Wash Post: Van Gundy to try to get Ewing

Sorry Ewing haters, it's gonna happen. It'll be a good thing so just deal with it.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36720-2003Jun9.html?nav=hptoc_s

Van Gundy Nixes Wizards For Rockets

By Steve Wyche
Washington Post Staff Writer


NEW YORK, June 9 -- Former New York Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy notified the Houston Rockets this morning that he will accept their head coaching job, leaving the Washington Wizards still searching.

The Wizards interviewed Van Gundy last Wednesday and hoped to hire him as coach and, possibly, president of basketball operations. However, Van Gundy joined former Philadelphia coach Larry Brown, now coach of the Detroit Pistons, in spurning the Wizards for teams with more recent success and better players despite the lure of both jobs and a possible salary of about $7 million per year.

There were reports today that Washington only had offered Van Gundy the coaching job, left vacant when the Wizards fired one of Van Gundy's good friends, Doug Collins. However, league sources said Van Gundy had the opportunity to oversee player personnel and to coach the Wizards. Washington was said to be optimistic that it could land Van Gundy, in part because Van Gundy and his wife were concerned about moving their family from New York to Houston, a source said.

Shortly after notifying the Rockets of his decision, Van Gundy called Wizards owner Abe Pollin to tell him he was taking the Houston job, a source said. Van Gundy was finalizing contract terms and is expected to be officially named coach soon. The Rockets agreed to give the Knicks unspecified compensation for Van Gundy because he remains under contract with New York until July 31.

Once he is under contract with Houston, two league sources said, Van Gundy will try to hire Wizards assistant coach Patrick Ewing, whom he coached in New York. The Rockets have not requested permission to speak to Ewing, whose contract runs out at the end of this month but if they do, Washington will allow him to speak with Houston, a Wizards spokesman said.

Former Portland coach Mike Dunleavy, former Pistons coach Rick Carlisle and New Jersey Nets assistant Eddie Jordan, a Washington, D.C., native, are the best-known remaining coaching candidates. The Wizards have already inquired about interviewing Carlisle and Dunleavy and a league source said Washington is expected to request permission to speak with Jordan once the Nets finish playing for the NBA Championship against the San Antonio Spurs.

The Wizards are one of three teams with official vacancies, along with Philadelphia and Toronto. Atlanta and the Los Angeles Clippers have interim coaches but the Clippers have already interviewed Carlisle and Dunleavy.

The New Orleans Hornets hired former Chicago Bulls coach Tim Floyd today to replace Paul Silas, who recently was hired to coach the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Washington also is in search of a president of basketball operations, a position left vacant when Pollin opted not to rehire Michael Jordan to his former executive post following Jordan's retirement as a player this season. With General Manager Wes Unseld set to take an indefinite leave of absence after the June 26 draft, the Wizards' approach was to hire a basketball operations boss before hiring a coach.

The Wizards have interviewed former Maryland star Len Elmore and Pollin said he has spoken to others about the top basketball decision-making job. Boston Celtics General Manager Chris Wallace and Nets Director of Scouting Ed Stefanski, both of whom have interviewed with the Trail Blazers about their vacant general manager post, also are possibilities.

The Milwaukee Bucks continue to deny the Wizards permission to interview General Manager Ernie Grunfeld, who has one year left on his contract.

 

It's not as if he is going to be Van Gundy's top assistant. He'll work with Yao and Cato and they'll be better for it, imo. Especially for Yao who is going to have to learn a whole new system again just a year after joining the team. Ewing will be able to give him some good one on one quality time.