Raptors Coaching Search Thread

[Built Ford Tough]

Rather than put everything related to the Raptors search for a head coach in the Triano being removed thread, I figured it makes more sense to create a new one specifically for rumors/speculation/thoughts on who the Raptors next coach will be.

 

Here are the first few rumors and/or speculation with actual names involved that I have come across.

 

From Doug Smith's blog:

 

Yes, Butch Carter was on the list we had in the paper today of possible new coaches.

 

No, I have no idea if he’s interested at all but he should be. Dude could flat-out coach.

 

But, as I said, it’d be a bold move and I’m not sure they’re looking at “bold” here right now.

 

So, who gets the job?

 

Well, the obvious suspects are Lawrence Frank and Dwane Casey, both quite accomplished and the kind of guys Bryan seemed to target with his announcement that a pedigree and defensive mentality was a key attribute.

 

I like ‘em both, actually.

 

Frank’s been there, done that and got a so-so defensive Nets team to play pretty well on the defensive end. Good guy, knows how to handle the media it seems and was recommended by a couple of league people I talked to last night.

 

Casey? I will say this: He’s got a huge amount of defensive responsibility in Dallas and if he can that team with that personnel -- an aged Jason Kidd and a defensive liability like Dirk Nowitzki -- to play like that, he’s got to have some skills. Maybe he’s the guy who can sufficiently hide, or convince, Bargnani to defend.

 

Who’d be the favourite right now?

 

Every indication I’ve been getting is that it’s Frank but there’s all kinds of time for that to change.

 

But .... and there’s always a but.

 

If they want to go a different route, let me toss these two names out there:

 

I’m sure Michael Malone, who was the defensive guy for Mike Brown in Cleveland and is for Monty WIlliams in New Orleans, would have some interest and, totally out of the blue, old friend Dee Brown might be ready to step up after being the head coach of Springfield in the D League.

 

The others?

 

I think they should make a call to Jerry Sloan but I’m not sure this would be the situation that he’d like; Rick Adelman’s rep is that he works better with veteran teams and this isn’t one of them, and you need to trust me on this, there is more a chance of you coaching the Raptors next year than there is of Phil Jackson coming. Forget it.

 

From Stein:

 

In addition to Boston's Lawrence Frank, NBA coaching sources confirm Raptors will request permission to interview Mavs assistant Dwane Casey

 

http://twitter.com/#!/STEIN_LINE_HQ/status/76424187891302400

 

 

A nice article on Frank from the Sun.

 

That man, all 5-foot-8 of him, would be former New Jersey Nets head coach Lawrence Frank.

 

ESPN has con-firmed both Frank and Casey will be interview for the job.

 

Unlike his first head coaching experience, Frank would come to this one as a very much more known quantity.

 

Even after spending three years on Brian Winter's bench with the Vancouver Grizzlies and 31/2 more under Byron Scott in New Jersey, Frank still was being questioned by security on road games when he travelled with the Nets.

 

His boyish looks and smaller stature had more than one arena security guard asking Frank for some form of ID whether he was getting off the team bus or not.

 

Frank hasn't gotten any taller in the ensuing years and he still has a boyish look about him despite his 40 years on the planet. What he has added is much more cachet within NBA circles.

 

Six years calling the shots in New Jersey will do that for a man.

 

The fact that he more often than not motivated Vince Carter to play to his ridiculous capabilities more than any coach since Lenny Wilkens is no small accomplishment either. Getting Carter to at least pay lip service to his defensive responsibilities is probably even a bigger selling point with Colangelo.

 

Frank took a Nets team with Jason Kidd, Carter, and Richard Jefferson for the bulk of his six seasons there to the conference semifinals in three of four seasons and a first-round loss in the other. His final two years his Nets did not make the playoffs before he was dismissed Nov. 29, 2009 having endured an 0-16 start to begin the season.

 

Frank spent the rest of the 2009/10 season as an analyst for NBATV but in the summer of 2010 joined Doc Rivers in Boston to replace Tom Thibodeau as his lead assistant.

 

Frank hits on just about every one of Colangelo's wants and needs in his next head coach. Colangelo talked about bringing in a guy with a pedigree, a resume that his young players could look up to and a guy with a defensive leaning.

 

Frank didn't win any championships in New Jersey but he did win two Atlantic championships titles and took his team to the playoffs in his first four years as head coach.

 

He has been in the league and the Raptors division long enough that if he does come to Toronto, he'll bring with him a depth of knowledge about their nearest and fiercest rivals that is tough to beat.

 

Frank's best known quality, though, is his legendary work ethic. Even on the day he was fired in New Jersey, from Rod Thorn who did the firing to Tom Barrise who replaced him, just about everyone mentioned the tireless work Frank did in his six years as head coach and his 31/2 as an assistant to Byron Scott.

 

It was that reputation as an around-the-clock basketball junkie that got Frank the job in Boston where he replaced another basketball workaholic in Thibodeau.

 

 

http://www.torontosun.com/2011/06/03/lawrence-frank-meets-raps-criteria

 

 

And one more, from CBSSports.

 

Though the Raptors are in the early stages of their search for Jay Triano's replacement, Malone could garner some interest for that position as well. Raptors president Bryan Colangelo is looking for an experienced coach -- not necessarily with head coaching experience -- who can teach defense. Malone is Monty Williams' lead assistant in New Orleans, and he coached both sides of the ball under Brown in Cleveland.

 

Former Nets coach Lawrence Frank and Mavericks assistant Dwane Casey also are expected to become candidates in Toronto, where a significant reorganization is planned for after July 1 with Colangelo seeking a high-level basketball man to fill the position vacated when Masai Ujiri left for the Nuggets, sources said.

 

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/11838893/29750190

 

 

(If you have any names that you feel I should add/remove from the poll, let me know as I just did this quickly off of the top of my head with coaches who were the most talked about for teams looking for a new coach).

[Dash]

Get Dwane Casey, excellent defensive coach and is a workaholic. I remember reading that he would barely get any sleep during his tenure in Minnesota because he would spend countless hours working on plays/sets and watching film. He was my top choice for the Rockets job before McHale eventually won me over and I know htown was pretty upset that he didn't get it (Frank fell way behind Casey and McHale after the interviews).

[Built Ford Tough]

Add Mike Woodson to the speculation list, at least according to Stein.

 

Marc Stein

I'm told Raptors have also registered some interest in Woodson, as w/Dwane Casey and L-Frank, but DET link so strong w/Woody's history there

 

http://twitter.com/#!/STEIN_LINE_HQ/status/77680527326449664

 

 

Here is an article from the Star that makes it sound like Casey is very interested in the Raptors.

 

Casey wasn’t willing to discuss his intentions with the Star but several league sources insist he’s hugely interested in the job. The Raptors are also being close-mouthed about the search to replace Triano but league sources say team officials have already spoken to Casey’s agent.

 

But there other suitors for Casey. According to a CBSSports.com report Monday afternoon, Casey is scheduled to meet with Golden State ownership after the final to discuss the vacant Warriors job.

 

It’s unclear who the Raptors have also reached out to but it’s widely assumed they have interest in Boston assistant Lawrence Frank as well.

 

Casey, 54, was the head coach of the Timberwolves from 2005-07, compiling a 43-59 record, getting fired with Minnesota at 20-20 in the 2006-07 season. He spent 11 seasons as an assistant with the Seattle SuperSonics and also coached Japan’s national team.

 

He has been a finalist for a handful of coaching vacancies in the last three seasons, most recently being beaten out by Kevin McHale, ironically the man who fired him in Minnesota, for the recently filled Houston Rockets job.

 

“Coach Casey? Great guy, always prepared,” said Dallas’s Peja Stojakovic. “He just knows how to get you ready and if you don’t do what you’re supposed to, you’re going to hear it about it.”

 

http://www.thestar.com/sports/basketball/nba/raptors/article/1003634--raptors-among-suitors-for-mavs-assistant-dwane-casey

 

Sounds like they will be interviewing him after the Finals.

 

KBerg_CBS Ken Berger

The #Raptors and #Pistons also have reached out through intermediaries to express interest in interviewing Casey after the #Finals.

 

I think their ideal coach is probably Frank (just a gut feeling), but I imagine Casey is right up there with him, perhaps in a 1A/1B type of situation. Seeing how well he had his T'Wolves playing defensively despite a completely awful record definitely gives me hope that he could make a real impact for the Raptors if he is hired.

[Built Ford Tough]

And it is down to two...

 

DALLAS—And then there were two.

 

According to multiple NBA sources, the Raptors have narrowed the search for a new coach to two men: Dallas Mavericks assistant Dwane Casey and Boston Celtic assistant Lawrence Frank.

 

Sources say president and general manager Bryan Colangelo has a strong desire to have a new coach in place as long before the June 23 NBA draft as possible but he cannot even begin interviewing Casey until the Mavericks are finished their NBA final series against the Miami Heat.

 

http://www.thestar.com/sports/basketball/nba/raptors/article/1005039--casey-or-frank-next-raptors-coach

 

No shocker here as I think everybody knew that these two were at the top of Colangelo's list and it would inevitably be one of these two that he would want to coach this team.

 

I'd be fine with either one as both were at the top of my list as well (obviously I'd love a guy like Sloan or Adelman, but obviously neither one of those two were even even remote possibilities to coach this team). Both of them fit the bill of being defensive minded, both have plenty of experience and both coaches know what it takes to win at this level. So long as the Raptors manage to get one of these two, I will be very happy with the decision.