Kevin Ollie, left, is of interest to the Los Angeles Lakers to take over as head coach of the team.
There’s never a boring moment in Los Angeles. Aside from the drama in Clippers world, the Lakers made headlines following Mike D’Antoni resigning.
Since D’Antoni stepped down, many names have surfaced on the coaching list. With the Lakers coming off a 27-55 season, they need someone to help revamp the team. TNT analyst Steve Kerr was on the list of possible coaches to replace D’Antoni, but reports have surfaced that he could be headed to Golden State.
With Mark Jackson failing to get the Warriors past the first round of the playoffs, many speculate he won’t be there next year.
While some coaching options are more realistic than others, according to Los Angeles Times‘ Mike Bresnahan, Jeff Van Gundy can be a realistic choice for the Lakers. Bresnahan reported that Van Gundy will be among those interviewing for the Lakers head coaching job. Van Gundy is known for being outspoken and for his defensive style. With the Lakers struggling in that area, he might be the coach to bring a defensive mindset back to the team.
Bresnahan also reported that current assistant coach Kurt Rambis is expected to get an interview.
The Lakers have a few good choices to pick from, including former Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl. During his 25-year coaching career, Karl compiled a 1,131-756 record and has been named NBA Coach of the Year. Karl spent the last year as a commentator, but has publicly said he wants to return to coaching.
One coaching selection that’s kind of a long shot is former Lakers Derek Fisher. Fisher is currently playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder, but Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski initially revealed that the job “holds tremendous appeal to him.” Fisher also told Wojnarowski that he was interested in making the jump to coaching.
Recently, Jason Kidd made the jump to coaching, and has helped lead the Brooklyn Nets to the second round of the NBA playoffs.
One name that exploded on Twitter was former Laker Byron Scott. Scott is currently an analyst on TWC SportsNet, but said he was “interested” in the job.
Although Scott’s stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t end well, Scott had coached the former New Jersey Nets to two consecutive Eastern Conference titles in 2002 and 2003. Scott has also had success when playing for the Lakers. He won three titles as a member of the team.
Of the many names on the list, one making waves is UConn’s head coach Kevin Ollie. Although he only has two years of collegiate experience, in just his second year he coached the Huskies to a national championship. Even though Ollie is a hot name in the coaching scene, it is unlikely that Ollie will leave the Huskies. But there is a chance.
It’s clear the Lakers will have plenty of options farfetched or not. The biggest question is who is willing to take on the challenge of rebuilding the Lakers? Who will take the risk? They’ve seen what happened to Mike Brown and D’Antoni, so who’s willing to take that plunge?
One thing is for sure: Whomever takes over next year will have to show results and fast.
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