Irvine was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 8th round of the 1970 NBA Draft. However, he never played for his hometown SuperSonics, nor for any other NBA team. Instead, Irvine opted to play for the team that selected him in the American Basketball Association draft, the Virginia Squires. Irvine played for the Squires for five seasons and then played a final pro season with the Denver Nuggets during the 1975-76 season, the ABA’s final season prior to the ABA-NBA merger.

Irvine would later serve as head coach for two NBA teams; the Indiana Pacers, for two stints, and the Detroit Pistons. He was inducted into the Pac-12 Basketball Hall of Honor during the 2012 Pac-12 Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament.