Sacbee: Whisenant could be next Kings coach

[KingKong]

Whisenant could be next Kings coach

He will meet today with the Maloofs and president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie.

By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer

Published 12:01 am PDT Sunday, May 28, 2006

Monarchs coach John Whisenant will interview today for the Kings'
head-coaching job. Whisenant, the 2005 WNBA Coach of the Year,
has no NBA playing or coaching experience.


LAS VEGAS -- The man many believe will be the next Kings coach made the trip here Saturday night.

This morning, Monarchs coach John Whisenant will attempt to convince the Kings' brass that he can make the jump from the WNBA to the NBA.

Whisenant will interview with the family of the team's owners, the Maloofs, as well as Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie. The session may be a formality, a chance for Petrie to make a more extensive assessment of Whisenant before endorsing the candidate on whom the Maloofs are so high. Or, as Petrie has said, it could be followed by at least one more interview as the Kings continue to look for a replacement for Rick Adelman.

Friday, speculation grew that Whisenant already had been chosen, a claim the Maloofs would not confirm or deny. Asked by The Bee if a coach already had been chosen, Kings co-owner Joe Maloof said, "I can't answer that."

Whisenant isn't among those who believe the job is his. The coach of the Maloofs' WNBA championship team said he was approaching the interview with the belief that it was not his yet.

"Until I know more definitely, I can't give you an answer," he said. "I know (the Maloofs') process, and I know that they think the world of me, and I'm still totally honored that they feel that way. (But) until the time is right with them, I just think it's not right for me to comment."

Whisenant often has said there is no need for him to interview with the Maloofs. His relationship with Petrie, however, is in question. Whisenant said the two always have been cordial, with their offices three doors apart at the Kings' practice facility.


"Sometime in the playoffs, I talked to him about a playoff game," Whisenant said. "We talked about (Kings small forward Ron) Artest and his impact on the team and stuff like that … . We visited over time in a casual fashion. Geoff doesn't tell a lot about his business. He's pretty closed-lipped. He's not like a jabbery talker."

Should the Kings hire Whisenant, he said he is well aware that his lack of coaching and playing experience will be heavily scrutinized. While he has a track record of winning, he has never played or coached in the NBA.

Whisenant, the 2005 WNBA Coach of the Year, coached in the International Basketball League and had an extensive AAU coaching career.
He also was an assistant for seven years at the University of New Mexico.
He would join a short class of NBA head coaches with such limited experience. Detroit coach Flip Saunders had played only in the Continental Basketball Association before becoming Minnesota's general manager for seven months and later taking over as head coach. Golden State coach Mike Montgomery, a winner during his Stanford days, was assistant coach with the U.S. 2002 world championship team. New York coach Larry Brown never played in the NBA, but he coached and played in the ABA.

Whisenant said he is confident he could do the job, gain the confidence of multimillionaire NBA players and improve the Kings defensively.
"Players know basketball," he said. "And when they see that what I'm doing is sound, they'll respond."

Whisenant made the trip only after learning that his ailing 85-year-old mother, Virginia, had improved. In the past week, her condition has been one of many issues weighing on his mind. Whisenant said he has lost some sleep in recent days and was hoping the Kings' situation was resolved quickly for the sake of his current team. The Monarchs lost for the first time this season Thursday, falling 81-66 to Houston.

"It's a great concern to me, the lack of focus we had, and I'm concerned that all of this is hard on them," Whisenant said. "I think (the Kings' coaching hunt) will all get settled one way or another in the next few days."

Monarchs guard and Kings TV analyst Kara Lawson said Whisenant could win over an NBA locker room.

"What players want more than anything is to win," she said. "And he has a track record for winning. They will resist change. (But) I think when they start winning, they will accept it."

http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/14261431p-15075015c.html

 

[VF21]

Whisenant often has said there is no need for him to interview with the Maloofs. His relationship with Petrie, however, is in question. Whisenant said the two always have been cordial, with their offices three doors apart at the Kings' practice facility.

"Sometime in the playoffs, I talked to him about a playoff game," Whisenant said. "We talked about (Kings small forward Ron) Artest and his impact on the team and stuff like that … . We visited over time in a casual fashion. Geoff doesn't tell a lot about his business. He's pretty closed-lipped. He's not like a jabbery talker."

He talked to Petrie about playoff games? They visited over time in a casual fashion?

Oh, good lord.

Sure sounds like Whis was trying to make his case to replace Adelman LONG before the body had even quit twitching.

"Gee, Geoff. Why didn't Rick do _______ in that game?"

"You know, Geoff. I would have made damned sure ___________ did __________ in that game."

Blech.

 

[HndsmCelt]

He talked to Petrie about playoff games? They visited over time in a casual fashion?

Oh, good lord.

Sure sounds like Whis was trying to make his case to replace Adelman LONG before the body had even quit twitching.

"Gee, Geoff. Why didn't Rick do _______ in that game?"

"You know, Geoff. I would have made damned sure ___________ did __________ in that game."

Blech.

As I speculated right after the announcement of RA's depature the Maloofs have had a replacemtn in the wings for some time... I'll stand by that statement.

 

[VF21]

Which begs the question - if they knew they were going to do this, why all the charade of saying they had no one in mind, they were going to conduct interviews, etc?

I guess I just don't understand big business at the billionaire level. And if this is what it's like, I don't want to.

I love my Kings. I pray this works out. I do not want to have to watch the Kings deteriorate like my 49ers. Yes, the Maloofs want to win and the Yorks want ... well, I've never figured out what they want except to make as much money as possible without spending any.

This just all feels smarmy...and I do not like smarmy.

 

[zeke04]

He talked to Petrie about playoff games? They visited over time in a casual fashion?

Oh, good lord.

Sure sounds like Whis was trying to make his case to replace Adelman LONG before the body had even quit twitching.

"Gee, Geoff. Why didn't Rick do _______ in that game?"

"You know, Geoff. I would have made damned sure ___________ did __________ in that game."

Blech.

WOW, talk about reading in between the lines!

I understand we are all concerned/upset about the future head coach but lets try to keep it somewhat within reason.

 

[VF21]

Somewhat within reason? What part of that isn't within reason?

Sorry, zeke, but Whis would have to be an absolute fool NOT to make those kinds of comments if he was interested in succeeding Adelman.

And you honestly don't think the Maloofs suddenly remembered Whis AFTER Adelman was gone, do you?

Whis is a close family friend. He's also a basketball coach. Is there any real reason to believe he WOULDN'T have made comments? Hell, we make comments all the time and we're just fans.

 

[HndsmCelt]

Which begs the question - if they knew they were going to do this, why all the charade of saying they had no one in mind, they were going to conduct interviews, etc?

I guess I just don't understand big business at the billionaire level. And if this is what it's like, I don't want to.

I love my Kings. I pray this works out. I do not want to have to watch the Kings deteriorate like my 49ers. Yes, the Maloofs want to win and the Yorks want ... well, I've never figured out what they want except to make as much money as possible without spending any.

This just all feels smarmy...and I do not like smarmy.

This is the BIG difference between good and bad PR. I don't know if their people were bad or if the Maloofs just ignored the advice. It would apear the intent was to kindly let Rick go and avoid imediate bad press by hiring a croney with no NBA experiecne (PR Nightmare) so they break it up into stages: 1. Announce Rick will not be back (wait a week) 2. Give the apearance of searchign for replacement and let the press speculate for a while 3. Leak your choice over a long week end to soften the blow 4. Announce your decesion as if you just made it and hope steps 1-3 worked. Not a great plan but prety much SOP in these cases. Personaly I would have advised either a single imediate anouncement and take it on the chin while backing your man or at least skiping the dog and pony show of the "interviews." You CAN lie to the public and get away with it, but if the big enough when the public finds out they are NEVER happy and there are usually consequences.

 

[Bad Boy Bo]

Whisenant may who the Maloof's had in mind to replace Adelman if they couldn't get a better canidate. They probably interviewed Elie and Musselman to see they have a brighter future for the Kings and if they were better choices. The interview with Whisenant being a successful one (doesn't need to be great, just sucessful) will secure him the position. I'm interested in hearing his plans for the future of this franchise, and I want to see what the Maloofs are seeing, while wanting to know why Petrie will go along. Maybe Whisenant can talk, and communication is always good.

 

[BawLa]

Which begs the question - if they knew they were going to do this, why all the charade of saying they had no one in mind, they were going to conduct interviews, etc?

I guess I just don't understand big business at the billionaire level. And if this is what it's like, I don't want to.

I love my Kings. I pray this works out. I do not want to have to watch the Kings deteriorate like my 49ers. Yes, the Maloofs want to win and the Yorks want ... well, I've never figured out what they want except to make as much money as possible without spending any.

This just all feels smarmy...and I do not like smarmy.

I would think that even if they had a guy in mind that they still need to conduct interviews just to see if anything special popped up. You also need to do it so us fans have the idea that they are searching for the right fit. How much more would we be complaining if they just came out and said we want to replace Rick with Whis weeks ago?

And remember that when Terrell Owens caught that pass from Steve Young he became T.O. and destroyed our rebuilding process. We will be back soon. Don't worry.

 

[captain bill]

Whisenant made the trip only after learning that his ailing 85-year-old mother, Virginia, had improved. In the past week, her condition has been one of many issues weighing on his mind. Whisenant said he has lost some sleep in recent days and was hoping the Kings' situation was resolved quickly for the sake of his current team. The Monarchs lost for the first time this season Thursday, falling 81-66 to Houston.

"It's a great concern to me, the lack of focus we had, and I'm concerned that all of this is hard on them," Whisenant said. "I think (the Kings' coaching hunt) will all get settled one way or another in the next few days."

Monarchs guard and Kings TV analyst Kara Lawson said Whisenant could win over an NBA locker room.

"What players want more than anything is to win," she said. "And he has a track record for winning. They will resist change. (But) I think when they start winning, they will accept it."

http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/14261431p-15075015c.html

This last part seems the most important- he's already resolved to giving up on the Monarchs it sounds like, and they already see him as an outsider, like everyone's getting prepared to part ways.

 

[VF21]

I would think that even if they had a guy in mind that they still need to conduct interviews just to see if anything special popped up. You also need to do it so us fans have the idea that they are searching for the right fit. How much more would we be complaining if they just came out and said we want to replace Rick with Whis weeks ago?

And remember that when Terrell Owens caught that pass from Steve Young he became T.O. and destroyed our rebuilding process. We will be back soon. Don't worry.

I'd much prefer that to the farce that's going on right now...

 

[HndsmCelt]

I would think that even if they had a guy in mind that they still need to conduct interviews just to see if anything special popped up. You also need to do it so us fans have the idea that they are searching for the right fit. How much more would we be complaining if they just came out and said we want to replace Rick with Whis weeks ago?

Two problems with this line of reasoning. First in a case like thise where there were BETTER know and better qualified guys out there, the little sham interviewing process gets fans that WERE in favor of canning Adelman excited, but now thy JOIN the ranks of the angy fans, making the problem WORSE. Secondly IF the Maloofs had jsut droped the bomb in one press confrence or over say a 3 day sapn, (Announce Ricks contract will not be renued on Friday, anoit Whiz on Mon or Tues) by now the fans would be more or less over it and we would be discussing trade talks and moving on already, again dragging it out and lieing makes PR problems WORSE. (Just ask Bill Clinton how he would handle Monicagate differently)

 

[zeke04]

As I speculated right after the announcement of RA's depature the Maloofs have had a replacemtn in the wings for some time... I'll stand by that statement.

I totally agree. To bad we had to go about it the long way. Should have fired RA when they traded for Ron and brought Coach Whiz in to finish the season on a interim basis if they wanted him that bad.

 

[Circa_1985_Fan]

As I speculated right after the announcement of RA's depature the Maloofs have had a replacemtn in the wings for some time... I'll stand by that statement.

I too have been thinking this all along. I thought they actually made the decision sometime after the Webber trade...end of last season, that they were moving in a different direction. I just think that they were 'fishing' until ole' Whis won them a title with the girls. After that, I figured it was all a formality.
And yes VF it is kinda swarmy, but what isnt this way in corporate America these days? Just sucks because they've taken us fans for this ride every step of the way, and we've been right there the whole time, just because we are who we are.

 

[HndsmCelt]

I totally agree. To bad we had to go about it the long way. Should have fired RA when they traded for Ron and brought Coach Whiz in to finish the season on a interim basis if they wanted him that bad.

Yup would have been a smart move from a PR perspective, but I suspect the decision to dump Rick probably was still slow in forming at that point and may not have been final untill the the 1st round exit. In fact I can easily see a situation where WCF would have been enough to save his job in the Maloofs mind. Oh well lets just hope they did nto TELL him "if you don't make it to the WCF start looking for another job."

 

[VF21]

I think the decision to dump Adelman was pretty much carved in stone when they went after Phil Jackson. Regardless of what the Maloofs may or may not have said or done, they showed their lack of faith in Adelman by not extending his contract. It was, IMHO, just a matter of not having to do anything and letting the contract expire. I strongly suspect they would have found some reason to let go of him no matter what. This has been a long time coming...

 

[HndsmCelt]

I think the decision to dump Adelman was pretty much carved in stone when they went after Phil Jackson. Regardless of what the Maloofs may or may not have said or done, they showed their lack of faith in Adelman by not extending his contract. It was, IMHO, just a matter of not having to do anything and letting the contract expire. I strongly suspect they would have found some reason to let go of him no matter what. This has been a long time coming...

Probably so... and had they GOT PJ things would be oh so different...

 

[VF21]

I too have been thinking this all along. I thought they actually made the decision sometime after the Webber trade...end of last season, that they were moving in a different direction. I just think that they were 'fishing' until ole' Whis won them a title with the girls. After that, I figured it was all a formality.
And yes VF it is kinda swarmy, but what isnt this way in corporate America these days? Just sucks because they've taken us fans for this ride every step of the way, and we've been right there the whole time, just because we are who we are.

I can love the team without being in bed with the owners. I can support the team without co-signing on everything the owners do. I won't stop cheering the team or the players.

There's an article on the front page of the Bee sports that I just posted in the General forum. I didn't feel right about posting it in the main Kings forum. It's about one of the brothers - George, Jr. - and his goals for the Palms.

I think it's becoming clear to even the most naive among us. The big money maker for the Maloof family is the Palms. The Kings are the expensive playtoy - the thoroughbred race horse - they use to have fun with AND get millions and millions of dollars of free advertising from.

I will still support the Sacramento Kings. I'm pretty much through with any comments about the Maloofs. They live in a far different world than I could possibly imagine. They don't know us and who we are. We're just "the fans." A sea of faces that probably all look pretty much the same to them whether we're cheering for our team or dropping big money at their casino.

Face it. IF the arena ever gets built, it will probably be renamed Palms Arena.

 

[Circa_1985_Fan]

I can love the team without being in bed with the owners. I can support the team without co-signing on everything the owners do. I won't stop cheering the team or the players.

There's an article on the front page of the Bee sports that I just posted in the General forum. I didn't feel right about posting it in the main Kings forum. It's about one of the brothers - George, Jr. - and his goals for the Palms.

I think it's becoming clear to even the most naive among us. The big money maker for the Maloof family is the Palms. The Kings are the expensive playtoy - the thoroughbred race horse - they use to have fun with AND get millions and millions of dollars of free advertising from.

I will still support the Sacramento Kings. I'm pretty much through with any comments about the Maloofs. They live in a far different world than I could possibly imagine. They don't know us and who we are. We're just "the fans." A sea of faces that probably all look pretty much the same to them whether we're cheering for our team or dropping big money at their casino.

Face it. IF the arena ever gets built, it will probably be renamed Palms Arena.

Yes the Kings are just one of their forms of free advertising. But I have no problem with anything the family is doing, its just business...and I'd definetely take a new arena, and I would have no problem at all naming it the Palms Arena, or Maloof Sports and Entertainment Complex, or whatever. The Kings are a big part of my livelyhood, as they are yours and hundreds of thousands of Sacramento residents. This sure beats the alternatives, I'd take what we have over an owner like Donald Sterling anyday.

Oh yeah, and the Kings are only ONE of the thoroughbreds...remember they also have a horse named 'King Palms'.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

That gets me to thinking: most people are aware that, whenever those sideline "reporters," like Jim "The Puppet" Gray, go into the stands to "interview" celebrities and owners, they only lob easy, non-threatening questions at them, usually allowing them to pimp thier latest movie and/or other business ventures...

Is it just my imagination, or have the Maloofs never been interviewed during a game without being "asked" and/or volunteering information about the Palms?

 

[SacKings384]

The fact that he hasn't been interviewed yet and Whis is already most likely going to be the coach says an awful lot about their criteria for choosing the coach... It shows that they made this choice based on their friendship and not their name. BTW, anyone else notice that this guy has made millions in real-estate and is still very active in the business? It seems like coaching is his second job, something he just does on his off time, not something that's his life.

 

[Bricklayer]

I'm thinking Rick is doing well to be away from these buffoons.

There were reports about Whis weaseling around the Kings offices angling for this job as far back as last fall/winter. Ironic that the single worst thing for the Kings AND the Monarchs going forward could turn out to be the Monarchs winning that title. Another of those watershed moments. Here I thought it was just a nice accomplishment, but instead it becomes an excuse for the Maloofs to get all stupid and delusional and Whis to see an opportunity to weasel his way all the way up to an NBA job.

The real problem now is the degree that the stakes are ramped up. The Monarchs title defense gets scuttled -- not only do they lose thier coach, but its got to reap all kinds of havoc in their lockerroom/confidence/desire to win to see their coach dump them like a cheap suit as they get treated like second class citizens by the owners. And the Kings...not only is there exactly ZERO chance some dude walks in off the street and wins an NBA title in his first year, but if the team struggles, if things start to fall apart, we become a complete laughingstock in a way we would never be failing with a Mario Elie at the helm, for instance. Every story will be about the bizarre coaching hiring, what were we thinking, we'll be easy targets for mockery, and the damage done to our lockerroom, status with free agents, and general respectability will be immense. You hire a guy who will have to overcome myriad challenges no qualified candidate would in order to succeed, AND simultaneously raise the price of failure from mere failure to potential humiliation. And all the while raising red flags with your fans, the media, other players, agents etc. about what the hell is going on in Sacto and do I want to be a part of it.

 

[Prophetess]

I'm thinking Rick is doing well to be away from these buffoons.

There were reports about Whis weaseling around the Kings offices angling for this job as far back as last fall/winter. Ironic that the single worst thing for the Kings AND the Monarchs going forward could turn out to be the Monarchs winning that title. Another of those watershed moments. Here I thought it was just a nice accomplishment, but instead it becomes an excuse for the Maloofs to get all stupid and delusional and Whis to see an opportunity to weasel his way all the way up to an NBA job.

The real problem now is the degree that the stakes are ramped up. The Monarchs title defense gets scuttled -- not only do they lose thier coach, but its got to reap all kinds of havoc in their lockerroom/confidence/desire to win to see their coach dump them like a cheap suit as they get treated like second class citizens by the owners.

I think you found out what I saw was wrong on how the ring ceremony was treated for the Monarchs. There were more done with more excitement/pyrotechnics at a Kings season opener than they had for the Monarchs ceremony. Monarchs are already been treated like second class citizens, this would just ice the cake. It was a great accomplishment and it was being treated like "yeah, this is nice".

 

[bench_blob]

I am not gonna believe this brown-nosing, underqualified never-was will be our next coach until I hear the official announcement. The Maloofs HAVE to come to their senses. They make their decisions as a group, and so hopefully someone in that family will raise a big stink enough to nix all this stupidity.

Our veteran players will laugh at this nobody. You think Kenny Thomas is gonna respect this guy when he yanks him to the bench ? Ha - you thought he had a bad attitude last year, you ain't seen nothin'.

KT and Bonzi and Bibby (et all) may say the right things in public...but behind closed doors they will be sayin' "I forgot more about NBA hoops then this geriatric ignoramous ever knew."

The bottom line is he may know Xs and Os, and he may be able to motivate and relate to players (people), but the NBA game is SO fast, and the players are SO talented, athletic and saavy, so wealthy and ego-driven, this guy will be overwhelmed from Day One. Nothing on his resume will prepare him for what he has in store. Only an extended apprenticeship as a NBA player, or as an NBA assistant (ideally both), having direct, involved experience with what works and what does not can maybe prepare you someday for the hot seat.

He is clearly deluded himself after winning a WNBA title into thinking he can accomplish anything. Get a grip, bub. Stick to coaching girls and pubescent boys.

On the bright side, at least we have a winning talent base, the best defensive player in the NBA, and the comfort in knowing coaches are hired to be fired. And Geoff should make one or two good moves the off- season, draft a stud, and hopefully secure a back up point (Bobby Jackson come home!) and a real power forward. Then, we can succeed in spite of a ruderless ship.

And, ultimately, when Whizendorf gets canned, we can all say "I told you so".

 

[6th]

I am not gonna believe this brown-nosing, underqualified never-was will be our next coach until I hear the official announcement. The Maloofs HAVE to come to their senses. They make their decisions as a group, and so hopefully someone in that family will raise a big stink enough to nix all this stupidity.

Our veteran players will laugh at this nobody. You think Kenny Thomas is gonna respect this guy when he yanks him to the bench ? Ha - you thought he had a bad attitude last year, you ain't seen nothin'.

KT and Bonzi and Bibby (et all) may say the right things in public...but behind closed doors they will be sayin' "I forgot more about NBA hoops then this geriatric ignoramous ever knew."

The bottom line is he may know Xs and Os, and he may be able to motivate and relate to players (people), but the NBA game is SO fast, and the players are SO talented, athletic and saavy, so wealthy and ego-driven, this guy will be overwhelmed from Day One. Nothing on his resume will prepare him for what he has in store. Only an extended apprenticeship as a NBA player, or as an NBA assistant (ideally both), having direct, involved experience with what works and what does not can maybe prepare you someday for the hot seat.

He is clearly deluded himself after winning a WNBA title into thinking he can accomplish anything. Get a grip, bub. Stick to coaching girls and pubescent boys.

On the bright side, at least we have a winning talent base, the best defensive player in the NBA, and the comfort in knowing coaches are hired to be fired. And Geoff should make one or two good moves the off- season, draft a stud, and hopefully secure a back up point (Bobby Jackson come home!) and a real power forward. Then, we can succeed in spite of a ruderless ship.

And, ultimately, when Whizendorf gets canned, we can all say "I told you so".

First, please refer to the "girls" in the WNBA as women. The "men" in the NBA have earned respect in general and so have the women. Whether you like this move or not, this is not the time to "put down women" who happen to be exceptional athletes.

Second, John Whisenant is a friend of the Maloof family and has been for many years. He was a friend of Papa and Mama Maloof. They will never fire him. They may allow him to make up a family or health excuse and resign, but they will not fire him. You can take that to the bank.

 

[Starting Five]

I can't see how NBA players are going to relate and better yet respect someone who's never been in the NBA telling them " what needs to be done is this, that etc ". I liked the term I heard Mike Lamb on the radio say last week " croney "..that term perfectly fits coach Whiz.

I have been thinking about this all weekend and it sucks..sucks bigtime.

 

[Padrino]

Whisenant could be next Kings coach

He will meet today with the Maloofs and president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie.

By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer

Published 12:01 am PDT Sunday, May 28, 2006

Monarchs coach John Whisenant will interview today for the Kings'
head-coaching job. Whisenant, the 2005 WNBA Coach of the Year,
has no NBA playing or coaching experience.


LAS VEGAS -- The man many believe will be the next Kings coach made the trip here Saturday night.

This morning, Monarchs coach John Whisenant will attempt to convince the Kings' brass that he can make the jump from the WNBA to the NBA.

Whisenant will interview with the family of the team's owners, the Maloofs, as well as Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie. The session may be a formality, a chance for Petrie to make a more extensive assessment of Whisenant before endorsing the candidate on whom the Maloofs are so high. Or, as Petrie has said, it could be followed by at least one more interview as the Kings continue to look for a replacement for Rick Adelman.

Friday, speculation grew that Whisenant already had been chosen, a claim the Maloofs would not confirm or deny. Asked by The Bee if a coach already had been chosen, Kings co-owner Joe Maloof said, "I can't answer that."

Whisenant isn't among those who believe the job is his. The coach of the Maloofs' WNBA championship team said he was approaching the interview with the belief that it was not his yet.

"Until I know more definitely, I can't give you an answer," he said. "I know (the Maloofs') process, and I know that they think the world of me, and I'm still totally honored that they feel that way. (But) until the time is right with them, I just think it's not right for me to comment."

Whisenant often has said there is no need for him to interview with the Maloofs. His relationship with Petrie, however, is in question. Whisenant said the two always have been cordial, with their offices three doors apart at the Kings' practice facility.


"Sometime in the playoffs, I talked to him about a playoff game," Whisenant said. "We talked about (Kings small forward Ron) Artest and his impact on the team and stuff like that … . We visited over time in a casual fashion. Geoff doesn't tell a lot about his business. He's pretty closed-lipped. He's not like a jabbery talker."

Should the Kings hire Whisenant, he said he is well aware that his lack of coaching and playing experience will be heavily scrutinized. While he has a track record of winning, he has never played or coached in the NBA.

Whisenant, the 2005 WNBA Coach of the Year, coached in the International Basketball League and had an extensive AAU coaching career.
He also was an assistant for seven years at the University of New Mexico.
He would join a short class of NBA head coaches with such limited experience. Detroit coach Flip Saunders had played only in the Continental Basketball Association before becoming Minnesota's general manager for seven months and later taking over as head coach. Golden State coach Mike Montgomery, a winner during his Stanford days, was assistant coach with the U.S. 2002 world championship team. New York coach Larry Brown never played in the NBA, but he coached and played in the ABA.

Whisenant said he is confident he could do the job, gain the confidence of multimillionaire NBA players and improve the Kings defensively.
"Players know basketball," he said. "And when they see that what I'm doing is sound, they'll respond."

Whisenant made the trip only after learning that his ailing 85-year-old mother, Virginia, had improved. In the past week, her condition has been one of many issues weighing on his mind. Whisenant said he has lost some sleep in recent days and was hoping the Kings' situation was resolved quickly for the sake of his current team. The Monarchs lost for the first time this season Thursday, falling 81-66 to Houston.

"It's a great concern to me, the lack of focus we had, and I'm concerned that all of this is hard on them," Whisenant said. "I think (the Kings' coaching hunt) will all get settled one way or another in the next few days."

Monarchs guard and Kings TV analyst Kara Lawson said Whisenant could win over an NBA locker room.

"What players want more than anything is to win," she said. "And he has a track record for winning. They will resist change. (But) I think when they start winning, they will accept it."

http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/14261431p-15075015c.html

i'm wondering at what point someone in the sacramento bee is going to stand up to this decision. where are the opinion pieces saying this is a ridiculous display of favoritism and croneyism? the bee is fond of slamming the maloofs. where are the angry columns lambasting the maloof's lack of foresight and discernment. my guess is the bee is holding off until word is official on the whisenant hiring. but if it proves to be true, and after the official announcement, i better be seeing some pissed off bee staff writers. i'm hoping at least a few of them are intelligent enough to see through the bull**** and call the maloofs out on grounds of nepotism and irresponsibility.

as for the bolded, my oh my...the bee actually mentioned whisenant's extensive experience coaching AAU basketball.

embarassing...

 

[Kev.in]

If anyone is going to speak on it my bet is on Marty McNeal, although he'd do it in an even-keeled and diplomatic manner.

 

[Warhawk]

I think you found out what I saw was wrong on how the ring ceremony was treated for the Monarchs. There were more done with more excitement/pyrotechnics at a Kings season opener than they had for the Monarchs ceremony. Monarchs are already been treated like second class citizens, this would just ice the cake. It was a great accomplishment and it was being treated like "yeah, this is nice".

I wonder how much of it is the income disparity between the two teams.

Don't the WNBA teams have to pay for themselves now? Ticket prices are a lot less and the arena isn't sold out (lower deck, maybe?). How much $$$ are the Maloofs going to dish out into a franchise that is pretty small-potatoes money-wise compared to the NBA? How does the money they spend compare to the rest of the WNBA teams?

I enjoy watching the women's game from time to time and am not putting them down at all, just wondering about these points.

Also wonder how interested Whis would be in the Kings' coaching position of it paid similarly to the WNBA coaching positions.....

 

[Padrino]

Also wonder how interested Whis would be in the Kings' coaching position of it paid similarly to the WNBA coaching positions.....

interesting point...