Albeck coached for several teams in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA), including the Denver Rockets, the San Diego Conquistadors (often subbing for an absent Wilt Chamberlain), the Cleveland Cavaliers, the San Antonio Spurs, the New Jersey Nets, and the Chicago Bulls.

[2] Albeck played college basketball for the Bradley Braves from 1950 to 1952 and during the 1954–55 season after a two-year stint in the United States Army.

[5] One week after the playoff loss, on April 8, 1971, Albeck was replaced by Alex Hannum as Denver's head coach.

Chamberlain missed a few games, during which Albeck filled in as the Conquistadors' head coach, winning all of them.

[8] Albeck was an assistant coach for the Kentucky Colonels during the 1974–1975 season in which the team won the 1975 ABA Championship.

[2] He and general manager Jerry Krause immediately butted heads over issues including his refusal to put Phil Jackson on his coaching staff, not benching Quintin Dailey for conduct issues, and most of all, not following the minutes restrictions set once Michael Jordan returned from injury.

His exit from Chicago raised eyebrows around the NBA as his replacement, Doug Collins, had been hired by general manager Jerry Krause just 2 months beforehand as a scout.

The hire of Collins was kept a secret from Albeck, who was "stunned" by the move and felt that there was "a lack of respect, dignity and sensitivity".

[2] He suffered a debilitating stroke in December 2001, approximately half an hour before a home game against the Miami Heat.

[13] Shortly after being placed in hospice care,[17] Albeck died March 25, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas, at the age of 89.