Allan emerged as a star, and still holds school records for single-season (806) and career points (2,801).

Steve and Bryce Alford

Nevada Wolfpack head coach Steve Alford was a scoring sensation in college, where he played guard for Bobby Knight and won the 1987 national championship with Indiana.

Following a brief spell in the NBA, Alford embarked on his coaching career and eventually landed at UCLA from 2013-2018.

His first year in Los Angeles, Steve recruited son Bryce to play for him, alongside future first-round draft pick Zach LaVine.

The Bruins finished the 2013-14 season with a 28-9 record and lost in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament.

Bryce averaged eight points and 2.8 assists that season. In 2016, he set a UCLA record for most 3-point field goals (116) in a season, and concluded his career in 2017 with the most 3-point field goals (329) in school history, as well as most minutes played (4,509).

Greg and Doug McDermott

Similar to Wade Houston, Greg McDermott began coaching at Creighton the same year his son, Doug, enrolled at the school.

From that point on, the program experienced renewed prosperity. With Doug leading the team, Creighton reached the NCAA tournament from 2012-2014, with each appearance culminating in a third-round exit.

During his senior season (2013–14), Doug led the nation in scoring, was the consensus National Player of the Year, and ended his college career with the fifth-most points in NCAA Division I men's basketball history.

Doug was drafted 11th overall by the Denver Nuggets in 2014 and currently plays for the Indiana Pacers.

Greg still coaches Creighton, who most recently finished with a 22-9 record and reached the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament.

Jim and Buddy Boeheim

One father-son tandem still intact in college basketball is that of Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim and son Buddy, a sharpshooter for the Orange.

Since becoming a starter his sophomore season, Buddy has ranked first or second in scoring on his team.

Last season, he averaged 17.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists, and helped Syracuse go on a surprise run to the Sweet Sixteen as a No. 11 seed. The highlight of his postseason was a 30-point performance against San Diego State, in which he shot 7-of-10 from deep.

Jim has enjoyed quite the illustrious career, himself. He won a national championship with Carmelo Anthony in 2003, was named the Naismith Coach of the Year in 2010, reached the Final Four five times in 34 NCAA appearances, and played in the national championship game three times throughout his 45-year coaching tenure.

The Jim and Buddy union has worked so well at Syracuse that Jim has decided to add another son to the mix. Jimmy Boeheim announced his transfer from Cornell to Syracuse for the 2021-22 season, and will pair up with his brother, who will forgo the NBA draft and return to college for his senior season.