Recently, I posted about which NBA coaches should get fired after the season. (Spoiler alert: only three in Alvin Gentry, Nate McMillan, and Earl Watson)
Today, I’m going to look at my favorite candidates to take their place, or any other post that may open up. Now, before we begin, some caveats:
— Judging NBA assistants is especially difficult, for a number of reasons. While certain assistants do take a larger role in “offense” and “defense,” it’s not as clear-cut as other sports. In football, we can evaluate a coordinator like Kyle Shanahan’s running game and scheme throughout the years, but it’s not as cut and dry in basketball. Furthermore, NBA assistants don’t do as much press or media interviews, so it’s difficult to gauge their personalities and leadership traits. I’m relying on snippets here and there and doing the best I can.
— And of course, I’m not an NBA insider. ESPN/True Hoop’s Kevin Arnovitz has done a great job keeping tabs on head coaching prospects over the last few years, so I’m going to borrow heavily from his research. Unlike me, he actually has access to these locker rooms and these personalities. I can be a little more critical than he can, perhaps, but my opinions should be considered with a grain of salt at the least.
With all that said, let’s begin.
College coaches
Jay Wright, Villanova
Villanova’s Jay Wright has long been an interesting NBA coaching option.
When you debate the top college coaches, you have to limit it to coaches that would actually consider leaving for the NBA. For most high-profile college coaches, their current gig is too damn sweet. Wright, on the other hand, may be the exception. Allegedly he’s making less than $3 million a year, which the NBA could easily match. He hasn’t denied interest in the past in the same way other coaches have, indicating that he’s committed to Villanova “for now.”
Perhaps Wright feels like he’s done all that he can at Nova. He’s always been a good coach there (with a career 70.6% winning percentage) that’s gone into overdrive lately. His Wildcats have gone 129-17 over the last four years (good for an 88% win percentage) and won a national title. Their conference, the Big East, has been “down” lately and may not be providing much of a challenge. Could an NBA job appeal to him? Perhaps. I’d keep an eye out for the local New York Knicks, should they turn the page on their Phil Jackson and Triangle days. The well-dressed Wright could immediately take over as the “star” of the sidelines.
Tony Bennett, Virginia
With the possible exception of Gregg Marshall at Wichita State, no coach in the entire college landscape squeezes out a better performance from average talent than Tony Bennett. He’s won consistently at Washington State and now Virginia. Considering UVA isn’t a basketball powerhouse in the same way that UNC or Duke is, it’s not out of the question that Bennett may move on. He’s been rumored for other college jobs or NBA posts in the past.
The knock on Bennett is that his teams are “boring,” with a focus on low turnover play on offense and a strong pack line defense. But remember: Brad Stevens’ Butler teams weren’t exactly the “Showtime” Lakers, either. I believe that Bennett (still only 47 years old) could adapt his style and personality to suit the NBA, should he desire the challenge.
Kevin Ollie, UConn
Ollie’s a much more natural fit in the NBA than either Jay Wright or Tony Bennett because he has extensive experience in the league as a solid point guard for many years. He’s less likely to leave his alma mater at UConn, but it’s not impossible to imagine him bolting back to the pros. Although the Huskies won a title in his second year on the job, they’ve sagged since then, stumbling to 16-17 this past season. Still, an NBA job could easily be his if he wanted it.
Former NBA head coaches
Jeff Van Gundy
Van Gundy has effectively become the Jon Gruden of the NBA. As successful coaches turned national broadcasters, they’re the biggest names floated out for every coaching job. Time and time again, the pair seem to realize that chirping into a mic for a few hours a week is a lot better of a gig than grinding out wins and 100+ hour work weeks. If anything, their “interest” in coaching may be a negotiation ploy. Jeff Van Gundy hasn’t actually coached since 2006.
But I actually believe Van Gundy has slightly more interest in a return to the sidelines than Gruden, depending on the job. It felt like he would have taken the opportunity to coach New Orleans a few years ago if he didn’t feel bad about succeeding a friend in Monty Williams. Would he feel the same about replacing Alvin Gentry? If anyone could lure out JVG, Anthony Davis might.
Monty Williams
Speaking of Monty Williams, he deserves some attention in his own right. Williams’ run in New Orleans was spotty at best, as the Hornets/Pelicans only made the playoffs in 2 of his 5 years on the job. He actually got fired after his Anthony-Davis led team “underachieved” with a 45-37 record that ought to have been much better.
But oddly enough, Monty Williams’ stock has only risen since then. Alvin Gentry hasn’t transformed the team into a title contender like expected. Instead, they actually backslid to 30-52 the year after Williams got fired. And, while it may be insensitive to mention, the tragic death of Monty Williams’ wife showcased how beloved of a figure he is in NBA circles. I’m not sure if his family situation would enable him to take a full-time job right now, but if he wanted one, he’d certainly merit interviews and perhaps a second chance.
Mike Brown and David Blatt
I’m linking these two together because of the obvious connection. Both of these “failed” coaches had a lot of success (a combined 430-256 record) that could be entirely attributed to LeBron James, but also firings that can be attributed to LeBron as well.
Mike Brown, in particular, may have been given a raw deal in hindsight. Still only 47 years old, he’s already been fired three times in the NBA. But let’s take a look at those firings:
In his first stint in Cleveland, he never won a title, but managed to win plenty of games, topping out at 66-16. The Cavs weren’t chocked full of talent and had to rely on a simple formula of LeBron James + good defense. It worked, for the most part, unless you count that whole “playoffs” thing. But the Cavs fired Mike Brown not because he was an idiot, but primarily because they were trying to appease free agent LeBron James. (it did not work).
Brown then “failed” with the Los Angeles Lakers, although that consisted of a 42-29 combined record over two odd seasons. The Lakers at the time thought they had a super team with Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, and Dwight Howard. However, that monster of a team turned out to be a Frankenstein hodgepodge of disparate personalities and playing styles. All in all, maybe 42-29 isn’t all that awful.
Mike Brown’s third “failure” came back in Cleveland, where he only had one year at the helm. The team finished 33-49 (a nine-game improvement over Byron Scott) but Brown got the ax anyway. Perhaps Dan Gilbert made that move knowing that they could get LeBron James back that summer (this time, it worked.)
Normally it’s “three strikes and you’re out,” but Mike Brown has a legitimate chance to redeem his stock this year as an assistant with the Golden State Warriors. This is the same post that has yielded coaching jobs back to back, with Alvin Gentry and then Luke Walton. If Mike Brown becomes the third, we shouldn’t roll our eyes; there’s a legitimate case to make that he was underrated by history and scapegoated unfairly by LeBron.
The same case can be made for David Blatt. His Cavs teams went 83-40, including a 30-11 run in Year 2 that got him fired. Absolutely, Blatt had some growing pains as an NBA head coach, but the problems came down to “fit” more than anything else. A superior coach in Europe, Blatt would be better suited for a younger roster without any superstars lording over him.
J.B. Bickerstaff and James Borrego
I’m linking these two together because they’re former interim head coaches who both had their shot in the spotlight last year.
Of the two, Bickerstaff is probably the most well known, as the 38-year-old son of Bernie. After Kevin McHale got fired, J.B. took over a 4-7 Rockets last year and led them to a 37-34 finish. Not great, but not too shabby, either. Since then, J.B. Bickerstaff has landed the associate head coach role on a David Fizdale Memphis staff that has the Grizzlies overachieving again. He’ll likely get another chance sooner or later.
While he’s not a big name, Borrego may be an even brighter candidate among savvy NBA fans. Raised and groomed in San Antonio, Borrego went with Jacque Vaughn to Orlando, where he briefly took over after Vaughn got fired. The results were “meh” with a 10-20 record, but it’s hard to blame him for not being able to completely transform a culture that late in the year.
Since then, Borrego has returned to San Antonio in a prominent assistant role. While a coach like Becky Hammon may be getting the headlines (for obvious reasons), Borrego is the one sitting next to Gregg Popovich and chatting throughout the game. He’s clearly respected by Pop, and should consequently be respected by us as well. His time will come, sooner or later.
Assistant coaches
Nate Tibbetts, Portland
A successful coach in the d-league, Tibbetts has been floated for a few coaching positions before and should land one sooner or later. If you like your coach to be a Kenny Atkinson-type rather than a big name, this could be your man. Kyrie Irving credits Tibbetts for helping him develop when he was an assistant with the Cavs, and in Portland, he’s done the same with guards C.J. McCollum and (to a lesser extent) Allen Crabbe. Hiring Tibbetts won’t be a headline on ESPN, but it would be a smart, prudent move.
Alex Jensen, Utah
This is more of a sleeper pick; although writers like Arnovitz have mentioned Alex Jensen in the past, he hasn’t received as much national recognition as some of these other high-profile assistants. Personally, he may be my favorite. The 6’7″ Jensen played and coached under Rick Marejus before landing under Quin Snyder‘s solid staff in Utah. He may be known more as “big man” coach, but he has a lot more upside than that. In interviews, Jensen comes across with such a natural affability and quiet charisma that suggests he could be the next great coach in the NBA.
Nick Nurse, Toronto
An understated and workmanlike personality, Nurse has slowly but surely gotten more recognition in Toronto. In fact, there may be some Raptor fans who would prefer him to their head coach in Dwane Casey. Again, it’s difficult to pinpoint and credit assistants directly, but Nurse is given most of the praise for the Raptors’ offensive abilities, scoring well and efficiently despite their lead guards being more of “throwbacks” than modern long-bomb shooters.
Jay Larranaga, Boston
The son of a successful college coach Jim (who led George Mason to the Final Four and now coaches Miami), Larranaga is a respected assistant on one of the most respected staffs in the league in Boston. In interviews, the 42-year-old Jay still come across as a little squirrelly and nervous, so perhaps he’d need to bolster his confidence before he takes over a high-profile team with a high-profile star. But given the right fit, he could grow into a real quality coach.
Ettore Messina, San Antonio
Messina’s obviously a great coach already, as perhaps the most prestigious international coach of all-time. He’s been working with the Spurs lately, mostly to adapt his coaching (and work on his English) for American audiences. There are rumors that he will succeed Pop in San Antonio, but whenever he feels ready to take the reins of a franchise, he shouldn’t have any problems landing a post.
Other coaches to consider
Here are some solid coaches that I would consider as well, but didn’t have the space to talk much about:
Stephen Silas (CHA), Nate Bjorkgren (PHO), Sean Sweeney (MIL), Melvin Hunt (DAL), Sam Cassell (LAC), Brian Shaw, Scott Skiles
Coaches to AVOID
Here are some coaches that I would personally pass on:
Mark Jackson (GS): A mediocre coach with an enormous ego… no thanks.
Kevin McHale (HOU): He’s a solid coach and likable guy, but he’s a little too “old school” for me. I’d prefer a more modern NBA coach.
Patrick Ewing (CHA): He’s always a hot topic and has been recently linked to Georgetown University as well, but he’s never impressed me in an interview.
