Hopefuls for coaching job flood Kings
Joe Maloof says he already has received plenty of calls from potential candidates.
The search has begun. And so far, this is easier than they thought.
While Kings co-owner Joe Maloof said the hunt for a new coach is in its infancy stages, a list of candidates is practically compiling itself. Joe Maloof said he has received "double digit" calls from representatives of potential coaches, while his brother, Gavin, has received plenty of his own.
And chances are, the phone of president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie isn't sitting quietly, either. Thus far, all the calls are incoming, with the Kings' braintrust not having to reach out on its own.
There is no rush to the process, though. The Maloofs have never done this, having inherited the only Kings coach they've known, Rick Adelman, whom they dismissed Tuesday. While Joe Maloof wouldn't disclose the identities of those who called, he said he was excited about the prospects. It is expected that the list will stop growing in the next few days, and the whittling will begin.
"There's a lot of good coaches out there," he said. "There's a lot of good NBA coaches, a lot of good assistant coaches. We just have to find the right fit for our franchise. I've gotten a lot of calls, and I think that's a tribute to the franchise and the city."
San Antonio Spurs assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo, who replaced a fired Adelman in Portland (1994) and Golden State (1997), has indicated he would like to become a head coach again and would be among the top candidates. That scenario sheds some light on the potential timeline, as the Spurs are in the midst of their second-round playoff series against Dallas, and Carlesimo may not be available until June.
Monarchs coach John Whisenant, a longtime family friend of the Maloofs who gained even more favor with last season's WNBA title and his defensive ways, will be considered. While retired coach Don Nelson would likely be interviewed, his offensive reputation doesn't fall in line with the Maloofs' desires for a defense-oriented coach.
For that matter, nor does the reputation of former Kings coach Eddie Jordan, the Washington coach whose teams have struggled mightily on defense the last two seasons. Jordan has one year left on his contract and is seeking an extension.
Speaking of defense - Ron Artest said late in the season that he should be the league's Defensive Player of the Year.
While that honor went to Detroit's Ben Wallace for the fourth time, the Kings' small forward was selected to the NBA All-Defensive first team Thursday. Artest came in fourth place in the voting, trailing San Antonio's Bruce Bowen, Wallace and Utah's Andrei Kirilenko.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/14254588p-15070126c.html
Joe Maloof says he already has received plenty of calls from potential candidates.
The search has begun. And so far, this is easier than they thought.
While Kings co-owner Joe Maloof said the hunt for a new coach is in its infancy stages, a list of candidates is practically compiling itself. Joe Maloof said he has received "double digit" calls from representatives of potential coaches, while his brother, Gavin, has received plenty of his own.
And chances are, the phone of president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie isn't sitting quietly, either. Thus far, all the calls are incoming, with the Kings' braintrust not having to reach out on its own.
There is no rush to the process, though. The Maloofs have never done this, having inherited the only Kings coach they've known, Rick Adelman, whom they dismissed Tuesday. While Joe Maloof wouldn't disclose the identities of those who called, he said he was excited about the prospects. It is expected that the list will stop growing in the next few days, and the whittling will begin.
"There's a lot of good coaches out there," he said. "There's a lot of good NBA coaches, a lot of good assistant coaches. We just have to find the right fit for our franchise. I've gotten a lot of calls, and I think that's a tribute to the franchise and the city."
San Antonio Spurs assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo, who replaced a fired Adelman in Portland (1994) and Golden State (1997), has indicated he would like to become a head coach again and would be among the top candidates. That scenario sheds some light on the potential timeline, as the Spurs are in the midst of their second-round playoff series against Dallas, and Carlesimo may not be available until June.
Monarchs coach John Whisenant, a longtime family friend of the Maloofs who gained even more favor with last season's WNBA title and his defensive ways, will be considered. While retired coach Don Nelson would likely be interviewed, his offensive reputation doesn't fall in line with the Maloofs' desires for a defense-oriented coach.
For that matter, nor does the reputation of former Kings coach Eddie Jordan, the Washington coach whose teams have struggled mightily on defense the last two seasons. Jordan has one year left on his contract and is seeking an extension.
Speaking of defense - Ron Artest said late in the season that he should be the league's Defensive Player of the Year.
While that honor went to Detroit's Ben Wallace for the fourth time, the Kings' small forward was selected to the NBA All-Defensive first team Thursday. Artest came in fourth place in the voting, trailing San Antonio's Bruce Bowen, Wallace and Utah's Andrei Kirilenko.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/14254588p-15070126c.html
