What went wrong before Kings hired Mike Brown? Everything. Here are the last 11 coaches
Another coach, another reset.
The Sacramento Kings made it official Sunday: They hired Mike Brown as the 12th coach since 2006. The Kings have a new basketball floor leader, meaning new ways to explain or rehash ways to “change the culture” and to “trust the process.” But change allows frustrated fans some new hope for a new era with design of resembling anything of the distant past: success.
That’s been rare for the Kings since their relocation from Kansas City to Sacramento in 1985. Thirty-seven seasons in, the Kings have produced just eight winning campaigns, the last coming in 2006. Each of those experiences were under coach Rick Adelman, and his contract wasn’t renewed, deemed too dull by the Maloof ownership group. The Kings haven’t caught a sniff of the playoffs since Adelman left, the 16-year postseason drought representing the longest skid in NBA history.
Brown is the 12th head coach since Adelman. The constant changeover isn’t all on the Maloofs. Vivek Ranadive bought the club in 2013 and burned through six head coaches as he has watched talent-thin teams flame out from his courtside seats.
Here’s a quick peek at the coaches post-Adelman. The bar isn’t too high for Brown.
ERIC MUSSELMAN
Season: 2006-07
Record: 33-49 (.402)
How it went: A fast start to the season soured when the Kings lost 17 of 22 down the stretch. The Maloofs, all about impulse, went coach shopping again. Musselman has thrived as a college coach, including leading Arkansas to back-to-back Elite 8 showings.
REGGIE THEUS
Seasons: 2007-09
Record: 44-62 (.415)
How it went: He was the first big-name player for the Kings, flashy in game and appearance, and he could talk up a storm. Theus openly coveted the Kings gig despite the Maloofs being on the verge of promoting assistant coach Scott Brooks. Theus started 6-18 his second season, and he was released. He went on to coach at various colleges.
KENNY NATT
Season: 2008-09
Record: 11-47 (.190)
How it went: Natt was the interim hold-over after Theus, and it never gained any steam. The Kings finished with the league’s worst record. Natt has not coached in this county at any level above high school since.
PAUL WESTPHAL
Seasons: 2009-12
Record: 51-120 (.298)
How it went: Westphal could play (Hall of Famer) and he could coach talent (led the Phoenix Suns to the 1993 NBA Finals), but Westphal wasn’t able to find common ground with center DeMarcus Cousins, and that unraveled what was already the league’s youngest team. When your best player is your biggest headache, no chance. Westphal died from brain cancer just over a year ago.
KEITH SMART
Seasons: 2012-13
Record: 48-93 (.340)
How it went: No one ever doubted Smart’s ability to make the big shot (he made the game winner in the 1987 NCAA championship with the Indiana Hoosiers), but could he coach? He took over a Kings roster thin on talent and heavy on one-on-one players, and free agency and the draft provided next to nothing. The coach took the fall, of course. Smart now coaches at Arkansas with Musselman.
MICHAEL MALONE
Seasons: 2013-14
Record: 39-67 (.368)
How it went: At last, a coach who could get along with embattled All-Star center, Cousins, something all other Kings coaches were not able to do. But this marriage ended surprisingly quick on Ranadive impulse. Malone was terminated after an 11-13 start in his second season, despite Cousins missing games due to illness. This firing still bothers Kings fans, given that Malone has had a successful run as the Denver Nuggets coach. Malone stressed earlier this season that “continuity” is vital to a team’s success.
TYRONE CORBIN
Season: 2014-15
Record: 7-21 (.250)
How it went: A steady cog for the best Utah Jazz teams of them all, the 1990s, Corbin was a gap-filler after the Malone firing, and that meant he’d have to win right away to have a shot. He didn’t.
GEORGE KARL
Seasons: 2015-16
Record: 44-68 (.393)
How it went: This time, Ranadive tried what he thought was a sure thing, a proven winner, a man who could work with disgruntled players, a savior to save the ship from sinking. It sunk anyway. Karl is soon to be enshrined into the Naismith Hall of Fame, but not for what he did with the Kings. A standing ovation upon his arrival soon turned to boos. Karl wanted to trade Cousins, was overruled, and was cut loose after a 33-49 season, a game shy of coaching his 2,000th contest as a head coach. He hasn’t coached since.
DAVE JOERGER
Seasons: 2016-19
Record: 98-148 (.398)
How it went: By his third season, Joerger and the Kings were on the upswing, but it stalled out and the Kings finished 39-43. He was released with a year left on his contract. Joerger is an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers.
LUKE WALTON
Seasons: 2019-21
Record: 68-93 (.422)
How it went: This was Vlade Divac general manager hire, but Kings fans were not warm to Walton from the start because he was a former Lakers player and coach, and that never wavered as long as he couldn’t produce a winning season. With last-place talent, myriad injuries and the ill-fated decision to draft Marvin Bagley III over Luka Doncic added up to misery. Walton took the fall for all of it and was let go after the Kings started this past season 6-11.
ALVIN GENTRY
Season: 2021-22
Record: 25-43 (.368)
How it went: Well-liked and a proven winner at other stops, Gentry slid over from assistant coach to interim man after Walton. The only way he had a shot at this job was to reach the playoffs. Not even close. He was let go with a year left on his contract.
This story was originally published May 8, 2022 at 4:16 PM.