By Ailene Voisin -- Bee Columnist
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/14263807p-15076633c.html
John Whisenant was the guy. More importantly, he was their guy.
And suddenly he wasn't.
Geez.
Extend these coaching searches long enough, and anything can happen. Even the heavy favorites can be toppled. In this particular instance, the Maloofs led with the heart and ultimately went with the gut. They went with Eric Musselman, a young, dynamic preacher of defensive principles, in the final hours, concluding that he was the better fit.
On paper, of course, Musselman always held an advantage over Whisenant, the Monarchs' coach and longtime friend and business associate of the Maloofs. But that was only one factor in the family's dramatic mood swing. This was one of those multidimensional stunners.
Though the involved parties are refraining from public comment until today's official introduction -- and acknowledging that details may well remain sketchy -- the critical elements influencing the outcome include these:
1) Whisenant's seemingly harmless, even playful, public reminders of his close relationship with the Maloofs annoyed family members and prompted allegations of nepotism inside and outside the organization, though interestingly, no such objections have ever been uttered about the hiring of Mike Petrie and R.J. Adelman.
2) The public reaction to the possible hiring of the little-known Whisenant was overwhelmingly negative.
And 3) Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie, who ignores the Monarchs and was cool to a Whisenant candidacy from the beginning, conducted the search in an organized, methodical manner and succeeded in persuading the Maloofs to consider several individuals as Rick Adelman's replacement.
Then there was Musselman. And the Musselman interview. By all accounts, it was a classic encounter, more presentation than roundtable discussion. Indeed, while Whisenant was in the throes of a frenetic preseason, prepping for the Monarchs' opener and monitoring his mother's failing physical condition from afar, Musselman swept into Las Vegas and stole the show. Then he stole the job.
The Memphis Grizzlies assistant is said to have arrived with enough information -- individual scouting reports on the Kings, position papers on his basketball philosophy, outlines of his practices, etc. -- to overload a Web site. Smooth and polished in demeanor and delivery, skills undoubtedly enhanced from previous interviewing experiences at Minnesota and Orlando, and before his only NBA head-coaching gig, with the Golden State Warriors, Musselman sensed an opening and seized the opportunity.
According to one Kings official who requested anonymity, even the seldom-evocative Petrie was left muttering, "Wow."
Mario Elie never had a chance.
Marc Iavaroni never got a call.
John Whisenant remained the favorite until the past few days, until someone flipped the switch and it all fell apart. This is when Whiz gave Petrie and the Maloofs pause with his quotes, and concurrently, when background checks increasingly highlighted Musselman's credentials. The combination proved too tempting for the Maloofs to resist. And so, with a powerful nudge from Petrie, they simply changed parties.
But they had better be ready for change. Eric is his father's son. The late Bill Musselman, a former college and NBA head coach, was a feisty, combative sort who handed his son a broom instead of a silver spoon. A modestly talented point guard at the University of San Diego, Eric went on to work as a coach and general manager in the defunct Continental Basketball Association -- the proving ground for Phil Jackson, George Karl and Flip Saunders. Subsequently, Musselman was employed as an assistant with several NBA teams, including the Clippers, with whom he earned the reputation as a diligent, hard-working … sales rep.
Maybe that was the clincher. Maybe the Maloofs were wooed by the working-class roots. Or maybe it was the entire package, that of a young, eager and promising head coach, the same man Grizzlies president of basketball operations Jerry West tried to hire in 2004 before owner Michael Heisley opted for the embattled Mike Fratello. Or maybe it was the way it almost always is around Arco.
Maybe it was just Petrie, prevailing again.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/14263807p-15076633c.html
John Whisenant was the guy. More importantly, he was their guy.
And suddenly he wasn't.
Geez.
Extend these coaching searches long enough, and anything can happen. Even the heavy favorites can be toppled. In this particular instance, the Maloofs led with the heart and ultimately went with the gut. They went with Eric Musselman, a young, dynamic preacher of defensive principles, in the final hours, concluding that he was the better fit.
On paper, of course, Musselman always held an advantage over Whisenant, the Monarchs' coach and longtime friend and business associate of the Maloofs. But that was only one factor in the family's dramatic mood swing. This was one of those multidimensional stunners.
Though the involved parties are refraining from public comment until today's official introduction -- and acknowledging that details may well remain sketchy -- the critical elements influencing the outcome include these:
1) Whisenant's seemingly harmless, even playful, public reminders of his close relationship with the Maloofs annoyed family members and prompted allegations of nepotism inside and outside the organization, though interestingly, no such objections have ever been uttered about the hiring of Mike Petrie and R.J. Adelman.
2) The public reaction to the possible hiring of the little-known Whisenant was overwhelmingly negative.
And 3) Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie, who ignores the Monarchs and was cool to a Whisenant candidacy from the beginning, conducted the search in an organized, methodical manner and succeeded in persuading the Maloofs to consider several individuals as Rick Adelman's replacement.
Then there was Musselman. And the Musselman interview. By all accounts, it was a classic encounter, more presentation than roundtable discussion. Indeed, while Whisenant was in the throes of a frenetic preseason, prepping for the Monarchs' opener and monitoring his mother's failing physical condition from afar, Musselman swept into Las Vegas and stole the show. Then he stole the job.
The Memphis Grizzlies assistant is said to have arrived with enough information -- individual scouting reports on the Kings, position papers on his basketball philosophy, outlines of his practices, etc. -- to overload a Web site. Smooth and polished in demeanor and delivery, skills undoubtedly enhanced from previous interviewing experiences at Minnesota and Orlando, and before his only NBA head-coaching gig, with the Golden State Warriors, Musselman sensed an opening and seized the opportunity.
According to one Kings official who requested anonymity, even the seldom-evocative Petrie was left muttering, "Wow."
Mario Elie never had a chance.
Marc Iavaroni never got a call.
John Whisenant remained the favorite until the past few days, until someone flipped the switch and it all fell apart. This is when Whiz gave Petrie and the Maloofs pause with his quotes, and concurrently, when background checks increasingly highlighted Musselman's credentials. The combination proved too tempting for the Maloofs to resist. And so, with a powerful nudge from Petrie, they simply changed parties.
But they had better be ready for change. Eric is his father's son. The late Bill Musselman, a former college and NBA head coach, was a feisty, combative sort who handed his son a broom instead of a silver spoon. A modestly talented point guard at the University of San Diego, Eric went on to work as a coach and general manager in the defunct Continental Basketball Association -- the proving ground for Phil Jackson, George Karl and Flip Saunders. Subsequently, Musselman was employed as an assistant with several NBA teams, including the Clippers, with whom he earned the reputation as a diligent, hard-working … sales rep.
Maybe that was the clincher. Maybe the Maloofs were wooed by the working-class roots. Or maybe it was the entire package, that of a young, eager and promising head coach, the same man Grizzlies president of basketball operations Jerry West tried to hire in 2004 before owner Michael Heisley opted for the embattled Mike Fratello. Or maybe it was the way it almost always is around Arco.
Maybe it was just Petrie, prevailing again.
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Head coach-talent scout/media person, oh yeah I see the similiarities.
I don't think the Maloofs had anything to do with the hiring of Petrie or RA since they were already working for the Kings when the Maloofs bought the team. (I think) I think she may have been aluding to the fact that Petrie and Adelman go waaay back and he may have had a hand in RA's hiring in the first place and that he was around longer than some people would have liked.
