NBA Rumors: Rockets considering Mike D’Antoni for head coach
By Jason Parker
The Houston Rockets are reportedly considering veteran NBA head coach Mike D’Antoni for their vacant position as the waiting game continues.
As more and more vacant coaching positions in the NBA are being filled, the Houston Rockets are still hunting for their next head coach. While some candidates have pulled their names from consideration, one name with plenty of experience has reportedly become a serious candidate.
According to a report from ESPN.com, Mike D’Antoni has emerged as one of the main names to become the next head coach of the Rockets and will be having a second meeting with team officials:
"Sources told ESPN.com that D’Antoni, who is currently serving as associate head coach for the Philadelphia 76ers, was summoned for a second sit-down with the club — this time face-to-face with Rockets owner Leslie Alexander — after impressing in his first interview.The Rockets, sources say, would seek to hire a coach with strong defensive credentials, to essentially serve as D’Antoni’s defensive coordinator, if talks progress to a serious stage and D’Antoni emerges as Houston’s choice"
The report also said that former Rockets head coach Jeff Van Gundy is also being considered for a possible reunion, but not all team officials are warming up to that idea.
Mike D’Antoni has spent 12 seasons as a head coach in the NBA, spending time as the leader of the Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers. He made the playoffs in six of those seasons, advancing to two Western Conference Finals with the Suns over a decade ago.
Some of the other candidates that have been interviewed for the Rockets job include former NBA head coaches David Blatt, Frank Vogel and Jeff Hornacek as well as former Rockets players Sam Cassell (now an assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers) and Kenny Smith (now an analyst with TNT).
For more NBA news, check out our NBA hub page.