Suns begin search for new coach

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Suns begin search for new coach
Paul Coro - May. 10, 2008

The Arizona Republic
Eight days ago, Mike D'Antoni made up his mind not to coach again for the Suns.

Six days ago, he knew the New York Knicks' job could be his but was unsure about starting over.

Three days ago, he decided he would be the Knicks' coach, even though the Chicago Bulls' owner was coming to see him.
Sunday, D'Antoni's letter of resignation will be sent to the Suns after he accepted a four-year, $24 million offer Saturday to become the NBA's third-highest-paid coach and a ray of hope for the moribund Knicks.

As D'Antoni heads to New York Sunday, the Suns enter an off-season coaching search for the first time since Cotton Fitzsimmons moved from the front office to the bench in 1988. Suns General Manager Steve Kerr, who won't make the same slide, will set up interviews this week to find his new coach.

"We appreciate all of Mike's efforts and contributions these past five years and wish him well in his next challenge," Kerr said in a statement. "We will now be methodical in the process of finding our next head coach."

Kerr is expected to hire someone with NBA experience (but not limited to head-coaching experience) and a balanced approach to improve defense and depth while not moving away deterring from the Suns' style and identity as a top offense.

It is easier to identify who the coach won't be, with Kerr and TNT analyst Doug Collins each squashing speculation that they would be candidates. A guess such as Avery Johnson would be wrong, too, with names under consideration that haven't been speculated upon publicly.

"You can't really get a coach who's just another coach," Suns guard Steve Nash said after taking a thank-you call from D'Antoni. "We should all be professional enough that we'll do our best. It should be exciting for us to look forward to trying to win. It's sad to see Mike go, but we've got to look at it as an opportunity to get better, and if a new coach can do that, we have to rally. We have to make it a positive.

"We all needed to change our approaches. If a new voice can do that, great."

Teammate Grant Hill, also disappointed, said, "I don't think we need a coach who's going to be a lot different. We need to make a few changes. I guess that was the issue. I don't think we need to change the whole philosophy. I'm still trying to digest that Mike's gone."

Suns broadcast analyst Eddie Johnson is the first to come forward, saying Saturday that he would ask to interview for a job that might prove attractive, with star power and a 58-win average over the past four seasons under D'Antoni.

The Suns' winningest four-year run had D'Antoni thinking about a contract extension in Phoenix before the playoffs, but the topic was never broached to executives. From the onset of a 4-1 playoff series loss to San Antonio, a coaching controversy was born, as D'Antoni was irked to hear Kerr respond to speculation on his status by saying it would be evaluated after the playoffs.

He left a postseason meeting with Kerr and Suns Managing Partner Robert Sarver with optimism but awoke a day later with thoughts that he would not change his methods and that he did not feel his ability was trusted. D'Antoni saw leaving as his solution, and New York and Chicago had interest.

D'Antoni favored Chicago's ready-to-win roster but connected with new Knicks President Donnie Walsh, an esteemed, veteran GM who pledged to provide patience and the players to rebuild.

"He agonized over two very good choices," D'Antoni's agent, Warren LeGarie, said. "It's in his heart. He felt this was the better challenge. It's building a program and a chance to work with Donnie. The Knicks are committed to impressive resources if you're on to something."

D'Antoni inherits plodding big men Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry and ball-pounding point guard Stephon Marbury, whom he liked personally when he was a Suns assistant but would not have entrusted to run the system he handed to Nash.

"There are some interesting pieces, and the rest of the issues are chemistry," LeGarie said. "Mike's opinion is they're not as far away as people imagine."

LeGarie said D'Antoni, who is expected to take assistants Alvin Gentry and Dan D'Antoni with him, settled on New York before meeting Friday with Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf.

"(Saturday) morning, Jerry and I spoke and agreed that Mike was a good fit, and I placed a call to his agent," Bulls GM John Paxson said in a statement. "Jerry wanted to meet with Mike again (Saturday) and talk about a deal. Unfortunately, we were never given an opportunity to make an offer of any kind, which is the most disappointing thing in all of this right now. I thought it would have been fair to listen to what we had to say, but at the end of the day we simply weren't given the opportunity."

LeGarie said Kerr and Sarver were sincere in attempts to bring D'Antoni back for his remaining two contract years, which were worth $8.5 million and will be voided. A brew of stressful expectations, paranoia and irritation with home playoff boos proved too much.

"The dynamics had changed, and that was the reason it was time to go," LeGarie said. "He couldn't sustain the level of commitment. His ability to coach the team was probably compromised."

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/2008/05/10/20080510dantoni.html

[lurker]

Does anyone actually believe leaving was Mike's choice? I think he was given the option of resigning or being fired.

[JMarkJohns]

Does anyone actually believe leaving was Mike's choice? I think he was given the option of resigning or being fired.

Yes. I do think he wanted to leave, but I do feel he had no choice. In this instance, you can have both scenerios.

[SpursFanFirst]

Yes. I do think he wanted to leave, but I do feel he had no choice. In this instance, you can have both scenerios.

I agree.

So, any hopes for the new coach? Van Gundy is still floating around out there...oh yeah, and Larry Brown.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

I agree.

So, any hopes for the new coach? Van Gundy is still floating around out there...oh yeah, and Larry Brown.

Van Gundy has said that he doesn't want to coach this year.
And Larry Brown is the coach of the Bobcats.

[BlackSwordsMan]

Kerr is gonna be the coach

[JMarkJohns]

For some reason the name Doug Collins keeps popping into articles. He has a home in Phoenix (Convenient), and I guess Kerr likes his coaching ability (specifically with young players) and his defensive emphasis. Sarver will like him because he will probably be had for 2/3 million per season, instead of 4 or more...


Van Gundy is to much the extreme opposite of D'Antoni. The players would give up on him after the first practice.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Possible head coaches from my research:
Vinny Del Negro
Paul Silas
Dan Majerle
Eddie Johnson
Mario Elie
Steve Kerr
Avery Johnson
Doug Collins
Tom Thibodeau
Alvin Gentry

[ducks]

LeGarie said D'Antoni, who is expected to take assistants Alvin Gentry and Dan D'Antoni with him, settled on New York before meeting Friday with Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf.

[SpursFanFirst]

Van Gundy has said that he doesn't want to coach this year.
And Larry Brown is the coach of the Bobcats.

Oh yeah...I forgot about the Bobcat hire.

[JMarkJohns]

LeGarie said D'Antoni, who is expected to take assistants Alvin Gentry and Dan D'Antoni with him, settled on New York before meeting Friday with Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf.

I'm sad to see Dan D'Antoni go. He was a very good coach with younger players.

[timvp]

I don't understand why the Suns aren't going after Alvin Gentry. He's the only guy who really makes sense. The players like the Suns' coaching staff by all accounts, so transitioning from D'Antoni to Gentry would be easy on the playoffs.

Gentry also has a very good resume. He's coached under bother Larry Brown and Pat Riley. He was hired as the head assistant by Pop before the 2000-01 season, but then left to become head coach of the Clippers. He didn't have success with the Clippers but who does?

Gentry just makes perfect sense for the Suns. As a Spurs fan, he's the one guy I hope they do not hire because he could keep the D'Antoni offensive cohesion but then bring in Larry Brown/Pat Riley/Gregg Popovich type defensive schemes.

Looking at it from a Spurs perspective, I hope the Suns hire some defensive guru who alienates the players. Kerr will then learn the hard way that the Suns' best shot at winning a championship was with their offense, not their defense. You can't have Nash and a 37+ year old Shaq and win with defense. Just not going to happen.

[ducks]

Kerr has said no tell his kids get out of school
they could go with gentry tell then

[1Parker1]

:lol Bulls dropped the ball AGAIN by acting too slowly on things. Gasol, Kobe, and now D Antoni.

[JMarkJohns]

I could be happy with Gentry. The problem is, anyone who thinks the Suns roster as presently constructed has what it takes to win a Title is merely fooling themselves. And if you think Sarver is going to use his mid-1st pick AND sign help with the MLE, then they too are fooling themselves.

So... Gentry is then put into the impossible situation of winning with a team that can't win, for an owner who won't help him and for a time of this team's life where the downhill turn will make this team look more like the Blues Mobile after the Chicago police chase than a contender.

And... I don't know enough about Gentry's ability to coach up young talent to feel confident in his ability once the rebuilding process starts as early as next offseason.

[RonMexico]

It's all about Sarver not selling every draft pick.

And he needs to trade Barbosa this summer while everyone still thinks he could be a "starting PG on half the teams in this league." Because Barbosa is not a point guard and he takes the dumbest shots in the world... for which I blame both D'Antoni brothers.

Paul Silas head coach... Paul Westphal as assistant and this team is on fire.

I would be ok with Gentry most likely too because he is a funny guy and would keep things pretty light around the locker room. I don't think chemistry is an issue unless Amare turns into Marion part 2... that's where Shaq comes in and leads him (hopefully).

OMG, maybe we'll get a coach that doesn't play the starters 45 minutes per game... I think that would be step one. Now that Grant Hill has provided the blueprint for what a midrange shooting, cutting forward can do out there, Alando Tucker could provide a great spark off the bench. Why Strawberry was never given a shot to guard Parker/Ginobili in that series is beyond me. It's not like he's more of an offensive liability than the disappearing Leandro Barbosa. Fucking shit, these wasted opportunities keep pissing me off.

Grabbing a backup PG would be a nice move too, if they could pull it off. Trade Barbosa for Conley (Acie Law is no longer an option now that Billy is leaving, so we can't fleece Atlanta). It will be nice to see guys get some PT out there and Nash not go 4-16 because he's so damn tired from playing 38 minutes vs. teams like the Bobcats and Grizzlies.

I can't wait until D'Antoni says he's not playing David Lee or Rolando Balkman in NY because he's loyal to guys like Randolph and Curry. Just like about Nash, "What, you guys want me to take out the best PG in the game? C'mon guys." STFU, Mike - we want him healthy for the playoffs, so a guy like Strawberry can step up if Nash is having an off night or Tucker can replace Hill when he has a groin injury. FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK. No coach/manager has ever frustrated me more in my entire life... oh, except for Dennis Green and Buck Showalter.

[RonMexico]

Oh, man - I can't wait until D'Antoni is playing Quentin Richardson and Eddy Curry 38 mpg... it's going to be the greatest moment of my life. And then he's going to start developing Curry into a 3point shooter. Nate Robinson will play backup PG and shoot 18 times per game like Barbosa. They will not have a winning season in NY until they sign LeBron and D-Wade in the Summer of 2010... then the chicken or the egg debate will end with "Nash or D'Antoni?"

[BillsCarnage]

I agree.

So, any hopes for the new coach? Van Gundy is still floating around out there...oh yeah, and Larry Brown.

I posted a dark horse, but a good potential candidate on ASF..

Ty Corbin

Was a smart, gritty defensive player and has worked as an assistant to Sloan for a few years. His name was tossed around last summer and he'll probably get some more looks this year. He's definitely HC material, I just don't know how he is at coaching the offense.

Not sure if Shaq would buy in though.

[RonMexico]

Coach K is who they should get... since it's widely publicized on ESPN that Duke has implemented Mike D'Antoni's offense.

Or Bill Self.

Or maybe John Calipari.

[CubanMustGo]

How many college coaches have success at the NBA level, tho?

And wouldn't Coach K have to take a pay cut to coach in the NBA? :lol

[degenerate_gambler]

so avery's name hasn't been brought up?

[jack sommerset]

so avery's name hasn't been brought up?

HAHAHAHAHAHA Avery

Kerr will be fired next 2 years.

[TDMVPDPOY]

htf is kerr going to fire himself, he owns a share in the suns hahahahaa

[Jeremy]

How about Patrick Ewing? Is he ready to be a head coach? He could sure help Amare's game...

[JMarkJohns]

How about Patrick Ewing? Is he ready to be a head coach? He could sure help Amare's game...

You're joking, right? I've never seen anything in Ewing that suggests he'll ever be head coaching material, let alone before age 45. Ewing was pretty stupid, as I recall. Also, I don't know if a guy made infamous by The Gold Club is who I want babysitting my already not-all-there superstar big.

[baseline bum]

Looking at it from a Spurs perspective, I hope the Suns hire some defensive guru who alienates the players. Kerr will then learn the hard way that the Suns' best shot at winning a championship was with their offense, not their defense. You can't have Nash and a 37+ year old Shaq and win with defense. Just not going to happen.

They probably should just to teach Amare how to defend while he's still young (25). I think Stoudemire could be so much better a player than he currently is, but D'Antoni's relaxed style wasn't doing Stoudemire any favors as far as his career progression.

[z0sa]

I'm sad to see Dan D'Antoni go. He was a very good coach with younger players.

while your emotion may very much be real, i cant name a real young prospect the suns have except for barbosa ... and i wouldnt exactly call that a success, at least in the playoffs.

[RonMexico]

How many college coaches have success at the NBA level, tho?

And wouldn't Coach K have to take a pay cut to coach in the NBA? :lol

Yeah, I was being slightly sarcastic.

[JMarkJohns]

while your emotion may very much be real, i cant name a real young prospect the suns have except for barbosa ... and i wouldnt exactly call that a success, at least in the playoffs.

He helped with Barbosa, Strawberry (who showed plenty in the very little he ever got) and also helped Iavaroni with Diaw. He also worked with Joe Johnson way back when...

[Xylus]

Tom Thibodeau will be our next head coach, I'm sure of it.

[pauls931]

I was hoping a bit for paul silas. And thank god Larry brown is already taken, they might as well burn down the city if he got the job. I wouldn't mind seeing westphal on the coaching staff to keep a bit of that run and gun spirit alive. Because one thing most fans can admit is phoenix is fun to watch, just not when they play the spurs in the playoffs with the exception of last year.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Kerr: No "huge rush" to hire new Suns coach
27 minutes ago

PHOENIX — There is "no big rush" to hire a new coach for the Phoenix Suns, the team's general manager said Monday.

Steve Kerr said he plans a thorough search that includes people with teams still in the NBA playoffs. "We're going to make sure we cover our bases," he said. "There's not a huge rush because we're not one of five or six teams out there looking for someone, so we don't feel like we're competing with other people."

The Suns are looking for a coach in the off-season for the first time in two decades after Mike D'Antoni left to become coach of the New York Knicks. D'Antoni's departure followed philosophical differences with Kerr, who took over as GM a year ago.

Kerr said he and owner Robert Sarver wanted D'Antoni to stay, but the coach balked at some of the changes the general manager wanted. Those reportedly included a bigger emphasis on defence, giving playing time to some younger players and perhaps altering his staff.

But Kerr wants no major alteration in the Suns' style.

"Our personnel is geared toward getting out and running," he said. "It's exciting basketball. I believe in it. I just think we need to be more balanced, though. We have to be better at the other end of the court as well, so I'll be looking for someone who shares that vision."

D'Antoni resigned with two years and US$8.5 million remaining on his Suns contract. He compiled a 232-96 record over the last four full seasons, but the team could never make it to the NBA finals. Three times the Suns were eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs.

"Mike had great success here and did a really good job," Kerr said. "The players should appreciate what he's done and I appreciate what he's done, but for all the different circumstances and reasons, he's moving on and we're moving on."

The Suns' five-game loss to San Antonio in the first round this year reinforced many of Kerr's feelings about the need for an added emphasis on defence. But D'Antoni's easygoing, funny and highly personable demeanour masks an intense competitiveness and more than a little stubbornness.

That helped lead to his falling out with the Suns, and when D'Antoni asked for permission to talk with other teams, it brought an end to his highly entertaining era.

Kerr has a list of prospects and was setting up interviews, but wouldn't say how many names were involved, let alone who they are. He acknowledged it could take an experienced coach to best deal with the team.

"We have a veteran team and we have a chance to win big next year," Kerr said. "Maybe it would be different if we were a young team trying to build for the future or whatever, but with that said, whoever stands out, stands out."

The coach will have to coexist with Shaquille O'Neal, something others in that position occasionally have struggled with.

"I think you need somebody with a presence, somebody the guys are going to respect," Kerr said. "That's true with everybody, but particularly a guy like Shaq who had a big presence and a big personality and has won championships."'

Because there are candidates still involved in the playoffs, it could be several weeks before someone is hired.

"At the same time, if someone jumps out at us immediately, this could happen quicker than we think," Kerr said, "but the point of being methodical is being thorough."

Rather than lament the end of the D'Antoni era, Kerr said people should be excited about "the chance to improve our team."

With the stunning trade of Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks for O'Neal, and now the drawn-out departure of a coach who won at least 54 games in each of the last four seasons, it's been a tumultuous first year on the job for Kerr.

The 15-year NBA veteran and former University of Arizona standout left a comfortable job in TV to take the Suns' job.

"I certainly didn't expect this amount of change in one year, but I also understand that's the way the league works," he said. "Things are fluid. They change pretty quickly."

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5i3MwvDXLZgQcwUQrENIm_NSExuKQ

[Indazone]

Tom Thibodeaux is the best head coach you could possibly get. Pray that Kerr isn't dumb enough to get JVG.

[jack sommerset]

htf is kerr going to fire himself, he owns a share in the suns hahahahaa

I own a share of the Greenbay Packers. I am going to make myself GM tommorrow. HAHAHAHAHAHA

[xtremesteven33]

shaq will reitre this year....im sure of it

[dknights411]

Here's an idea. Let Steve Nash coach the team. They couldn't do any worse.

[JMarkJohns]

I don't understand why the Suns aren't going after Alvin Gentry. He's the only guy who really makes sense. The players like the Suns' coaching staff by all accounts, so transitioning from D'Antoni to Gentry would be easy on the playoffs.

Gentry also has a very good resume. He's coached under bother Larry Brown and Pat Riley. He was hired as the head assistant by Pop before the 2000-01 season, but then left to become head coach of the Clippers. He didn't have success with the Clippers but who does?

Gentry just makes perfect sense for the Suns. As a Spurs fan, he's the one guy I hope they do not hire because he could keep the D'Antoni offensive cohesion but then bring in Larry Brown/Pat Riley/Gregg Popovich type defensive schemes.

Looking at it from a Spurs perspective, I hope the Suns hire some defensive guru who alienates the players. Kerr will then learn the hard way that the Suns' best shot at winning a championship was with their offense, not their defense. You can't have Nash and a 37+ year old Shaq and win with defense. Just not going to happen.

Good call...

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

epic bump

[Xylus]

Now that is impressive.

[JMarkJohns]

He hit the nail right on the head in damn near every aspect.

[RonMexico]

So, the Terry Porter hire was a success? Or did I miss something?

[jacobdrj]

Alvin Gentry isn't a terrible coach. Decidedly mediocre. A lot like Isiah Thomas (as a coach).

Kind of a side-step between him and Porter. More a political one.

[pauls931]

I don't understand why the Suns aren't going after Alvin Gentry. He's the only guy who really makes sense. The players like the Suns' coaching staff by all accounts, so transitioning from D'Antoni to Gentry would be easy on the playoffs.

Gentry also has a very good resume. He's coached under bother Larry Brown and Pat Riley. He was hired as the head assistant by Pop before the 2000-01 season, but then left to become head coach of the Clippers. He didn't have success with the Clippers but who does?

Gentry just makes perfect sense for the Suns. As a Spurs fan, he's the one guy I hope they do not hire because he could keep the D'Antoni offensive cohesion but then bring in Larry Brown/Pat Riley/Gregg Popovich type defensive schemes.

Looking at it from a Spurs perspective, I hope the Suns hire some defensive guru who alienates the players. Kerr will then learn the hard way that the Suns' best shot at winning a championship was with their offense, not their defense. You can't have Nash and a 37+ year old Shaq and win with defense. Just not going to happen.

I guess nostradamus is still with us...

[RonMexico]

Alvin Gentry isn't a terrible coach. Decidedly mediocre. A lot like Isiah Thomas (as a coach).

Kind of a side-step between him and Porter. More a political one.

That's true, he's definitely no Doug Collins.