With another regular season in the books, a handful of teams around the NBA are making head coaching changes in advance of the 2021/22 campaign.

In the space below, we’ll provide daily updates on the head coaching searches for each club that has yet to give anyone the permanent title. Some of these searches could extend well into the summer, so be sure to check back each day for the latest updates.

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Updated 7-22-21 (2:40pm CT)

Active Searches:

None

Completed Searches:

Boston Celtics

• New coach:
  • Ime Udoka (story)
• Previous coach:
  • Brad Stevens (moved to front office role)
• Also reportedly considered:
  • Celtics assistant Jerome Allen (story)
  • Celtics assistant Scott Morrison (story)
  • Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga (story)
  • Celtics assistant Joe Mazzulla (story)
  • Clippers assistant Chauncey Billups (story)
  • Bucks assistant Darvin Ham (story)
  • Bucks assistant Charles Lee (story)
  • Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley (story)
  • Lakers assistant Jason Kidd (story)
  • Former Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce (story)
  • Sixers assistant Sam Cassell (story)
  • Duke women’s coach Kara Lawson (story)
  • Nets assistant Mike D’Antoni (story)

Despite a disappointing season in Boston, Stevens wasn’t expected to be in any danger of losing his job this spring. And technically, he didn’t lose his job — he actually received a promotion, as he was named the Celtics’ new president of basketball operations and led the search for his replacement.

He ultimately landed on Udoka, who has extensive experience as an assistant coach for the Nets, Sixers, and Spurs. Udoka was also a member of the Team USA staff at the 2019 World Cup, reportedly impressing a number of Celtics players at that event.

Dallas Mavericks

• New coach:
  • Jason Kidd (story)
• Previous coach:
  • Rick Carlisle (stepped down)
• Also reportedly considered:
  • Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley (story)
  • Former Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts (story)

Carlisle’s resignation was just the latest bombshell in one of the most eventful off-the-court weeks in Mavericks history, following closely on the heels of Donnie Nelson‘s exit from the franchise. Carlisle had spent 13 years in Dallas and was the NBA’s third longest-tenured head coach at the time of his exit.

Replacing him will be Kidd, who played under Carlisle in Dallas from 2008-12. Carlisle actually endorsed Kidd for the job shortly before word broke that the Mavs were finalizing a deal with the former start point guard. The hope is that Kidd and current Mavs point guard Luka Doncic will be a great match and will benefit from the union.

Indiana Pacers

• New coach:
  • Rick Carlisle (story)
• Previous coach:
  • Nate Bjorkgren (parted ways)
• Also reportedly considered:
  • Former Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts (story)
  • Former Magic coach Steve Clifford (story)
  • G League Ignite coach Brian Shaw (story)

Bjorkgren lost his job as the Pacers’ head coach after just a year, reportedly due in large part to poor communication issues and a tendency to micro-manage. Indiana, seeking a more experienced, established head coach to replace a first-timer who didn’t work out, found their man in Carlisle, who has the 15th-most career wins among all NBA head coaches and also coached the Pacers from 2003-07.

Carlisle, who reportedly received a four-year, $29MM contract, will be tasked with helping to turn a veteran-heavy Pacers squad that missed the playoffs in 2021 into a club that can legitimately contend for a spot in the NBA Finals.

New Orleans Pelicans

• New coach:
  • Willie Green (story)
• Previous coach:
  • Stan Van Gundy (parted ways)
• Also reportedly considered:
  • Bucks assistant Charles Lee (story)
  • Pelicans assistant Fred Vinson (story)
  • Pelicans assistant Teresa Weatherspoon (story)
• Withdrew from consideration:
  • Nets assistant Jacque Vaughn (story)

Van Gundy failed to connect with the young players on the Pelicans’ roster and failed to make good on his goal of improving the team’s defense, resulting in a short-lived stint as the head coach. New Orleans will replace him with Green and will have to hope the former Suns assistant is the right long-term choice, since the team wants to avoid subjecting its young stars to more turnover. Green will be Zion Williamson‘s third head coach in three years.

Orlando Magic

• New coach:
  • Jamahl Mosley (story)
• Previous coach:
  • Steve Clifford (parted ways)
• Also reportedly considered:
  • Spurs assistant Becky Hammon (story)
  • Nuggets associate head coach Wes Unseld Jr. (story)
  • Suns assistant Willie Green (story)
  • Bucks assistant Charles Lee (story)
  • Magic assistant Tyrone Corbin (story)
  • Magic assistant Pat Delany (story)
  • Magic assistant Steve Hetzel (story)
  • Former Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts (story)
  • Nets assistant Mike D’Antoni (story)
  • Former Warriors assistant Jarron Collins (story)
• Received consideration before joining another team or withdrawing:
  
  • Lakers assistant Jason Kidd (story)
  • Nets assistant Ime Udoka (story)
  • Clippers assistant Chauncey Billups (story)
  • University of Memphis coach Penny Hardaway (story)

The Magic and Clifford reportedly discussed a contract extension before going their separate ways. Clifford apparently wasn’t ready to sign up for a protracted rebuilding process, so Orlando shifted its focus to a coach with a strong track record of player development who is willing to be patient with a young roster.

The Magic ultimately identified Mosley as their man following his exit from an assistant role in Dallas, where he worked closely with Luka Doncic in recent years. He reportedly signed a four-year contract with Orlando.

Portland Trail Blazers

• New coach:
  • Chauncey Billups (story)
• Previous coach:
  • Terry Stotts (parted ways)
• Also reportedly considered:
  • Spurs assistant Becky Hammon (second interview)
  • Nets assistant Mike D’Antoni (story)
  • Spurs vice president of basketball operations Brent Barry (story)
  • South Carolina women’s coach Dawn Staley (story)
  • Celtics assistant Jerome Allen (story)
  • Former NBA coach Jeff Van Gundy (story)
• Withdrew from consideration:
  • Lakers assistant Jason Kidd (story)

Long rumored to be on the hot seat if Portland didn’t make a deep playoff run this spring, Stotts was let go by the Blazers shortly after the team was knocked out of the postseason by Denver.

Initial reports stated that Damian Lillard‘s input would play a major part in the Blazers’ coaching hire, and the All-Star guard expressed public support for Kidd and Billups. However, Kidd subsequently withdrew his name from consideration, reportedly uncomfortable with the idea of pursuing the job following Lillard’s public endorsement. That left Billups as the frontrunner, and he ultimately beat out finalists D’Antoni and Hammon for the job.

The Blazers, who agreed to a five-year deal with Billups, faced some backlash due to a 1997 sexual assault case involving the former All-Star guard. However, the team reportedly investigated that incident and didn’t find anything they felt disqualified Billups from being offered the position.

Washington Wizards

• New coach:
  • Wes Unseld Jr. (story)
• Previous coach:
  • Scott Brooks (not retained)
• Also received consideration:
  • Bucks assistant Darvin Ham (story)
  • Bucks assistant Charles Lee (story)
  • Celtics assistant Scott Morrison (story)
  • Sixers assistant Sam Cassell (story)
  • Hornets assistant Ronald Nored (story)
  • Heat assistant Chris Quinn (story)
  • Bulls assistant Chris Fleming (story)
  • Suns assistant Willie Green (story)
  • Suns assistant Kevin Young (story)
• Received consideration before joining another team:
  • Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley (story)

The 2020/21 season was the final one in Brooks’ contract, so unlike most of the other coaches on this list, he wasn’t technically dismissed — he and the Wizards just ended up not negotiating a new contract.

Star guards Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal had a voice in the process to hire Brooks’ replacements, which focused on several experienced assistants and ultimately landed on Unseld. The former Nuggets associate head coach has an extensive résumé as an NBA assistant and is also the son of D.C. legend Wes Unseld Sr., making this union a homecoming for the Unseld Jr., who grew up in Maryland.