Here’s how Sacramento Kings GM Monte McNair plans to conduct search for new head coach
Kings general manager Monte McNair met with the media Tuesday to discuss a disappointing season, the dismissal of interim coach Alvin Gentry and the coaching search that is now underway as the organization seeks to end to its NBA-record 16-year playoff drought.
McNair thanked Gentry for his work, declined to discuss the possibility of him remaining with the team in a different role and said the Kings will conduct a comprehensive search for a new head coach. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the search would include candidates with a history of turning lottery teams into playoff teams — and it probably will — but 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.”
McNair believes the team has a bright future with De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis as “pillars of what we’re building here,” but Monday was a dark day in Kings history with multiple firings and a death in the family. Gentry was relieved of his coaching duties; assistant general manager Ken Catanella, head athletic trainer Joe Resendez and media relations director Alex Sigua were let go; and Wayne Cooper, who served under former team president Geoff Petrie in the team’s front office, died at the age of 65.
Assistant coaches Mike Longabardi, Doug Christie, Jonah Herscu, Rico Hines, Stacey Augmon and Lindsey Harding are still with the team for now, but ultimately their fates will be decided by the team’s next head coach.
“I spoke with our entire coaching staff yesterday,” McNair said. “Obviously, a difficult situation for them, but I’ll tell you what I’ve told them. We’re going to run this coaching search. When that coach is in place, then we’ll work with that coach to fill out the remainder of his staff. So, obviously, a tough situation, but that’s going to be our process, and frankly we’re excited to get started on that and the rest of our offseason because I think the foundation we’re building here, and continue to build, is going to be something that gets us where we need to go.”
The Kings will need a good head coach to help them get there. This will be the team’s 12th coach in 16 years since Sacramento made its last playoff appearance in 2006. McNair said the Kings will be methodical in their approach to the search.
“I think, really, what we’re going to do, like every decision we make, we’re going to run a comprehensive and very process-driven coaching search, and we’re going to let that run its course,” McNair said. “We’re going to take as long as we need to find the correct person to lead this organization, the team on the floor, and I’m excited to see the people we talk to and their vision for the team as well.”
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.”
The Kings have been a mess defensively in recent years, but they will have to improve at both ends of the floor. There was evidence of that in the 15 games Fox and Sabonis shared the floor together, something McNair called a “head start” on next season, but the overall numbers were not good.
The Kings finished 16th in the NBA in scoring (110.3), 18th in free-throw percentage (.768), 20th in field-goal percentage (.460), and 24th in 3-point percentage (.344) and offensive rating (109.6).
McNair said shooting will be a big priority this offseason as he looks to improve the roster around Fox and Sabonis.
“I think shooting, we can clearly acknowledge, will be a huge priority,” McNair said. “It’s a priority for every team, but certainly around those two guys, shooting will be a big one. Length, athleticism, versatility, we’ve talked about all that as well. Obviously, you want the whole package, but shooting will be a big priority for us.”
The Kings will have to improve defensively as well. They were 19th in blocks (4.5); 20th in steals (7.2); 22nd in defensive rebounding percentage (.714); 23rd in opponents fastbreak points (13.4); 27th in defensive rating (114.8); 27th in opponent’s second-chance points (14.8); 27th in opponents points in the paint (51.4); 29th in opponents points off turnovers (21.2); 29th in rebounding percentage (.484); and worst of all, 29th in opponents points per game (115.8).
McNair was asked if he would focus on defense in his search for a new head coach. Even then, he left the criteria undefined.
“I’m not putting any particulars in on that,” McNair said. “We’re going to run this process. We all know what we need to get to. There are certain things that need to be fixed, but there are also multiple ways to win in this league. We want the coaching candidates we bring in to bring their own style, tell us how they want to do this. We’ll talk with them and, ultimately, we’re going to bring in somebody who’s going to win, however they and we want to do that together.”
This story was originally published April 13, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
