Shortly after the Pacers parted ways last month with Nate McMillan, president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard spoke about wanting the team’s head coaching search to “start with a big pool, then get down smaller and smaller.” Based on reports this week, it sounds like Pritchard is delivering on that promise.
On Wednesday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski identified 14 initial candidates for the Pacers’ head coaching job. He later added a 15th, reporting that former Finals MVP Chauncey Billups is also receiving consideration.
Pritchard and the Pacers will be seeking a coach who has a “modern approach” to the game and an ability to connect with younger players. Even with that criteria in mind, it’s hard to know which of the team’s initial candidates may make the strongest impression.
A number of the candidates being interviewed by the Pacers – including David Vanterpool, Nate Tibbetts, Will Hardy, Becky Hammon, Stephen Silas, Jamahl Mosley, Darvin Ham, Ime Udoka, and Pat Delany – are experienced assistants who have interviewed for other head coaching jobs. It’s possible one of them will stand out during the process and make the Pacers comfortable with hiring a first-time head coach.
Other assistants on Indiana’s list, including Charles Lee, Chris Quinn, and Dan Craig, may be a bit more under the radar, having not been linked to many – or any – head coaching jobs in the past, so they should probably be considered dark-horse candidates.
Dave Joerger and Jacque Vaughn are the two candidates who have previously held head coaching jobs. Joerger’s on-court results in Memphis and Sacramento were actually pretty solid, but he clashed at times with players and executives during those stops. Vaughn, meanwhile, overachieved with a depleted Brooklyn team this summer in Orlando, but was passed over by the Nets for their permanent job.
Billups is a wild card in the Pacers’ process. According to Wojnarowski, people around the league have long believed that the former Pistons guard would land a significant role with an NBA organization due to his leadership style and “basketball savvy.” But he has never even served as an assistant, so it remains to be seen if the Pacers would be comfortable rolling the dice on him.
Another wild card is current Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni, who was the first name connected to Indiana on the day the team fired McMillan. D’Antoni still has a job, and GM Daryl Morey recently spoke about wanting to retain the veteran coach.
However, D’Antoni’s contract is up, and if his Rockets are dispatched by the Lakers in Game 5 on Saturday with a fourth straight loss, it would end the season on a sour note. It’s possible he and the Rockets wouldn’t be as enthusiastic about a new deal at that point, freeing him up to join a team like the Pacers, who would surely welcome his free-wheeling offense.
What do you think? Is there a candidate on the Pacers’ current list who stands out to you as an obvious choice? Are there any candidates not on their list that you think they should be considering? Who do you expect to become Indiana’s next head coach?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!
I personally would love to give Billups a shot but the more ‘safer’ pick would be D’antoni
Any concerns over Billups lack of coaching experience, though? That’d worry me some.
I am thinking Sillivan.
David Joerger is the best in the list
Playoffs success Is needed
Pacers have no superstar
No, I mean you should coach the Pacers.
In the article it states that the Pacers will be looking for someone that can connect with players though, and Joerger has had a history of clashing with players and execs. That doesn’t seem the greatest of matches.
I know the “hired to be fired” saying and all. But, if D’Antoni is so great (seems he already has another job before he gets let go from his current one), why is he always getting fired? What has he won, besides regular season games? Why do owners and GMs keep saying, “Hey, we probably won’t win a championship with him, but lets hire this guy anyway.”???
Rockets offense is terrible
With 2 mvps，they score 41 at half
I wasn’t a fan of Billups as a player. But having said that he was a good player. Lookin’ at the list of uninspiring scrubs they have as potential HC for IND, it would seem to me that they must go with Billups.
I would still much more they went for someone like Cassell or Stackhouse they would be great for IND, make no mistake about it!
D’Antoni would top my list, if he becomes available.
If he stays in Houston, I’d give Becky a chance. Pau Gasol has spoken really highly of her, and he’s played for 2 HoF coaches in Pop and Phil.
I don’t know why he would stay in Houston. That roster has peaked and things for not going to get better as Westbrook continues to decline.
Pritchard likes the process. Maybe too much. But he usually makes solid decisions. I don’t see hiring Antoni. I’d want a younger coach that can grow with this team. Joerger should get a long look. He showed well despite a lack of support from the FO’s he worked for.
Pritchard may want a HC he can coach himself.
Probably. I’m sure he’d like to be the PG as well.
No better place than Indy for Hammon to get a shot. That’s if her offensive philosophy meshes with mgmt vision…