Sacramento Kings Interviewing Two Big Names For Head Coach

The Sacramento Kings have narrowed their head coaching search down to a select group, and a report today has a couple of well-known names on their shortlist. NBA Insider Shams Charania reports that Mike D'Antoni and Mark Jackson will be interviewing for the Kings' job.

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.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 22, 2022

D'Antoni was the architect of the "7 seconds or less" fastbreak offense of the Phoenix Suns in the 2000s, as well as the James Harden ISO-heavy teams of the Houston Rockets late last decade. 

Overall, the 70-year-old D'Antoni has coached over 1200 games in the NBA, and owns an impressive 678-533 mark, a .560 winning percentage. He was last seen on the Brooklyn Nets coaching staff as an assistant in the 2020-21 season, and signed on as a coaching "advisor" with the New Orleans Pelicans this past season. 

Mark Jackson's head coaching career is a little more controversial, as he led the baby Golden State Warriors, in the early years of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green's careers to the brink of contention, but couldn't get over the hump. He was replaced in 2014-15 by Steve Kerr, and the rest, as they say, is history in Golden State. 

He took the Dubs from a 23-win team in 2011-12 to a 51-win team in his 3rd and final season, 2013-14. That was also the season that Steph Curry became an All-Star for the first time. Some Kings followers wonder if Jackson could "unlock" De'Aaron Fox in the same way. 

As a lifelong Kings fan I can’t help but feel like Mark Jackson could really unlock De’Aaron Fox in ways he did Steph Curry. What a great hire that would be for my Kings. https://t.co/ABLxzFcnAg

— Anthony F. Irwin (@AnthonyIrwinLA) April 22, 2022

After 16 straight years of missing the playoffs, whoever takes on the job has their work cut out for them, and a great opportunity to start a new era in Sacramento.

Photo Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports