More on Pacers Coaching Search
Frank Isola: Toronto assistant coach Nate Bjorkgren has interviewed for the Indiana Pacers job, Raptors head coach Nick Nurse confirms on @SiriusXMNBA
Mike D’Antoni’s next coaching job will likely wind up being with the Indiana Pacers or Philadelphia 76ers, league sources tell BasketballNews.com.
Former Thunder coach Billy Donovan interviewed for the Pacers last week, sources said. The Pacers are expected to interview a pool of around 12 candidates, trim the candidates approximately in half, and conduct in-person interviews.
Scott Agness: FWIW: In the latest odds for Pacers head coach, Chauncey Billups (5/2), Mike D’Antoni (7/2) and Kenny Atkinson (5/1) are the favorites, according to @betonline_ag.
Five-time NBA All-Star Chauncey Billups has emerged as a candidate in the Indiana Pacers' coaching search, sources told ESPN. As the Pacers begin preliminary interviews with a number of candidates, Billups and the Pacers officials have recently engaged and are planning to talk further conversations about the job, sources said.
For the Pacers' management team and Billups, there will be a process of getting to know each other in these interviews and discussing the depth of Billups' preparedness for the job --- and how they'd work together to build a coaching staff around him. Billups' force of personality, leadership style and basketball savvy has long made many NBA executives believe it was just a matter of time until Billups landed a significant role with an organization, but thus far he's been searching for the right fit.
Does this mean he’s hiring Hammon? Of course not. Nor am I saying he should. That’s not the point of this story. Point is: Hammon is a fascinating candidate, and the Pacers have a history of being out in front on this issue. And the NBA is inching closer to its first female head coach. Eleven women were NBA assistants this past season, including former Notre Dame star Niele Ivey of the Memphis Grizzlies. She’s not there anymore; Notre Dame hired her in April to replace McGraw.
The Pacers are said to have serious interest in hiring D’Antoni to replace the suddenly ousted Nate McMillan, which would give a needed jolt to Oladipo and Myles Turner. But there’s no guarantee they get D’Antoni — even with his contract in Houston about to expire and pressure mounting on the Rockets’ coach with a Game 7 looming Wednesday night against Chris Paul and the Thunder.
Eric Woodyard: Pacers Prez of Bball Ops Kevin Pritchard says they’ll consider a college coach during this search. The ability to connect with younger players will be huge throughout this process, but it won’t rule out an established older coach either. “Let's keep an open mind,” Pritchard said.
J. Michael Falgoust: Pritchard on what he wants to see in next coach: "A modern approach. Communication would probably be my top thing. Playing more of a modern game. You've got to look to the future. Look where the hockey puck is going, not so much where it is" #Pacers
