Assistant coaches

HndsmCelt

Hall of Famer
#1
So I'm wondering if anybody is hearing any word on the Jeff Hornacek interview. I'm hoping the kings are able to pick him up for next season. He would make a nice safety net and an excellent assistant coach regardless.
 
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Kingster

Hall of Famer
#4
It is interesting that there has been no news about any assistant coaching position. Makes me wonder if the candidates, and maybe the Kings' organization, are waiting for the results of the ongoing investigation before going forward. Has anyone heard any news on this front, or any explanation from Napear or Christie?
 

SacTownKid

Hall of Famer
#5
The only thing I can think is that it might be them looking at some possibilities that are still at work and have to wait until their season is over before they move in that direction.
 
#6
The Bee makes it sound like we should have assistant coaching news in the next couple days. Meanwhile Luke is working out draft prospects while assembling his coaching staff with Vlade.
 
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Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
#12
https://www.yahoo.com/sports/rockets-mike-dantoni-coaching-staff-003133293.html

Rockets let’s go of half of their coaching staff including their lead assistant. Couldn’t hurt poaching from the team who consistently pushes the champions to 7 games.
Luke's surprisingly turned out to be a pretty good defensive coach in his own right but if you somehow could snag Jeff Bzdelik, who managed to turn a team built around one of the biggest defensive sieves I've ever seen into one of the best defensive teams in the league, you do it as fast as you can. Then again, I would be perfectly happy with Elston Turner returning too so...
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
#13
I've got to believe that the assistant coach hiring process has been impeded by the civil suit. Given the NBA assigned a team to investigate the matter on April 25, it seems to me it shouldn't take longer to complete than two months (June 25), prior to free agency (July 1) and possibly prior to the draft (June 20). I would imagine the NBA and the Kings want this thing cleared up to the maximum extent possible before then. It also makes sense to me that the Kings should be able to hire all their assistant coaches at the completion of the investigation, if nothing significant pops up against Walton.

The fact that one of Walton's former assistants is at the practices, without as yet signing a contract, bodes well. He obviously wouldn't be wasting his time if he didn't think Walton was innocent.
 
#14
I've got to believe that the assistant coach hiring process has been impeded by the civil suit. Given the NBA assigned a team to investigate the matter on April 25, it seems to me it shouldn't take longer to complete than two months (June 25), prior to free agency (July 1) and possibly prior to the draft (June 20). I would imagine the NBA and the Kings want this thing cleared up to the maximum extent possible before then. It also makes sense to me that the Kings should be able to hire all their assistant coaches at the completion of the investigation, if nothing significant pops up against Walton.

The fact that one of Walton's former assistants is at the practices, without as yet signing a contract, bodes well. He obviously wouldn't be wasting his time if he didn't think Walton was innocent.
Not sure I agree with this and would love to know your reasoning behind this.

My belief is that the Kings have most of their assistant coaches signed up (or agreed in principle) and are finalizing last couple of spots and will make the announcement when the coaching staff has been finalized (and not one by one). This theory is supported by the fact as you say that one of Walton's former assistants is at the practices but nothing official has been released about the signing yet. The assistant coaches would not care too much about the lawsuit against Walton. It might be a very minor consideration for them. If anything, if you are aspiring to become a head coach, it might be considered as a potential plus in that you might get the chance to take over as a head coach of a young team that is on the way up. Usually, these coaches take over basket case teams. Potential assistant coaches will treat Walton as if he is innocent until proven otherwise. Its what every normal human being should be doing. I am sure Vlade is doing it and he would expect everyone else to do the same.

In term so of how long the investigation will take, I think its rather ambitious that it will all be done by draft or free agency. These things take a LOT of time and effort and same people will be spoken to multiple times while the investigation is ongoing. Everything will need to be double and triple checked and every lead (real or dud) will need to be followed and investigated thoroughly. This is not something that can be wrapped up in a couple of months. It will take time. Hell, there is a real chance that Walton will complete his first season as Kings head coach and the investigation would still be going on.

While its frustrating for us fans that there have not been many leaks to the media about the candidates, I think its a great sign for unity going on in the front office and this includes the coach. It means that its a tightly sealed ship that Vlade is running. No one is leaking to the media, other than a couple of names (who probably won't end up being on the staff), its been all dead quiet.

What Vlade seems to have done in the off-season is get rid off all the leaks from the team, hired the coach who is on the same page as him and as such will keep quiet about everything that is going on in the background. I must admit that I like it, even though it is frustrating for fans that they hear nothing until its done.
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
#15
Not sure I agree with this and would love to know your reasoning behind this.

My belief is that the Kings have most of their assistant coaches signed up (or agreed in principle) and are finalizing last couple of spots and will make the announcement when the coaching staff has been finalized (and not one by one). This theory is supported by the fact as you say that one of Walton's former assistants is at the practices but nothing official has been released about the signing yet. The assistant coaches would not care too much about the lawsuit against Walton. It might be a very minor consideration for them. If anything, if you are aspiring to become a head coach, it might be considered as a potential plus in that you might get the chance to take over as a head coach of a young team that is on the way up. Usually, these coaches take over basket case teams. Potential assistant coaches will treat Walton as if he is innocent until proven otherwise. Its what every normal human being should be doing. I am sure Vlade is doing it and he would expect everyone else to do the same.

In term so of how long the investigation will take, I think its rather ambitious that it will all be done by draft or free agency. These things take a LOT of time and effort and same people will be spoken to multiple times while the investigation is ongoing. Everything will need to be double and triple checked and every lead (real or dud) will need to be followed and investigated thoroughly. This is not something that can be wrapped up in a couple of months. It will take time. Hell, there is a real chance that Walton will complete his first season as Kings head coach and the investigation would still be going on.

While its frustrating for us fans that there have not been many leaks to the media about the candidates, I think its a great sign for unity going on in the front office and this includes the coach. It means that its a tightly sealed ship that Vlade is running. No one is leaking to the media, other than a couple of names (who probably won't end up being on the staff), its been all dead quiet.

What Vlade seems to have done in the off-season is get rid off all the leaks from the team, hired the coach who is on the same page as him and as such will keep quiet about everything that is going on in the background. I must admit that I like it, even though it is frustrating for fans that they hear nothing until its done.
Mostly agree.

Thus far it appears that the coaching hierarchy currently goes:
Luke Walton
Jeff Hornacek (lead assistant)
Jesse Murmuys
Bobby Jackson (more of an extension of the front office as a player dev guy than a Walton staffer.)

We'll probably wind up with two or three more coaches but I don't see us having as huge a staff as the Joerger era did. Last season we had a whopping 9 assistant coaches.
 
#16
Mostly agree.

Thus far it appears that the coaching hierarchy currently goes:
Luke Walton
Jeff Hornacek (lead assistant)
Jesse Murmuys
Bobby Jackson (more of an extension of the front office as a player dev guy than a Walton staffer.)

We'll probably wind up with two or three more coaches but I don't see us having as huge a staff as the Joerger era did. Last season we had a whopping 9 assistant coaches.
I am of the opinion that we should have that many assistant coaches as we did last season....or as close to it as we can get. My reasoning is pretty simple. The development of players is still extremely important for us. Last year we had practically an assistant coach per young player. I think we should still head down that path simply because we still need to maintain that excellent development program that we have had under coach Joerger and assistant coaches were a HUGE part of that.

Even though we have the young talent on the list, that talent still needs to be developed for the next few years. We also need to ensure that the players we draft going forward, have a strong development program to walk into so that we can maximize their ability as professional players. As a small market team, the blood line of keeping a good team and adding improvements on the cheap will be development of the players we draft. San Antonio have done this really well over the years. Identifying the talent and drafting it is only half the job. Developing that talent into professional NBA players is another job. The more dedicated quality resources you have at your disposal the better it will be for the program.

We won't have the luxury of having many more lottery picks for a while so we need to make sure that the player draft in the late first round becomes a genuine NBA player, possibly a starter or a star. A lot of that depends on the development program you have.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#17
Not sure I agree with this and would love to know your reasoning behind this.

My belief is that the Kings have most of their assistant coaches signed up (or agreed in principle) and are finalizing last couple of spots and will make the announcement when the coaching staff has been finalized (and not one by one). This theory is supported by the fact as you say that one of Walton's former assistants is at the practices but nothing official has been released about the signing yet. The assistant coaches would not care too much about the lawsuit against Walton. It might be a very minor consideration for them. If anything, if you are aspiring to become a head coach, it might be considered as a potential plus in that you might get the chance to take over as a head coach of a young team that is on the way up. Usually, these coaches take over basket case teams. Potential assistant coaches will treat Walton as if he is innocent until proven otherwise. Its what every normal human being should be doing. I am sure Vlade is doing it and he would expect everyone else to do the same.

In term so of how long the investigation will take, I think its rather ambitious that it will all be done by draft or free agency. These things take a LOT of time and effort and same people will be spoken to multiple times while the investigation is ongoing. Everything will need to be double and triple checked and every lead (real or dud) will need to be followed and investigated thoroughly. This is not something that can be wrapped up in a couple of months. It will take time. Hell, there is a real chance that Walton will complete his first season as Kings head coach and the investigation would still be going on.

While its frustrating for us fans that there have not been many leaks to the media about the candidates, I think its a great sign for unity going on in the front office and this includes the coach. It means that its a tightly sealed ship that Vlade is running. No one is leaking to the media, other than a couple of names (who probably won't end up being on the staff), its been all dead quiet.

What Vlade seems to have done in the off-season is get rid off all the leaks from the team, hired the coach who is on the same page as him and as such will keep quiet about everything that is going on in the background. I must admit that I like it, even though it is frustrating for fans that they hear nothing until its done.

Where I agree with Kingster is that some may fear that if things don't go well for Walton in the law suit, and he's fired, that they'll be out of a job as well. That could cause some to re-think the situation. Of course, as pointed out, these law suits can take years instead of weeks or months. Plus, the Kings may try and cover their bases by making sure whoever the lead assistant is, he's capable of taking over as head coach, and that he'll retain all the assistants at least to years end.

We should know soon if the reports are accurate. I feel for Elston Turner, who was considered the heir apparent to Rick Adelman but was let go along with Adelman by the Maloof's. He's been the lead assistant many times, but seems to never be considered for the head coaching job. Wish someone would give him a shot.
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
#18
Not sure I agree with this and would love to know your reasoning behind this.

My belief is that the Kings have most of their assistant coaches signed up (or agreed in principle) and are finalizing last couple of spots and will make the announcement when the coaching staff has been finalized (and not one by one). This theory is supported by the fact as you say that one of Walton's former assistants is at the practices but nothing official has been released about the signing yet. The assistant coaches would not care too much about the lawsuit against Walton. It might be a very minor consideration for them. If anything, if you are aspiring to become a head coach, it might be considered as a potential plus in that you might get the chance to take over as a head coach of a young team that is on the way up. Usually, these coaches take over basket case teams. Potential assistant coaches will treat Walton as if he is innocent until proven otherwise. Its what every normal human being should be doing. I am sure Vlade is doing it and he would expect everyone else to do the same.

In term so of how long the investigation will take, I think its rather ambitious that it will all be done by draft or free agency. These things take a LOT of time and effort and same people will be spoken to multiple times while the investigation is ongoing. Everything will need to be double and triple checked and every lead (real or dud) will need to be followed and investigated thoroughly. This is not something that can be wrapped up in a couple of months. It will take time. Hell, there is a real chance that Walton will complete his first season as Kings head coach and the investigation would still be going on.

While its frustrating for us fans that there have not been many leaks to the media about the candidates, I think its a great sign for unity going on in the front office and this includes the coach. It means that its a tightly sealed ship that Vlade is running. No one is leaking to the media, other than a couple of names (who probably won't end up being on the staff), its been all dead quiet.

What Vlade seems to have done in the off-season is get rid off all the leaks from the team, hired the coach who is on the same page as him and as such will keep quiet about everything that is going on in the background. I must admit that I like it, even though it is frustrating for fans that they hear nothing until its done.
I'm operating under the assumption that the assistant coaches believe that it does matter who they work under. Is it Walton or Mr ? If it's Mr ?, then sure, if an assistant is desperate, I guess he'll take whatever he can get. But if he has some choice in the matter because he has a good rep around the league, reason dictates that he'll go to a team with a known and respected coach than one that doesn't have that. I'm also operating under the assumption that the outcome of the NBA investigation is going to give any assistant coaching candidate a lot of comfort one way or the other about Walton's status. Maybe that's why some have only agreed "in principle" up to now - they are waiting for the results of the investigation. Nobody wants to be in a situation where in the middle of the season the jury finds in favor of the plaintiff. That would be a major, major black eye for the Kings org and a real chaotic and pain in the arse situation for the players and assistant coaches left to pick up the rubble. I've got to believe this is a primary reason behind the league doing such an investigation - the cloud of a lawsuit could hover over this team for years and the NBA wants to clear up most if not all of those clouds to minimize the risk. Lastly, I just don't believe such an investigation should take longer than two months, especially when there is a "team" doing the investigation. There are just so many individuals to interview and facts to verify. Sure, the lawsuit could take forever, but not the NBA investigation. In fact, I think the NBA should have a darn good idea on the known facts by now.
 
#19
I'm curious, does a head coach generally have free reign as to assistant coach choices, or is it a joint decision with management.
From what I have read, Vlade and Luke or working on the coaching staff together which should mean the lead assistant is someone Vlade believes is a good plan B if need be. That's why I hope to hear Jeff Hornacek appointed that position. He instils more confidence than some other names I've heard mentioned.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#20
I'm curious, does a head coach generally have free reign as to assistant coach choices, or is it a joint decision with management.
From what I have read, Vlade and Luke or working on the coaching staff together which should mean the lead assistant is someone Vlade believes is a good plan B if need be. That's why I hope to hear Jeff Hornacek appointed that position. He instils more confidence than some other names I've heard mentioned.
Most head coaches usually have total say over who their assistants are. Logical when you think about it. A head coach has his own way of doing things and he'll usually pick assistants that embrace his philosophy. He also wants assistants that he can trust. Just makes sense. However in the case of a 1st time coach, management will usually insist that his lead assistant be someone with head coaching experience. Which also makes sense, especially if he's never even held an assistant coaching position.
 
#26
Beyer looks like a journeyman asst. Nothing really sticks out.
Was the Asst at OKC last year for 1 year.
Previously was with Detroit for 4 seasons.
The Pistons only had 1 winning season while
He was there.
Was an Asst at Charlotte in 2013-14 for one year. Hornets were 43-39
Beyer spent one season with the Dubs at the beginning of their ascent 2012-13. A 47-35 record.
Orlando from 2007-12. 4 winning seasons under Van Gundy. But, quick exits in 3 of those seasons.

He appears to mediocre based on his short tenure in just about every organization he’s worked at.

I knew at least 1 of Luke’s do boys were going to join him. Murmeys was hired as an appeasement to Luke.

Rana was hired by Vivek. That’s very clear. Guy has no NBA exp. Once again, shows Vivek meddling with the coaches.
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
#27
Rana was hired by Vivek. That’s very clear. Guy has no NBA exp. Once again, shows Vivek meddling with the coaches.
Rana has been a HUGE part of Canada’s rebirth as a basketball power. A lot of the draft expert dudes are losing their minds over the Kings somehow being the franchise that lured Rana into the NBA. Not sure how this is Vivek meddling and even if it were it’s not horrible meddling.