Not a “Who do you want?” or “Who should they hire?” thread. —> Here Rumors, potential interest, interviews,… ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Frank Vogel: INTERVIEWED (April 12) Kevin Young: INTERVIEWED (April 14) Adrian Griffin: INTERVIEWED (April 15) James Borrego: INTERVIEWED (April 17) Ime Udoka: INTERVIEWED (April 19) Sam Cassell: INTERVIEWED (April 23) ____________________________________________________ April 21 Nurse will now be a part of the Houston Rockets' coaching search, sources said. The Rockets are progressing toward a second round of interviews, which are expected to include former Los Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel, Udoka and Nurse, sources said. Former Charlotte Hornets coach James Borrego also made a strong impression in his interview, sources said. — Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN (4/21/2023) April 11 Permission to interview Kenny Atkinson — Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN (4/11/2023) Scheduling interviews with: Kenny Atkinson. Nick Nurse is expected to be a top target should he become available. — Shams Charania (4/11/2023) April 10 The Rockets expect to begin interviews by the end of the week, two individuals with knowledge of the process said. They will initially target former head coaches Ime Udoka, Frank Vogel and Kenny Atkinson, with the pool of candidates that will be considered to succeed Stephen Silas expected to reach eight or nine, fewer than in previous searches but more than if the Rockets were to choose and chase a few favorites. — Jonathan Feigen/Houston Chronicle (4/10/2023) April 9 Sources say the Rockets’ initial coaching candidates are expected to be Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, former Lakers coach Frank Vogel, ex-Hornets coach James Borrego, Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin and ex-Celtics coach Ime Udoka. The Rockets are expected to have a list of about eight candidates, according to sources. — The Athletic (4/9/2023) Among the prominent candidates in the Rockets' search will be former Celtics coach Ime Udoka, Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson and former Lakers coach Frank Vogel. If Raptors coach Nick Nurse becomes available, he'll be a serious consideration too. — Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN (4/9/2023) April 7 “Several potential coaching candidates — in addition to Nurse — whom league personnel have connected to the Rockets have a shared history with Harden. Scott Brooks, currently an assistant with Portland, coached the Oklahoma City Thunder before Harden was dealt to the Rockets in 2012. Rex Kalamian, a current Pistons assistant coach, has also been mentioned by multiple NBA figures as a possible Houston coaching addition, perhaps as an assistant coach, with respect to his relationship with Harden since serving on Brooks’ OKC staff.” — Jake Fischer/Yahoo Sports (4/7/2023)
I suppose we may never know, but I wonder when the final decision to cut ties with Silas happened, whether there was any immediate successor in mind. Or was it done with no idea who was to ne next? My gut is that the names offered so far are merely a list of the most obvious candidates. We will see in further reports which ones become serious. Cant wait!
Its time to unleash the "Gundy"! No one in the media will talk trash about the Organization and the players will keep their place.
Stone will publicly like claim this is a decision they made recently, but there were very credible people in Chicago and Houston that said Silas would not be back in 2023-2024 as early as 20 games into this season. I have heard nothing about the Rockets knowing who their next head coach will be. I am sure they will be interested in Udoka and Nurse but I am not sure Udoka will want the Rockets over the Sixers job or another surprise opening; and no guarantee Nurse is available. The Rockets will likely get a veteran coach like they need, the question is whether they get tier one or tier two.
@J.R. if you could somehow formulate these rumours into a (sometimes updated) "power-ranking of likelihood", then you'd be some kind of hero!!
New HC selection, wemby/scoot gamble, n FA recruitment in summer, three key steps, all decisive to this team, will decide how far could go in coming 5yrs…also further scrutinize stone's stay or go in next 1-2 seasons.
JR - This is AWESOME, many thanks for putting it together and getting this started!!! Come on Kenny A, make my day!
What other NBA teams are expecting to be looking for a coach? From top of my head, it would be Dallas, Toronto, Detroit, Houston and may be Philidelphia? IMHO, we are unlikely to get top tier coach unless we land #1 pick.
I hope they have someone in place before the draft. Stone, Tilman and Patrick making the choice without an expert is a terrifying prospect. Would be excellent if a VERY experienced head coach was on board before draft and FA signings.
