McNair has a ton of work to do in order to finish out the roster, but he has a vision for this franchise and it includes a head coach that fits the style of play and culture that he is looking to build. The goal is to bring in a defensive-minded coach with head coaching experience. Sources have confirmed this, but so does the eyeball test of the three men left standing.
More on Kings Coaching Search
Sam Amick: More detail on the Mike Brown-Kings visit: While he is meeting with team officials informally today, source says his formal interview is tomorrow. Similar format to Mark Jackson and Steve Clifford.
Sam Amick: Source says the Kings are meeting with Mike Brown today. His Warriors, of course, just got back from Memphis after Game 2. Much more here on the Kings coaching search, at @TheAthletic https://theathletic.com/3289972/2022/05/02/kings-coaching-search-dumars/
Dave Mason: Woj on the Kings search: “Their hope is to pick a head coach among that group of three. Don’t rule out that they can still open it back up if it doesn’t hit exactly right. But I think this is going to be the group that they pick their next head coach from.”
In the wake of the Kings narrowing their list of coaching candidates down to three finalists — Steve Clifford, Mark Jackson and Mike Brown — sources say they’ve begun the second and final round of interviews in Sacramento. The first round took place via Zoom, and general manager Monte McNair, assistant general manager Wes Wilcox and (now-departed) chief strategy officer Joe Dumars took part without Ranadivé’s involvement. As our Shams Charania reported Monday morning, Dumars — whom the Kings hired in June 2019 — has accepted a role as the league’s executive vice president, head of basketball operations.
The final round of Kings interviews, which now includes Ranadivé, is in person in Sacramento. Clifford, the former Charlotte and Orlando coach who spent last season as a Brooklyn Nets consultant, interviewed Sunday and continued his visit Monday. Jackson, the former Golden State coach who spent the past eight years as an ESPN analyst and who was with the Warriors during Ranadivé’s time there as a minority owner, is up next. Brown, the Warriors associate head coach whose team is in Memphis for Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals Wednesday, is expected to present his vision for this team that went 30-52 last season later this week.
According to a league source, the Sacramento Kings narrowed their list of potential head coaching candidates from seven to three Saturday afternoon. General manger Monte McNair will press forward with a list that includes Mark Jackson, Steve Clifford and Mike Brown, and the remaining four candidates have been informed that they are no longer in the running.
Shams Charania: Mark Jackson has emerged as a finalist for the Sacramento Kings head coaching job, sources tell me and @Sam Amick. Kings GM Monte McNair has begun to notify candidates whether they will move onto in-person meetings.
James Ham: Confirming that Mark Jackson has made it to round two of the Kings’ coaching search. GM Monte McNair is currently making calls to candidates and we should have all of the finalist names here shortly.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Golden State assistant Mike Brown and Brooklyn consultant Steve Clifford are among finalists for Sacramento Kings’ head coaching job, sources tell ESPN.
Chris Haynes: Former Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson will interview for the Sacramento Kings head coach opening next week, league sources tell @YahooSports.
Monte Poole: Multiple NBA sources confirm that Warriors assistant coach Mike Brown is among the candidates expected to interview for the HC job with the Sacramento Kings. First reported by @Adrian Wojnarowski
Shams Charania: The Sacramento Kings will interview Mike D‘Antoni and Mark Jackson for their head coaching job, among over a handful of total candidates, sources tell me and @sam_amick . Kings have done background on vast majority of available coaches and narrowed to small group.
The newcomer of the group, Sabonis has a completely different stance. That might be because he hasn’t been through this process before in Sacramento. “I would like to be part of it, talk to everyone and give them my input -- what I think, what I’ve seen, what could work, what could help,” Sabonis said.
This will be Fox’s fourth head coach since joining the Kings as the No. 5 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He still isn’t ready to jump in and make demands, but he said he would like to be “kept in the loop.” “For me, I’m not thinking too much into the head coaching thing,” Fox said. “Let the front office do what they do. I have trust in them. If they ask me, I’ll give my two cents, but I’m not really going into it thinking like that.”
Harrison Barnes, De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis were all asked whether or not they would give their input into the search and the range of answers was all over the board. Barnes was taken aback by the suggestion that he, one of the longest tenured Kings, would be consulted on something as important as the new coach. “I don’t anticipate my opinion being solicited at all, actually,” Barnes said with almost a chuckle. “But I appreciate you thinking about that.”
McNair offered broader parameters when asked if previous head coaching experience will be a prerequisite. “I think there’s a lot of characteristics that coaches will bring to the table,” McNair said. “We’ve seen successful coaches from many different backgrounds, so we’re not going to put any specifics or priorities on that. We’re going to interview. It’s going to be very comprehensive. We’re going to have a lot of people we’re going to talk to and we want to let them tell us what they’re excited about with the team as well as, certainly, our own thoughts.”
As for the timeline for the search, McNair said: “We have an offseason. We have time. The No. 1 thing is that we find the right person to come in here and partner with me and the rest of our staff and get this thing where it needs to get to. We’re going to take our time, and whenever we find that person, we’ll go ahead and do it.”
Jason Anderson: On having input in the coaching search, Domantas Sabonis says: "I would like to be part of it and talk to everyone, give them my input, what I think, what I’ve seen, what could work, what could help."
James Ham: De'Aaron Fox said he would like to be kept in the loop on the coaching search, but doesn't necessarily want to have input. He's looking for someone who can be here in Sacramento for a long time.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Sources: Kings search is expected to wide-ranging, including candidates with history of turning lottery teams into playoff teams. Among those expected to be considered: Kenny Atkinson, Steve Clifford, Mark Jackson, Mike Brown, Bucks assistants Charles Lee and Darvin Ham, more.
Shams Charania: Alvin Gentry has been informed that he is no longer the interim head coach of the Sacramento Kings and the team will commence a comprehensive coaching search immediately, sources tell me and @Sam Amick.
Walton and successor Alvin Gentry are both former Warriors assistant coaches and the buzz in league circles has already generated the names of two current Warriors assistants — Mike Brown and Kenny Atkinson — who are expected to receive consideration for the Sacramento job if Gentry is not promoted from interim to full-time head coach as he was in Detroit and Phoenix.
