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Kings Officially Announce Doug Christie’s Coaching Staff

June 24th, 2025 at 4:07pm CST by Luke Adams

After removing the interim tag from head coach Doug Christie and signing him to a new multiyear contract earlier this offseason, the Kings have finalized and formally announced the coaching staff that will be working with Christie in 2025/26.

Here’s the team’s new-look staff, per a press release from the team, with links to our stories on the assistants whose deals were previously reported:

Associate head coach Mike Woodson (story)
Assistant coach Bobby Jackson (story)
Assistant coach Mike Miller (story)
- Note: This is the former Knicks interim head coach, not the former Heat player.
Assistant coach Chris Darnell (story)
Assistant coach Leandro Barbosa (story)
Assistant coach/player development Dipesh Mistry
Head of player development Paul Jesperson (story)
Player development coach Jimmy Alapag
Player development coach Garrius Adams (story)
Coaching assistant/advance scout Will Scott
Head video coordinator Shandon Goldman
Assistant video coordinator Steph Ingo

“I’m excited for the opportunity to work alongside such a talented and experienced coaching staff – a group that truly reflects our values and the culture we’re building,” Christie said in a statement. “Their passion and leadership will shape not just how we play, but who we become as a team. I’m looking forward to the season ahead.”

According to Sean Cunningham of NBC Sacramento (Twitter link), Mistry will be the head coach of Sacramento’s Summer League team in July. He’s one of several names on the above list who is a carry-over from Mike Brown‘s staff. Among the front-of-bench assistants, Barbosa fits that bill too, while Woodson, Jackson, Miller, and Darnell are new additions.

Kings Hiring Mike Miller, Chris Darnell As Assistant Coaches

May 30th, 2025 at 1:38pm CST by Luke Adams

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.