During his tenure, the "Iceman" George Gervin had arrived from the Virginia Squires and was the center of the team.
Nissalke was the coach of Puerto Rico at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, finishing in 9th place with a 2–5 record.
Nissalke's squad came close to upsetting the United States, losing by a 94–93 score.
Nissalke succeeded Johnny Egan as Houston Rockets head coach on April 20, 1976.
Nissalke holds the rare distinction of being named "Coach of the Year" in both the NBA and the ABA.
After his coaching career, Nissalke took on revamping the YMCA of Utah and served as chairman of the board and later interim CEO.
Nissalke's entrepreneurial activities included developing and owning several health clubs throughout Texas in addition to co-owning a successful bar and restaurant, Green Street in Salt Lake City, Utah for over twenty years.
In January 2006, his wife of 46 years, Nancy, who also was a native of Madison, Wisconsin, died, succumbing to cancer.
On August 22, 2019, Nissalke died at his home in Salt Lake City, Utah.