HoopsHype.com Rumors

It will be a NBA-taste weekend, the last one of June in Pesaro: Lawrence Frank, former head coach of Detroit Pistons, will join the International Coaches Clinic “Giovanni Papini”, along with Mike Dunlap, former head coach of Charlotte Bobcats, Holger Geschwinder, personal coach and mentor of Dallas Mavericks Dirk Nowitzki, and European fame National Croatian Team head coach Jasmin Repesa, Cimberio Varese's Frank Vitucci and Banco di Sardegna Sassari's Romeo Sacchetti. Once again the Clinic, organized by the Italian Basketball Federation and Giorgio Gandolfi – Sport Marketing, Events and Communication, will be the number one in Europe for the presence of these great lecturers, becoming more and more international, with the registration of coaches from Greece, Israel, Latvia, Slovenia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and China. TalkBasket

Coaching, Lawrence Frank, Italy, Mike Dunlap 

Elsewhere, the Charlotte Bobcats really like Quin Snyder, who spent last season assisting CSKA Moscow. Snyder was viewed as a favorite last season, and sources say Bobcats GM Rich Cho wanted to hire him over the recently fired Mike Dunlap. ESPN.com

Charlotte Bobcats, Coaching, Rich Cho, Quin Snyder, Mike Dunlap 

Jordan acknowledged this name change is just one aspect of the many fixes the franchise needs. The Bobcats were an NBA-worst 28-120 over the past two seasons and will have their third head coach in as many seasons, after firing Mike Dunlap. “I understand the name is a name. What we want to be proud of is what’s on the basketball court,” Jordan said. “I totally understand that. I’m not running away from that.” Asked about churning through three coaches in three seasons, Jordan didn’t offer anything specific: “I anticipate these guys (president of basketball operations Rod Higgins and general manager Rich Cho) have done their due diligence. I feel very confident these guys going through the process to make the right decision.” Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Michael Jordan, Rich Cho, Rod Higgins, Mike Dunlap, Charlotte Hornets 

Rick Bonnell: I follow a number of Bobcats on twitter. To my knowledge none tweeted anything on Dunlap today. Seems telling. Twitter @rick_bonnell

Charlotte Bobcats, Coaching, Mike Dunlap 

Denver Nuggets coach George Karl, one of Mike Dunlap’s mentors, was saddened but not particularly surprised Dunlap didn’t get a second season as Charlotte Bobcats head coach. Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Denver Nuggets, George Karl, Coaching, Mike Dunlap 

Karl said that being fired in a situation like this is mostly a disappointment but also somewhat of a relief. “About 80 percent of Mike Dunlap is sad and despondent because he wants to continue coaching in the league,’’ Karl said. “There will be a piece of him that is relieved. In general, we get paid a lot of money to do a very difficult job. Sometimes it’s not an appropriate or thankful job.’’ Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Denver Nuggets, George Karl, Coaching, Mike Dunlap 

Marc J. Spears: Bobcats brass meeting in morn to make new coach search list. Source said getting many much inquiries now than year ago. No one contacted yet Twitter @SpearsNBAYahoo

Charlotte Bobcats, Coaching, Mike Dunlap 

A source close to the team told me that in the team's annual season-ending exit interviews that Dunlap received a number of negative evaluations from current Bobcat players – not only for those occasional long practices but for his general demeanor. Dunlap was a demanding guy who tended toward the negative. He was smart with Xs and Os and didn’t mind letting you know that, but he was also snappish and hard to relate to. He was, simply, a boss who many of the players didn't like. Has that style worked for some other basketball coaches? Sure. You could name dozens who weren't warm and cuddly but still won a lot and kept their jobs – although most of them on the list would be college coaches, a place where Dunlap’s personality more naturally fits. Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Coaching, Mike Dunlap 

Rick Bonnell: Dunlap had one season left on his contract, which Bobcats will pay Twitter @rick_bonnell

Charlotte Bobcats, Coaching, Mike Dunlap 

Rick Bonnell: Higgins:"it's the NBA; you're not surprised by a lot" Twitter @rick_bonnell

Charlotte Bobcats, Coaching, Rod Higgins, Mike Dunlap 

Charlotte Bobcats President of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins announced today that the team has relieved Mike Dunlap of his duties as head coach. The search for his successor will begin immediately. “Rich Cho and I conducted our season-ending review and met with Coach Dunlap to reflect on this season. As an organization, it was decided that we needed to make a change with the head coach position,” Higgins said. “We want to thank Mike for his contribution and wish him the best in his future endeavors.” NBA.com

Charlotte Bobcats, Coaching, Rich Cho, Rod Higgins, Mike Dunlap 

Players were asked in their exit interviews last week for a review of Dunlap’s coaching style. It’s unclear how much that factored in the decision to let him go. In a post-season interview with the Observer Friday, Dunlap said he had evolved as a coach this season. He noted that he had backed off on managing every aspect of games from the sideline and had shortened practices. “Whether it’s Kemba Walker or Brendan Haywood, they appreciate what you don’t say when the game is being played,’’ Dunlap said. “In college you can literally yell across the floor and direct traffic with a player and it’s perfectly acceptable. Here the pro player can’t stand that.’’ Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Coaching, Brendan Haywood, Rich Cho, Rod Higgins, Kemba Walker, Mike Dunlap 

Rick Bonell: Mike Dunlap has been fired as Bobcats coach. Twitter

Charlotte Bobcats, Coaching, Mike Dunlap 

B.J. Evans: Breaking @bobcats News: Mike Dunlap will not return as head coach. Team posted a 21-61 record this season. Twitter

Charlotte Bobcats, Coaching, Mike Dunlap 

Adrian Wojnarowski: Charlotte isn't rushing to make a decision on coach Mike Dunlap's future. Letting exit interviews and coaching market unfold for now. Twitter @WojYahooNBA

Charlotte Bobcats, Coaching, Mike Dunlap 

Should the Bobcats bring back first-year coach Mike Dunlap next season? I don’t know. There are people in the organization who consider him arrogant. He talks so much to his players during the game that it’s as if he gets paid by the word. Minutes are doled out as rewards. A player is in the lineup – Tyrus Thomas, Hakim Warrick – and then he goes to the end of the bench and is so far from the action he might as well be wearing a suit. Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Coaching, Mike Dunlap 

There also are people in the organization who consider Dunlap gracious and praise him for the manner in which he deals with employees who can’t possibly help his career. If so, that says something good about a man. But it’s victories we care about, and the Bobcats have won 21 games. They are the first team to win three times as many games as they did the previous season (because players were locked out they played only 66 games last season). Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Coaching, Mike Dunlap 

Could the Bobcats' inability to build off a 7-5 start no one saw coming, descending instead into a nosedive that has parked them for months in the bottom-two dungeon of ESPN.com's weekly NBA Power Rankings amid the predictable whispers about how resistant Charlotte's vets are to a rookie coach branded as a college guy, cost Dunlap his job after just one season? I really didn't think so, but more than one source consulted this week identified Dunlap as a coach in potential jeopardy, which undoubtedly stems from Michael Jordan's recent proclamation to a group of season-ticket holders that major offseason changes are coming in Charlotte. I'm just not quite sure how much more Dunlap -- who was hired, remember, for his rep in player development -- was supposed to get out of a group that still needs lots of developing. Lots. ESPN.com

Charlotte Bobcats, Michael Jordan, Coaching, Mike Dunlap 

Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap indicated Wednesday he’d like Josh McRoberts back next season after McRoberts becomes an unrestricted free agent. Acquiring McRoberts at the trade deadline from Orlando appeared to be a minor deal, but he’s become a starter. Dunlap believes McRoberts’ passing has improved the Bobcats’ ball-movement. The Bobcats have totaled 20 or more assists in four of their last six games and Dunlap gives McRoberts credit for that. Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Free Agency, Josh McRoberts, Mike Dunlap 

Rick Bonnell: Dunlap said he'll definitely lean toward young guys rest of season: "These guys will continue to get those minutes.'' Twitter @rick_bonnell

Charlotte Bobcats, Mike Dunlap