Just as we do with tracking prospects during the NCAA season in preparation for the draft, I figured it might be worthwhile to take a look at the options that are out there and keep track of who is and isn't available as the months roll along.
First I'll list all the coaches that have been removed from the pool either because they are hired elsewhere, they remove their name from consideration or the Kings decide not to extend a contract to them.
Next is a list of all the coaches that have either been rumored to be on the Kings coaching search list or who we at kf.com have identified as viable options.
Coaches no longer in the pool:
Here are the categories and breakdowns of available options as I see them:
Keeping the Status Quo
George Karl - The Kings can always let Karl continue to coach the team. I have this weird feeling that this is a more likely possibility than people realize. If the minority owners really did stop him from being fired and a new coach hired midseason, why couldn't that happen again in the offseason? The money difference isn't enormous between the two options. Personally I would think a huge run to finish the season would be the only way you'd even consider moving forward with this circus but there may be more going on behind the scenes than we realize.
Promoting a current assistant
Corliss Williamson
Nancy Liberman
I think a lot of both of these two but I don't see Vlade conducting an exhaustive coaching search only to hire a guy he's seen up close and personal for over a year. And while Liberman is one of the greatest to lace them up, she's only been an assistant coach for one season. And (although unfair) I don't see Vivek being willing to stick his neck out again and hire the NBA's first female head coach after being pilloried and mocked by the media for prior decisions.
Successful Head Coaches Currently out of the NBA
Tom Thibodeau - Thibs is the best defensive coach available which would be a fantastic change of pace for the Kings. But he also has a habit of running down his best players with too many minutes and is a micromanaging task master. I think the Kings would have to let Rondo walk for him to work as the head coach, something that DMC would take umbrage with.
Jeff Van Gundy - Another defense first coach who I like but I think he may have stepped away from coaching entirely at this point. And if he hasn't, I don't think the Kings job would lure him back.
Scott Brooks - Local ties, a long successful run with the Thunder and a guy who seemed to gain his players' trust. But also not a strong in game manager.
Kevin McHale - Hall of Fame big man with an incredible post game who was a part of three championship Celtics teams. As a coach he's seemed to connect well to his players and tailors his schemes to fit his personnel. Maybe not the most exciting choice and not the clear defensive coach (like Thibs or JVG) that most Kings fans (myself included) seem to want but a guy who seems like a good fit with both Vlade and Cousins.
Mark Jackson - Very similar to Brooks (minus the local ties) in my eyes, but a bigger personality and more of a motivator than anything. Some people seem to like the idea, I'm not a fan of Jackson, especially considering the amount of friction he seemed to create in GS which is now a well oiled machine without him.
Monty Williams - I don't know that he's successful per se, but his Pelicans made the playoffs last year and now essentially the same roster has struggled all year under the "upgrade" that Gentry was supposed to represent. I didn't like Williams' offensive scheme or rotations but he's a guy that's out there.
Lionel Hollins - Old school, defensive minded coach. For fans that want to see the Kings play more like the Grizzlies, here's your guy.
Mike D'Antoni - Currently an assistant for the 76ers but he's (1) too similar in style to Karl and (2) has always struggled to properly utilize a skilled big man as witnessed by his misuse of Gasol in L.A.
David Blatt - As I've said, my only real exposure to him as a coach (beyond what I've read about his success internationally) was watching him with the Cavs where he was clearly being undermined. So personally I don't really have a feel for him as an NBA coach.
Current Assistant Coaches
Luke Walton - He's going to be a big target in the offseason after the Warriors historic run with him taking the reins while Kerr recovered. How much of that was him and how much of it was a immensely talented and smart roster that was familiar with the scheme is hard to say. I'd be wary of getting into a bidding war for him but as loathe as I am to admit it (being that he was a hated Laker) he was a very savvy player so I wouldn't be surprised to see him be a very good coach.
Adrian Griffin - I'm kind of surprised he hasn't been given a head coaching job already. Smart, journeyman player during his career, long time Thibodeau disciple and right in the sweet spot of still being a younger coaching prospect but with lots of experience.
Sam Cassell - Is he ready to be a head coach? Was a winner and clutch performer as a player, seems to relate to players well and is being groomed under Doc Rivers.
Juwon Howard - Played under a number of good coaches, was teammates with bigs like Webber, Sheed, Camby, Aldridge, Yao, Birdman, (so I'm guessing he knows how to utilize guys like Boogie, WCS etc) is an assistant under Spoelstra and was essentially a player coach for the last couple years anyway.
David Fizdale - Another Heat assistant, and probably the guy that will get more interest over Howard. He doesn't have the credibility that comes from being a former player, but he often gets a lot of credit for being a good teacher & communicator who helps develop young players.
Kenny Atkinson - Long regarded as a player development guru he's looked at by many as the current assistant most ready to be a head coach. Currently the lead assistant under Budenholzer in Atlanta.
Jay Larranaga - Would be a fairly young hire, but he's been considered for jobs before - namely the Celtics job in 2013 (he's been a Boston assistant since 2012) which he lost out to Brad Stevens. But obviously the franchise thinks a lot of him as he remained on the staff. And Brad Steven's success obviously makes him an attractive option
Poaching from Pop - Spurs assistants
Chip Engelland - Long time Popovich assistant who (1) is a big part of identifying targets for the Spurs to add to the roster and (2) given a lot of credit for improving players' shooting. I don't know how good he'd be in a larger role or what his experience is in crafting offensive and defensive schemes, but I believe now that Budenholzer is with the Hawks he's been with Pop the longest.
Ime Udoka - I wouldn't think he'd be ready for a head coaching job but the Spurs seem to love him. In fact, they seem to love him so much he might not be available as he's likely the in house favorite to replace Pop when he retires.
Ettore Messina - a legend in international basketball who was a four time Euroleague champion, the Euroleague coach of the year twice and is in the Italian Basketball hall of fame. Messina will get some serious consideration this summer. David Blatt's struggles with the Cavs may give some people pause, but Messina isn't coming in to the NBA cold from overseas as Blatt did. Instead he's learned to adapt to the NBA game under the best coach of our generation. Very intriguing though he would be fairly old as a first time NBA head coach at 56.
Becky Hammon - I think Vivek is going to be too gun shy at this point to really go outside the box and hire the first female head coach in the NBA. Hammon is definitely qualified but even if the Kings were willing to break ground I think Nancy Lieberman would be a better choice.
Current College Coaches
John Calipari - this is the big name here, but it'd be a hell of a risk to pay the kind of money/years he'd demand especially when he went 72-112 in his only previous NBA stint.
Kevin Ollie - A red hot name after the Huskies won the title, his stock dipped a bit when UConn didn't make the tournament last season. But he has them playing well again this year and as a 15 year NBA vet he is a guy I would bet could move to the NBA and make it work.
Shaka Smart - Teams looking for the next Brad Stevens will probably like what they see out of Smart. I like him a lot as Texas' coach but I don't think he can run his "Havoc" defense at the NBA level. Would he be able to adapt to the NBA game? I don't know.
Tony Bennett - The son of a legendary HS basketball coach and succeeded him as the coach as Washington State. Did a great job there (including helping Klay Thompson's development) and then moved on to Virginia where he's continued to have success. I'm not sure the Pack Line defense will work in the NBA (it's just daring a team like the Warriors to kill you from outside) but I think he could adapt. Don't know if he wants to make the leap but I think he'd be a very good pro coach. Lots of guys have been viewed as "the next Brad Stevens" but I think Bennett is the guy most deserving of that title right now.
Sean Miller - A few teams have sniffed around Miller and looked at what it would take to pry him from Arizona. He's definitely a good basketball mind and college coach but personally I don't think he has the mindset/temperament to work with pro players.
Any other names to add? Any of my breakdowns that you disagree with or want to add more to?
First I'll list all the coaches that have been removed from the pool either because they are hired elsewhere, they remove their name from consideration or the Kings decide not to extend a contract to them.
Next is a list of all the coaches that have either been rumored to be on the Kings coaching search list or who we at kf.com have identified as viable options.
Coaches no longer in the pool:
- George Karl - fired by the Kings. Will not be returning
- Kenny Atkinson - Hired by the Nets as their new head coach
- Tom Thibodeau - Hired by the T'Wolves as their coach and VP of basketball operations
- Scott Brooks - Hired by the Wizards as their new head coach
- Adrian Griffin
- Becky Hammon
- Chip Engelland
- Corliss Williamson
- David Blatt
- David Fizdale
- Ettore Messina
- Ime Udoka
- Jay Larranaga
- Jeff Van Gundy
- John Calipari
- Juwon Howard
- Kevin McHale
- Kevin Ollie
- Lionel Hollins
- Luke Walton
- Mark Jackson
- Mike Brown
- Mike D'Antoni
- Mike Woodson
- Monty Williams
- Nancy Liberman
- Nate McMillan
- Patrick Ewing
- Sam Cassell
- Sam Mitchell
- Sean Miller
- Shaka Smart
- Tony Bennett
Here are the categories and breakdowns of available options as I see them:
Keeping the Status Quo
George Karl - The Kings can always let Karl continue to coach the team. I have this weird feeling that this is a more likely possibility than people realize. If the minority owners really did stop him from being fired and a new coach hired midseason, why couldn't that happen again in the offseason? The money difference isn't enormous between the two options. Personally I would think a huge run to finish the season would be the only way you'd even consider moving forward with this circus but there may be more going on behind the scenes than we realize.
Promoting a current assistant
Corliss Williamson
Nancy Liberman
I think a lot of both of these two but I don't see Vlade conducting an exhaustive coaching search only to hire a guy he's seen up close and personal for over a year. And while Liberman is one of the greatest to lace them up, she's only been an assistant coach for one season. And (although unfair) I don't see Vivek being willing to stick his neck out again and hire the NBA's first female head coach after being pilloried and mocked by the media for prior decisions.
Successful Head Coaches Currently out of the NBA
Tom Thibodeau - Thibs is the best defensive coach available which would be a fantastic change of pace for the Kings. But he also has a habit of running down his best players with too many minutes and is a micromanaging task master. I think the Kings would have to let Rondo walk for him to work as the head coach, something that DMC would take umbrage with.
Jeff Van Gundy - Another defense first coach who I like but I think he may have stepped away from coaching entirely at this point. And if he hasn't, I don't think the Kings job would lure him back.
Scott Brooks - Local ties, a long successful run with the Thunder and a guy who seemed to gain his players' trust. But also not a strong in game manager.
Kevin McHale - Hall of Fame big man with an incredible post game who was a part of three championship Celtics teams. As a coach he's seemed to connect well to his players and tailors his schemes to fit his personnel. Maybe not the most exciting choice and not the clear defensive coach (like Thibs or JVG) that most Kings fans (myself included) seem to want but a guy who seems like a good fit with both Vlade and Cousins.
Mark Jackson - Very similar to Brooks (minus the local ties) in my eyes, but a bigger personality and more of a motivator than anything. Some people seem to like the idea, I'm not a fan of Jackson, especially considering the amount of friction he seemed to create in GS which is now a well oiled machine without him.
Monty Williams - I don't know that he's successful per se, but his Pelicans made the playoffs last year and now essentially the same roster has struggled all year under the "upgrade" that Gentry was supposed to represent. I didn't like Williams' offensive scheme or rotations but he's a guy that's out there.
Lionel Hollins - Old school, defensive minded coach. For fans that want to see the Kings play more like the Grizzlies, here's your guy.
Mike D'Antoni - Currently an assistant for the 76ers but he's (1) too similar in style to Karl and (2) has always struggled to properly utilize a skilled big man as witnessed by his misuse of Gasol in L.A.
David Blatt - As I've said, my only real exposure to him as a coach (beyond what I've read about his success internationally) was watching him with the Cavs where he was clearly being undermined. So personally I don't really have a feel for him as an NBA coach.
Current Assistant Coaches
Luke Walton - He's going to be a big target in the offseason after the Warriors historic run with him taking the reins while Kerr recovered. How much of that was him and how much of it was a immensely talented and smart roster that was familiar with the scheme is hard to say. I'd be wary of getting into a bidding war for him but as loathe as I am to admit it (being that he was a hated Laker) he was a very savvy player so I wouldn't be surprised to see him be a very good coach.
Adrian Griffin - I'm kind of surprised he hasn't been given a head coaching job already. Smart, journeyman player during his career, long time Thibodeau disciple and right in the sweet spot of still being a younger coaching prospect but with lots of experience.
Sam Cassell - Is he ready to be a head coach? Was a winner and clutch performer as a player, seems to relate to players well and is being groomed under Doc Rivers.
Juwon Howard - Played under a number of good coaches, was teammates with bigs like Webber, Sheed, Camby, Aldridge, Yao, Birdman, (so I'm guessing he knows how to utilize guys like Boogie, WCS etc) is an assistant under Spoelstra and was essentially a player coach for the last couple years anyway.
David Fizdale - Another Heat assistant, and probably the guy that will get more interest over Howard. He doesn't have the credibility that comes from being a former player, but he often gets a lot of credit for being a good teacher & communicator who helps develop young players.
Kenny Atkinson - Long regarded as a player development guru he's looked at by many as the current assistant most ready to be a head coach. Currently the lead assistant under Budenholzer in Atlanta.
Jay Larranaga - Would be a fairly young hire, but he's been considered for jobs before - namely the Celtics job in 2013 (he's been a Boston assistant since 2012) which he lost out to Brad Stevens. But obviously the franchise thinks a lot of him as he remained on the staff. And Brad Steven's success obviously makes him an attractive option
Poaching from Pop - Spurs assistants
Chip Engelland - Long time Popovich assistant who (1) is a big part of identifying targets for the Spurs to add to the roster and (2) given a lot of credit for improving players' shooting. I don't know how good he'd be in a larger role or what his experience is in crafting offensive and defensive schemes, but I believe now that Budenholzer is with the Hawks he's been with Pop the longest.
Ime Udoka - I wouldn't think he'd be ready for a head coaching job but the Spurs seem to love him. In fact, they seem to love him so much he might not be available as he's likely the in house favorite to replace Pop when he retires.
Ettore Messina - a legend in international basketball who was a four time Euroleague champion, the Euroleague coach of the year twice and is in the Italian Basketball hall of fame. Messina will get some serious consideration this summer. David Blatt's struggles with the Cavs may give some people pause, but Messina isn't coming in to the NBA cold from overseas as Blatt did. Instead he's learned to adapt to the NBA game under the best coach of our generation. Very intriguing though he would be fairly old as a first time NBA head coach at 56.
Becky Hammon - I think Vivek is going to be too gun shy at this point to really go outside the box and hire the first female head coach in the NBA. Hammon is definitely qualified but even if the Kings were willing to break ground I think Nancy Lieberman would be a better choice.
Current College Coaches
John Calipari - this is the big name here, but it'd be a hell of a risk to pay the kind of money/years he'd demand especially when he went 72-112 in his only previous NBA stint.
Kevin Ollie - A red hot name after the Huskies won the title, his stock dipped a bit when UConn didn't make the tournament last season. But he has them playing well again this year and as a 15 year NBA vet he is a guy I would bet could move to the NBA and make it work.
Shaka Smart - Teams looking for the next Brad Stevens will probably like what they see out of Smart. I like him a lot as Texas' coach but I don't think he can run his "Havoc" defense at the NBA level. Would he be able to adapt to the NBA game? I don't know.
Tony Bennett - The son of a legendary HS basketball coach and succeeded him as the coach as Washington State. Did a great job there (including helping Klay Thompson's development) and then moved on to Virginia where he's continued to have success. I'm not sure the Pack Line defense will work in the NBA (it's just daring a team like the Warriors to kill you from outside) but I think he could adapt. Don't know if he wants to make the leap but I think he'd be a very good pro coach. Lots of guys have been viewed as "the next Brad Stevens" but I think Bennett is the guy most deserving of that title right now.
Sean Miller - A few teams have sniffed around Miller and looked at what it would take to pry him from Arizona. He's definitely a good basketball mind and college coach but personally I don't think he has the mindset/temperament to work with pro players.
Any other names to add? Any of my breakdowns that you disagree with or want to add more to?
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