In the midst of the resignation of head coach Mike D’Antoni, the Lakers said that their search for a new coach would begin immediately. And almost instantly, a number of coaches expressed their interest.
Former Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins has said that he would be interested, but a familiar face let it be known on Time Warner Cable SportsNet that he wants to be the next Lakers coach:
Would Byron Scott be interested in coaching the #Lakers? “Well that’s an easy answer,” he tells @geeter3 & @coachdavemiller.
— TWC SportsNet (@TWCSportsNet) May 1, 2014
Scott had been linked to the Lakers job previously, and he would seem to be a good fit. He is a former Laker, with a great reputation, a defensive mind, and has led teams deep into the playoffs.
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But another popular candidate for a number of coaching vacancies is Steve Kerr. Kerr had been linked to the New York Knicks job for weeks, but Sirius XM’s Ben Higgins reports he has interest in the Lakers:
SOURCE: @SteveKerrTNT would be interested in speaking to the Lakers about their now vacant head coaching position.
— Ben Higgins (@BenHigginsSD) May 1, 2014
While Kerr has never been a head coach, he did spend three years as general manager of the Phoenix Suns, helping construct the team that made it to the 2010 Western Conference Finals.
With the amount of big names already expressing interest, it seems as if the Lakers head coaching position is still one of the most sought after jobs in the NBA, even if the Lakers are coming off a bad year.
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BREAKING: Mike D’Antoni OUT, Resigns As Lakers Head Coach – Magic Johnson Says He Couldn’t Be Happier