The Houston Rockets are reportedly expected to interview Vinny Del Negro, soon, according to Jason Jones of the Sac Bee. The team has a vacancy after firing head coach Kevin McHale early in the regular season.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical, the Rockets will also look at Jeff van Gundy, Sam Cassell, Jeff Hornacek, Chris Finch, and Stephen Silas.
Del Negro last coached the Los Angeles Clippers in 2013. In five seasons as a head coach in Chicago and LA, Vinny has accumulated a record of 210-184.
Van Gundy last coached in Houston in 2007. He has been working as a color commentator on ESPN and ABC broadcasts but he has been linked to numerous openings over the past few years.
Cassell played in Houston his first three seasons in the league. He has been working as an assistant coach since 2009, currently on Doc Rivers’ staff with the Clippers.
Hornacek was fired mid-season by the Phoenix Suns after a disastrous year, but he performed admirably in his first two seasons, leading the Suns to narrow misses of the postseason.
Chris Finch is a relative unknown but he was an assistant with these same Rockets and may have an inside track on getting the job. Silas is similarly unknown, working under Steve Clifford with the overachieving Charlotte Hornets.
The Rockets have previously been linked to David Blatt, with the former Cleveland Cavaliers’ head coach also expected to get an interview.
Houston is likely also waiting on the situation with Frank Vogel in Indiana. If Vogel is indeed let go, as many are now predicting, he could become the best candidate for the job.
The Rockets underperformed this season, barely making the playoffs after a run to the Western Conference Finals last year. They need a coach that can get the best out of their players, including star James Harden who has become known for his lack of effort on the defensive end of the floor. That is the most important qualification for the next coach of the Houston Rockets.
