Becky Hammon has been named a finalist for the Trail Blazers’ head coaching job, making it the first time a woman has advanced into the final stages of the interview process for an NBA head coaching position, according to Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Following an illustrious career as a basketball player both in the WNBA and overseas, Hammon was hired by the Spurs in 2014 as an assistant coach, as she became just the second female coach in NBA history. She is still currently in that position.
Chauncey Billups, also seeking his first head coaching position since retiring from the NBA, was also named a finalist for the head coaching vacancy in Portland, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Wojnarowski adds that Mike D’Antoni will also get a second interview.
More Coaching Rumors
- The Pelicans received permission to interview Jacque Vaughn and Charles Lee for their open head coaching spot, according to Wojnarowski. This will be the second straight offseason that the Pelicans will be looking for a new coach, so if they want to convince Zion Williamson to remain with the franchise for the long-term future, then they’ll need to get this hire right.
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Steve Clifford, Brian Shaw and Terry Stotts are three of several candidates that the Pacers, another team looking to fill their head coaching vacancy for a second straight offseason, will be interviewing this week, according to Wojnarowski. The new hire will be tasked with building a winning culture with Domantas Sabonis and Caris LeVert as the main building blocks.
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Ime Udoka is believed to be a frontrunner for the Celtics’ head coaching position at this current moment, according to Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson of Bally Sports. Udoka spent this season as an assistant on the Nets’ coaching staff, as he is highly regarded as an up-and-coming candidate to be a head coach in the NBA sometime soon.
