The Rockets are interviewing Magic assistant coach Adrian Griffin for their head coaching job today, Mark Berman of Fox26 tweets. “Very special,” Griffin told Berman when he arrived for the interview. “I’m just looking forward to the opportunity.”
The 41-year-old Griffin, Scott Skiles’ lead assistant in Orlando, also interviewed for the Magic job before the franchise decided to hire Frank Vogel.
Before joining the Magic last summer, Griffin spent several years in Chicago as an assistant coach on Tom Thibodeau‘s staff. He also reportedly interviewed with the Blazers in 2012, the Pistons and twice with the Sixers in 2013, and the Jazz twice as well as the Cavs in 2014.
Spurs assistant coach James Borrego is also expected to be interviewed on Monday, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported this weekend. Griffin and Borrego will apparently have an uphill climb to get the job. The Rockets reportedly whittled down the prospective candidates to Sixers assistant coach Mike D’Antoni and Hornets assistant coach Stephen Silas prior to those interviews.
The process toward hiring a new coach has been long-winded, with plenty of big names popping up along the way. New Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek, former Cavs coach David Blatt, Raptors assistant coach Rex Kalamian, Grizzlies assistant coach Jeff Bzdelik, San Antonio Spurs assistant Ettore Messina, TNT analyst Kenny Smith, Clippers assistant Sam Cassell, current Rockets assistant Chris Finch and ABC analyst Jeff Van Gundy were also linked to the opening at one time or another.
In a long process like this, I wonder how much it hurts the candidates to interview at the end. How much can Borrego and Griffin tell the Rockets that they haven’t heard already?
When does the revolving door end. Rockets if these two do not beat out Silas interview then better get him before goes to GSW or Portland. I like Silas for a choice with Hollins