Head Coaching Status Update For All 30 Teams

Jeff Hornacek on Monday became the fourth NBA head coach this season to be fired, joining David Blatt, Lionel Hollins and Kevin McHale, as the volume of coaching dismissals this season eclipsed the number of coaches who signed extensions with their respective teams. No one seems to be in as tenuous a situation as Hornacek was prior to Monday’s news, but at least three others are “lame ducks,” just like he was. That means they have unexercised team options or are without full guarantees on their contracts for next season, so some level of uncertainty surrounds their long-term future.

Here’s a look at each coaching situation around the NBA, categorized by the changes that have taken place since the start of this past offseason:

Firings

  • David Blatt, Cavaliers — Replaced by Tyronn Lue
  • Lionel Hollins, Nets — Replaced by Tony Brown (interim)
  • Jeff Hornacek, Suns — Replaced by Earl Watson (interim)
  • Kevin McHale, Rockets — Replaced by J.B. Bickerstaff (interim)

Signed extensions

  • Brett Brown, Sixers
  • Steve Clifford, Hornets
  • Rick Carlisle, Mavericks

Unexercised team options for next season

  • Dwane Casey, Raptors
  • Terry Stotts, Trail Blazers
  • Randy Wittman, Wizards (next season’s salary partially guaranteed)

New hires

  • Billy Donovan, Thunder
  • Alvin Gentry, Pelicans
  • Fred Hoiberg, Bulls
  • Michael Malone, Nuggets
  • Scott Skiles, Magic

Other moves

  • Mike Budenholzer, Hawks — Added president of basketball operations job title
  • Sam Mitchell, Timberwolves — Named interim coach in place of the late Flip Saunders

The rest of the NBA’s head coaches are believed to be under contract through at least next season. That doesn’t mean their jobs are necessarily safe, and a wide gulf exists between the relative job security of, say, Gregg Popovich and Byron Scott. Still, we’ll list them all here:

  • Derek Fisher, Knicks
  • Dave Joerger, Grizzlies
  • George Karl, Kings
  • Jason Kidd, Bucks
  • Steve Kerr, Warriors
  • Gregg Popovich, Spurs
  • Doc Rivers, Clippers
  • Byron Scott, Lakers
  • Quin Snyder, Jazz
  • Erik Spoelstra, Heat
  • Brad Stevens, Celtics
  • Stan Van Gundy, Pistons
  • Frank Vogel, Pacers
View Comments (1)