The Houston Rockets are not leaving any stones unturned with locking down their next head coach. With J.B. Bickerstaff now officially out of the picture, the Rockets have begun the process of identifying candidates to be their next head coach.
So far, names like Sam Cassell, Vinny Del Negro, and Jeff Van Gundy have been mentioned.
More candidates have surfaced for the Rockets, including Sixers associate head coach Mike D’Antoni, college coaches Bill Self and Shaka Smart, current Pacers head coach Frank Vogel (should he become available) and even NBA on TNT and former Rocket Kenny “The Jet” Smith, per ESPN’s Marc Stein.
ESPN sources say Sixers associate head coach Mike D’Antoni is interviewing for the Houston Rockets’ coaching job this week
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) May 5, 2016
Sources say Houston will also talk to Frank Vogel as well as part of a Kings-style broad search if the Pacers let Vogel go as many expect.
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) May 5, 2016
Can’t speak to the NBA aspirations of either one, but sources say two college coaches who intrigue the Rockets are Shaka Smart and Bill Self
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) May 5, 2016
Another out-of-the-box name Houston is said to be considering for a coaching interview: Rockets backcourt alumnus Kenny Smith (@TheJetOnTNT)
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) May 5, 2016
Smith is the only candidate listed with no coaching experience, making him a truly out of the box name. Going that route apparently isn’t their main focus.
Yet sources stress Houston, while certain to talk to a wide array of candidates, is focused on proven NBA head coaches and rising assistants
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) May 5, 2016
That criteria is interesting since D’Antoni just made his way back into the league in December as an assistant after his stint with the Lakers. He’s the only one out of this group reported to have an interview. Self and Smart are two big college coaching names, and somewhat out of the box in their own right, and Frank Vogel isn’t officially available yet, but he’s not unequivocally proven as a head coach either.
The Rockets are clearly willing to explore plenty of options here.
