The Kings coaching position has been something of a thorn on the side of them for the past couple years. Never being able to find a coach that can handle the hot heads of DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo, while making this team competitive enough to compete in the difficult Western Conference. They fired George Karl at the end of this season, fired Tyrone Corbin at the end of the last one, and arguable their worst decision, the firing of Michael Malone in the middle of the season, last year.
The Kings ownership has not been able to find a Coach in the NBA they can trust to take the mantle. Many have been mentioned to be on the wish list for Kings Owner Vivek Ranadive, including Nate McMillan, Mark Jackson, Vinny Del Negro, Patrick Ewing, and Sam Mitchell. Despite all these options, it seems like Ranadive is intrigued by another Coach who lost his job this season, Kevin McHale.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports & The Vertical:
Owner Vivek Ranadive has been most intrigued with former Houston and Minnesota coach Kevin McHale, but McHale has been cautious in his approach to the job, league sources said.
Kevin McHale was fired very early on in the season by the Houston Rockets, but last year led them to the Western Conference Finals, where they lost in 5 to the NBA Champion Golden State Warriors. He was known most for keeping Dwight Howard focused and maintaining a good chemistry on the team, which was an obvious issue this year in the Playoffs, losing in 5 again in the 1st round to the same Warriors team, without Stephen Curry. The chemistry issue was obvious and the rift between James Harden and Dwight Howard has caused many to believe Dwight Howard won’t even return to Houston.
For the Kings, this shows that McHale was basically the glue holding this team together. Without him, they completely lost their groove this season. His relationship and development of Dwight Howard should show you that he knows how to deal with the different personalities that can be in the locker room, something very important to a team with DeMarcus Cousins on it. I wouldn’t be surprised if they do end up interviewing Kevin McHale for the job, because he seems perfect for it.
UPDATE:
Kevin McHale has pulled his name from consideration as the next Kings head coach, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.
Kevin McHale has withdrawn from consideration for the Sacramento Kings' coaching vacancy, according to league sources.
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) May 5, 2016
Mitch Lawrence of the Sporting News notes that with Frank Vogel seemingly on his way out of Indiana, McHale seems to be the favorite for the Pacers.
After Larry Bird's criticisms on Frank Vogel, Pacer execs in player exit meetings: Next year we'll be going up-tempo more, scoring more…
— Mitch Lawrence (@Mitch_Lawrence) May 4, 2016
…using fewer sets and playing more like Golden State. Can't see how this helps Vogel keep his job. Sounds like Kevin McHale on his way.
— Mitch Lawrence (@Mitch_Lawrence) May 4, 2016
