Kings Hiring Mike Miller, Chris Darnell As Assistant Coaches

The Kings are adding veteran assistant coach Mike Miller to Doug Christie‘s staff, according to James Ham of The Kings Beat (Twitter link). Sacramento is also hiring Chris Darnell as an assistant, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).

Miller spent over three decades as an assistant and head coach at the college level from 1989-2013 before transitioning to the NBA. He worked with San Antonio’s G League affiliate for two seasons from 2013-15 and then served the Westchester Knicks’ head coach from 2015-19.

Miller became an assistant for the Knicks’ NBA club ahead of the 2019/20 campaign and then was promoted to interim head coach following the mid-season firing of David Fizdale. He subsequently worked as an assistant for the Thunder (2020/21) and Wizards (2021-24).

While the timeline we just outlined probably makes it obvious, it’s worth clarifying that this isn’t the same Mike Miller who played in the NBA from 2000-17 and won a Rookie of the Year award, a Sixth Man of the Year award, and a pair of championships. That Mike Miller is currently working as a player agent.

Darnell, meanwhile, has worked for Phoenix, Utah, and Cleveland since being hired as a basketball operations intern by the Suns in 2012. He was a player development coach and video assistant with Cleveland for two years from 2019-21, then served as the Cleveland Charge’s associate head coach from 2021-24 before bring named the G League club’s head coach last September.

In his first and only season as the Charge’s head coach, Darnell led the Cavs’ NBAGL affiliate to a 16-18 regular season record.

According to Ham, the Kings are also hiring Paul Jesperson as their head of player development. Jesperson has previously been employed by the Hawks, the Oklahoma Sooners, and – most recently – the Valley Suns in the G League. He was an assistant coach for Phoenix’s G League team last season.

After deciding to remove Doug Christie‘s interim tag and make him their permanent head coach, the Kings are gradually filling out Christie’s new-look staff. The team previously hired Mike Woodson as its associate head coach and Bobby Jackson as an assistant.