As their two-month long search for a head coach continues, the Denver Nuggets have expanded their search to include Wizards assistant coach Don Newman.
RealGM Sources: Nuggets discuss head coach opening w/ Washington assistant Don Newman, architect of Wizards defense. https://t.co/hFCln0jXNC
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 4, 2015
Newman has never held a head coaching position in the NBA, but he has previously held head coaching positions at Sacramento State and Arizona State. He took Arizona State to the NIT in his only season there, but compiled a 20-114 record while coaching Sacramento State as they were going from Division II to Division I.
Newman also has a vast experience when it comes to winning from his 8 year stint as an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs. In that time, San Antonio won 2 NBA championships, so the current Wizards assistant knows what it takes to take a team all the way to the top.
Currently, Newman has been the man behind the defense in Washington that has turned into a top-5 NBA defense. If appointed coach, and the Nuggets somehow find a way to keep Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried even with all of their frustrations, Denver could become a defensive monster.
Denver will take all the time they need to make sure this hire doesn’t end up like the last, when Brian Shaw was fired after less than two season as the helm. Newman could be the man for the job, but it could still be a while before a decision is made.
