As the 2011 NBA draft quickly approaches and the end of the regular season right around the corner, the Golden State Warriors are in the process of speeding up their search for a new head coach.
Majority owner Joe Lacob is coming back from an international trip to be at the NBA Draft Lottery tomorrow in Seacaucus, NJ, then likely will be full speed ahead along with General Manager Larry Riley and newly appointed assistant GM Bob Myers in the hunt for a new head coach. According to CSNBayArea.com’s Matt Steinmetz, ‘here’s what we know so far:’
—The Warriors have asked for permission to talk to Dallas assistant Dwane Casey and Lakers assistants Brian Shaw and Chuck Person.
—The Warriors also have reached out to former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown.
—According to SI.com, Golden State officials met with Brown and Casey last week.
—The Warriors contacted former Jazz coach Jerry Sloan and former Knicks and Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy, but both declined interviews. According to sources, Sloan indicated to the Warriors he is not likely to return to coaching and Van Gundy told the Warriors he wasn’t looking to get back into coaching at this time because of family matters.
—The Warriors had interest in San Antonio assistant coach Mike Budenholzer, but Budenholzer indicated at the end of the Spurs’ playoff series that while he wanted to be a head coach some day, the time was not now. There is a belief among some around the league that Budenholzer is likely to replace Gregg Popovich when he eventually steps down.
Despite Ric Bucher’s report that Mike Brown is the likely candidate or front runner at this point, it really seems that it is up in the air as the list of candidates grows and the time to hire a coach shortens. Every possible choice brings their own pros and cons to the table for the W’s, and it’s up to the team’s braintrust as to who will bring the right identity to the team.
Stay with SB Nation Bay Area for updates on the Warriors head coaching search as the story unfolds.