OAKLAND, Calif. — The Golden State Warriors are taking another chance on a television analyst and former NBA guard who has never been a head coach at any level.
The Warriors won the bidding war with the New York Knicks for Steve Kerr on Wednesday, hiring him away from the TNT broadcast table to be their coach. Kerr agreed to a five-year, $25 million deal with Golden State, said his agent, Mike Tannenbaum.
The Warriors confirmed the agreement Wednesday night and said they will introduce Kerr at a news conference after the contract is complete.
Kerr had been in talks with the Knicks about becoming their coach since Phil Jackson took over as team president in March. He won three titles playing for Jackson in Chicago and another two under Gregg Popovich in San Antonio.
Kerr, 48, also spent three seasons as general manager of the Phoenix Suns before stepping down in June 2010. He replaces Mark Jackson, who was fired by the Warriors on May 6 after three seasons and back-to-back playoff appearances mostly because of a sour relationship between him and team management.
Kerr said last month that he has wanted to coach since going back to his job at TNT. And while the lure of building a contender with his mentor at Madison Square Garden looked appealing, the chance to coach a Western Conference contender in his home state proved to be too much.
The Warriors job is certainly a far more attractive one than when owner Joe Lacob hired Jackson away from the ESPN/ABC broadcast table in June 2011. The Warriors are coming off a 51-victory season and consecutive playoff appearances for the first time in 20 years, and they’ve surrounded star Stephen Curry with a talented young core.
Kerr became the hottest coaching candidate on the market after Phil Jackson started courting him to the Knicks two months ago. Kerr also has close ties to Lacob, his son, assistant general manager Kirk Lacob and Warriors President Rick Welts, who worked in Phoenix’s front office during Kerr’s time as Suns general manager.
DETROIT PISTONS
Van Gundy new coach
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — The Detroit Pistons are counting on Stan Van Gundy to bring some much-needed stability to a struggling franchise, and they are certainly giving him plenty of authority.
The Pistons officially announced Van Gundy’s hiring Wednesday as their new coach and president of basketball operations. The team will introduce Van Gundy at a news conference today. Detroit was 29-53 last season, missing the playoffs for a fifth consecutive year. That was the end of Joe Dumars’ tenure as team president, and Coach Maurice Cheeks was fired in February.
“Stan is a proven winner in our league,” Pistons owner Tom Gores said in a statement. “He instills his teams with passion, purpose and toughness. He is a great teacher who will help our players grow and develop.”
Van Gundy agreed to a $35 million, five-year contract.
Sports on 05/15/2014