The last time former NBA guard Derek Fisher was a head coach, he was guiding a confused New York Knicks team under questionable front office leadership in Phil Jackson and his staff.
Fisher was hired in the summer of 2014, but little did he know, he would coach just 136 games in New York. He was unexpectedly fired halfway through last season, just his second season with the team.
Fisher now serves as an analyst for TNT, but eyes a return to the coaching world in the near future.
Following from Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press:
The TV work could serve him well later. Steve Kerr and Doc Rivers were both analysts before becoming championship-winning coaches, so perhaps the courtside view can pay off for Fisher.
“I’ve only been at it a few weeks now, but I do think that anything that puts you in a position where you’re analyzing the game helps you,” Fisher said. “It helps you to prepare for when that becomes your full-time job as a coach.”
And he believes it will come again.
“I’ve always been most at home, most comfortable when I’m trying to figure out how to help my team win and those were thoughts I had as a player and those were the thoughts I had as a coach,” Fisher said. “So when and if that opportunity presents itself again, I’ll definitely be ready for it. I’m looking forward to it and I think the biggest thing would be what and where and when. I think that applies for everybody that is kind of waiting for and looking for that next great opportunity.”
Derek Fisher won five NBA championships during his 18-year career as a player, typically serving as the Lakers’ starting point guard in each run. His knowledge of the game would likely be valued by any teams in need of a head coach this offseason.
Fisher firmly believes his tumultuous first stint as a coach won’t be his last run at the gig.
“There’s no question I’ll be back at it at some point,” Fisher told Mahoney.
As for the struggling New York Knicks, Fisher’s former team?
“They’ve obviously had a tough season for multiple reasons,” Fisher told Mahoney. “It’s never just one reason and quite frankly there’s always been too much focus on what they’re running offensively or what we were doing offensively, when that’s just one aspect of trying to be successful as a team.
“The biggest job I think for any of the people that are there is continuing to chip away at establishing winning habits and winning culture regardless of Xs and Os, and I’m sure that’s what Jeff is trying to figure out with this group, but it’s tough when there’s so many different things pulling at you.”
