The Rockets, who kicked off their head coaching search very early in the offseason, are progressing toward a second round of interviews with some of their candidates, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). According to Wojnarowski, Frank Vogel and Ime Udoka are expected be involved in that second round, which will also see newly available Nick Nurse be introduced to the process.
While Wojnarowski suggests a second round of interviews is around the corner, it doesn’t appear the Rockets have completed their first round yet.
According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link), Sixers assistant Sam Cassell – whose candidacy was previously reported – will interview with Houston on Sunday. Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle says that the club also still plans to meet with Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson in the coming days.
Both Cassell and Atkinson are employed by teams that are competing in the first round of the playoffs, so I imagine it’s more logistically challenging for the Rockets to schedule interviews with those candidates than the ones who are between jobs.
Here’s more on the Rockets’ coaching search:
- In addition to Vogel and Udoka, the Rockets have also completed their initial interviews with James Borrego, Adrian Griffin, and Kevin Young, Feigen confirms. Adding Cassell, Atkinson, and Nurse to that group would give Houston a total of eight candidates, which was the number initially reported at the time the team parted ways with Stephen Silas.
- Iko and Eric Koreen of The Athletic teamed up to take a closer look at Nurse’s style of coaching, to break down his performance with the Raptors, and to consider how he might fit with the Rockets.
- The Rockets are overdue to get a head coaching hire right, Jerome Solomon writes in a column for The Houston Chronicle, arguing that the franchise hasn’t hit a home run on that front since bringing in Rudy Tomjanovich way back in 1992.
Cassell to me would be the best choice. Ime is going to Toronto. Nurse seems to get the opinion he is good and or not good. To me he ran the starters too much. They have 4 # 3’s but no go to. Can Barnes be the guy? Time will tell!
I wonder what Vogel and his chances are. Nurse I am not sure on fit. Sam I liked when played for us. Rockets have not had a great coach in a long while. I do not want to take anything away from McHale when had the team. Bickerstaff see found a home seems in Cleveland. I am not sure on a lot of the ones interviewing and fit for Rockets. I wonder too where Rockets will land with draft lottery. If get top spot am sure will pick Wem but seems Detroit wants too and Spurs perhaps. So do not know who else is out there to help this coming season. But hope Houston gets the right coach and supporting staff. Here is hoping things go right or else Stone may be out next. I really am not keen on him. But the next few months will tell what the Rockets will be like to take the season forward but the season itself will really tell the story if the decisions over the summer work.
Maybe Rudy T is available?
Nate McMillan ….. first
Kenny Atkinson ……. second
Hell, hire a high school coach and tell him to get control if the circus. No more one on four three point shots. Maybe teach the team what to do when the other team has the ball.
There is a lot of potential on the roster, but they will have to unlearn a lot.