Doug Christie is Sacramento Kings’ 13th coach in 19 years. Here’s how the last 12 fared
NBA coaches come and go in Sacramento, a rotating seat of new leadership in an effort to regain something that has been lost —winning — or to kick-start something fresh.
Now it’s up to Doug Christie, the former Kings energizer defender and steady leader to pull a season of promise out of the ditch and back into the fast lane. He won three of his first four games after taking over for the abruptly terminated Mike Brown, making Christie the Kings’ 13th coach in 19 seasons and the eighth under club owner Vivek Ranadive.
It hasn’t always been like this for the Kings. Rick Adelman provided stability and influence, leading the Kings as head coach from 1998-2006 and guiding eight consecutive playoff teams before the Maloof ownership group declined to extend his contract. The Maloofs wanted a more engaging coach, someone who would make appearances in the community. That was not Adelman, an eventual Hall of Fame coach who preferred to be out of the limelight outside of the arena.
Here’s a peek at the coaches who have followed Adelman — from 2006, the beginning the Kings league-record 16-season playoff drought Brown brought to an end in 2022, through to the present.
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 thrived as a college coach, including leading Arkansas to back-to-back Elite 8 showings, and is now in his first season as head coach at USC.
Money on the books: Musselman was fired after just one season despite signing a three-year contract. The Kings were reportedly on the hook for $5 million over the following two years after letting him go.
Reggie Theus
Seasons: 2007-09
Record: 44-62 (.415)
How it went: He was the first big-name player for the Kings, who arrived from Kansas City for the start of the 1985-86 season, 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 and has, since 2021, been head coach at Bethune-Cookman.
Money on the books: Like his predecessor, Theus signed a three-year contract when he was hired by the Kings. But he only made it 24 games into his second season. The deal was reportedly worth $6 million.
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, though he had a stint coaching in India in 2011-12.
Money on the books: The terms of Natt’s contract were unknown, but the Kings were paying three coaches at once during his brief tenure.
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 he wasn’t able to find common ground with center DeMarcus Cousins, and that unraveled what was already the league’s youngest team. Westphal was an assistant coach with the Brooklyn Nets from 2014-16 and died from brain cancer in January 2021.
Money on the books: Westphal reportedly made $1.5 million per year after signing a two-year deal with a team option for a third that had Sacramento on the hook for $2 million. Westphal lasted seven games into that third season.
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. Following his Kings stint, Smart had assistant coaching gigs with the Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies and New York Knicks and has, since 2021, been an assistant at Arkansas.
Money on the books: The Kings fired Smart after the 2012-13 season despite signing him to a contract extension through 2013-14 in August 2012. It was similar to what the Kings did last month by firing Brown after he inked a three-year contract extension in July.
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, including winning an NBA championship in 2023. Malone criticized the Brown firing, calling it “no class.”
Money on the books: Malone was given a three-year contract worth a reported $9 million with team option for a fourth when he was hired. He lasted only two seasons.
Tyrone Corbin
Season: 2014-15
Record: 7-21 (.250)
How it went: A steady cog as a player for 15 NBA seasons, 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. Since the Kings, Corbin has had stints as an assistant coach with the Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic, and, since 2022, the Charlotte Hornets.
Money on the books: Corbin signed a two-year contract to be on Malone’s staff as assistant through 2014-15.
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 was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2022, 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.
Money on the books: Karl signed a four-year contract worth nearly $15 million that included $5 million for each of the final two years. But he was fired after two seasons, meaning the Kings paid him $10 million not to coach from 2016 to 2018.
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 was an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers from 2020-23 and has been on the Milwaukee Bucks bench as an assistant this season.
Money on the books: Joerger reportedly signed a four-year, $16 million contract and made it three seasons, leaving the Kings to pay him for the fourth in 2019-20 while he was out of the NBA.
Luke Walton
Seasons: 2019-21
Record: 68-93 (.422)
How it went: This was a 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 his final season at 6-11. He was an assistant with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2022-24 and this season has been the lead assistant with the Detroit Pistons.
Money on the books: Walton signed a four-year contract that was reportedly worth $11.5 million. He only made it 17 games into the third year.
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 and is not in coaching.
Gentry remains with the Kings, with the title of vice president of basketball engagement.
Mike Brown
Seasons: 2022-24 (fired Dec. 27)
Record: 107-88
How it went: It started fabulously for the engaging Brown as he steered the Kings to their first playoff berth since 2016, ending an NBA record for non-playoff seasons. He became the first coach to unanimously win NBA Coach of the Year honors that season. Last season, the Kings went 46-36 but did not make the playoffs, and a 13-18 start this season with a five-game home losing skid was Brown’s undoing, leading to Christie and a new reboot.
Money on the books: Like the majority of coaches on the list, the Kings will be paying Brown substantially not to coach. He signed a three-year contract extension in July worth $30 million. His extension never officially kicked in. He signed a three-year deal when hired and was fired 31 games into his third season.
This story was originally published January 6, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
