An Early Look at the Potential Head Coach Candidates

[Nin10doe]

Never seen an athletic director more ok with the fact that his guy's gone. Seems 100% realistic about the situation and not even interested in fighting it.

[neitzelbaby12]

Haven't heard too many people talk about Mike Malone. If I'm not mistaken doesn't he run a race paced offensive which would fit perfectly with AD, plus he has NBA experience. Not saying he is the end all be all but he is no doubt in my top 3

[iNolaNightmare]

#DavidWesleyforPelsHeadCoach
#JoelMeyersforLeadAssistant

[Ivan Balakhonov]

From the candidates without NBA head coaching experience I am willing to risk with Hoiberg and Atkinson. Hoiberg has an unorthodox offensive philosophy which in my mind suits our team very well. Messina makes some personal connection to me due to his experience in coaching CSKA here in Russia, but I am far from considering him the right pick.

Calipari is the most interesting and controversial variant. I don't know what to think about us landing him. Absolutely.

Please, no Jackson, Brooks or Gentry.

[Paul Overt]

I go for Ettore Messina or Tom Thibodeau!!

[MichaelMcNamara]

From the candidates without NBA head coaching experience I am willing to risk with Hoiberg and Atkinson. Hoiberg has an unorthodox offensive philosophy which in my mind suits our team very well. Messina makes some personal connection to me due to his experience in coaching CSKA here in Russia, but I am far from considering him the right pick.

Calipari is the most interesting and controversial variant. I don't know what to think about us landing him. Absolutely.

Please, no Jackson, Brooks or Gentry.

Hoiberg and Atkinson are my too two as well. Sean Miller probably comes in third. Would really only be upset by Jackson. Othersi could live with

[jsl05]

Can we get a BSS coaching hire tournament going? Haha, I know that might not work since they could hire the coach any day, but that would be pretty fun.

[pawel]

we have to do it now probably :P

my ranking: pot 1 (from MM) - Hoiberg, Atkinson, Malone (IMO Messina has future SAS job)
pot 2 - Thibs, van Gundy, Brooks (Cal stays at UK)

[pawel]

We will not know the name at least till the end of Hawks and Bulls journey in the PO.

I am curious if we will have any news about candidates with whom DD/ML will be talking?

[MichaelMcNamara]

Can we get a BSS coaching hire tournament going? Haha, I know that might not work since they could hire the coach any day, but that would be pretty fun.

Has been in the works for a few months.

The problem is getting writers to argue for more than 4 or 5 guys. We all seem to like similar ones it seems. I don't think anybody is going to be Team Brooks or Jackson

[MichaelMcNamara]

One more guy to think about -

Kevin Ollie, with the plan being to get him to get Durant next summer.

Very long shot, but I am sure it is something that will be at least considered.

[UptownFuz504]

Mark Jackson will be the Cavs head coach next year. I don't think that he'll accept this job until he sees what's going on in Cleveland. Jackson is LBJ's coaching choice

[Riogho]

If humans were robots and didn't have emotions Monty would be the ideal asst. HC.

...

[Silverfoxx]

After sleeping on it, its still surreal that Monty got fired. I still cant believe it. Feel so weird lol

[CMS1717]

One more guy to think about -

Kevin Ollie, with the plan being to get him to get Durant next summer.

Very long shot, but I am sure it is something that will be at least considered.

Just curious, why the name Mark Few isn't coming up more. What he does with the talent pool he gets is remarkable. What is your take on him?

[Tru3th]

Would love to have a deal similar to the warriors with an open minded head guy who has capable assistants. Atkinson or Hoiberg are my choices because If feel that they would implement something like this. Atkinson with Malone as his head assistant would be ideal or another group of open minded guys who will work with each other.

[luigi modelo]

I saw a mention of Donald Newman, one of the asst.'s for the Wizards. He is from here, has coached as an asst for Pops, and has been a Team USA asst coach. I doubt that he is at the top of the list, but it is someone to keep in mind.

[MichaelMcNamara]

I saw a mention of Donald Newman, one of the asst.'s for the Wizards. He is from here, has coached as an asst for Pops, and has been a Team USA asst coach. I doubt that he is at the top of the list, but it is someone to keep in mind.

Makes some sense

[Caffeinedisastr]

On @ESPN_Colin: "Coaches will climb over glass to coach the #Pelicans," @WindhorstESPN.

— Garland Gillen (@garlandgillen) May 13, 2015

[UNO Gracias]

Something to think about with this next coach, he has to turn out like Phil or Pops, but he doesn't have to be Phil or Pops. What I mean is, we all want a coach who will lead his team like those two coaches, yet both Phil and Pops inherited teams with a future HOF player, but they didn't start off their first year by winning a title. Jackson took the MJ/Pippen Bulls to the ECF's his 1st year, and Pops didn't win a title til year 3. Neither had bonafied credentials prior to taking their first posts, but both were there own men.

We need a coach who is his own man, not a coach who is coming in with some great experience. If we can get a leader of men, who has some great assistants we will be fine.

[Caffeinedisastr]

Something to think about with this next coach, he has to turn out like Phil or Pops, but he doesn't have to be Phil or Pops. What I mean is, we all want a coach who will lead his team like those two coaches, yet both Phil and Pops inherited teams with a future HOF player, but they didn't start off their first year by winning a title. Jackson took the MJ/Pippen Bulls to the ECF's his 1st year, and Pops didn't win a title til year 3. Neither had bonafied credentials prior to taking their first posts, but both were there own men.

We need a coach who is his own man, not a coach who is coming in with some great experience. If we can get a leader of men, who has some great assistants we will be fine.

This is what I want.
I believe MM mentioned on a podcast, "a guy who admits he doesn't know everything and hires top dollar assistants".

A guy that can manage the personalities and defer to offensive and defensive minds.

[UNO Gracias]

I almost feel like I described Monty while typing that (and for the most part I did), but we need somebody that is a cut above Monty. Monty with an edge would have worked perfectly. Monty who could adjust would be fine. But Monty just wasn't those guys.

Btw, if we go to the Pops coaching tree and hire Jim Boylen I will be uber pissed. I was in Utah when he coached the U...if he did the same job here that he did there, we would lose fans faster than we did during the Tim Floyd Jeff Bowers George Shinn days. That guy is horrible on 5 different levels, and I am not sure how he found his way on to Pops bench. I would sign Ime Udoka, or Becky Hammon before I hired Boylen.

[Caffeinedisastr]

I almost feel like I described Monty while typing that (and for the most part I did), but we need somebody that is a cut above Monty. Monty with an edge would have worked perfectly. Monty who could adjust would be fine. But Monty just wasn't those guys.

Btw, if we go to the Pops coaching tree and hire Jim Boylen I will be uber pissed. I was in Utah when he coached the U...if he did the same job here that he did there, we would lose fans faster than we did during the Tim Floyd Jeff Bowers George Shinn days. That guy is horrible on 5 different levels, and I am not sure how he found his way on to Pops bench. I would sign Ime Udoka, or Becky Hammon before I hired Boylen.

I thought the same thing. If Monty hadn't been so hard-headed he could've been that guy.

[UNO Gracias]

I hope Monty does change that aspect of his game, and I will be rooting for him, but I hope he never wins a title (because I only will root for the Pels to win a title).

I think Messina's chances would be higher if a guy like Blatt wasn't put in the situation he is currently in. The Cavs appear to be winning in spite of him, and his star player brushes him off (or so is reported). It's like there is no respect for him, even though he is the coach, and a lot of that probably has to do with him not being an NBA lifer (going through the traditional NBA ranks). For better or worse, I think people will take that into account when going through Messina's resume. He could have won 15 Euro Cups (or whatever the equivalent to an NBA title is), and it's still not the same level as the NBA so people will discount him. In the end, I wouldn't be against hiring him as his track record is good, but I am just an outsider looking in, and I haven't been part of a vetting process.

But so help me, if we hire Boylen I won't root for this team. I will turn my attention to UNO basketball and they will be my official team of New Orleans.

[Caffeinedisastr]

I like Lebatard's take on the situation regarding Dell/Monty:

Just because you didn't get me fired THIS year doesn't mean I'll let you get me fired NEXT year.