Saturday, June 03, 2006
[Kings] Eric Musselman, the Next Kings Head Coach
What an encouraging news.
[12:57 pm] Update from Greg Beacham's AP Report:
"I know we're going to be the best-prepared team in the league now," Joe Maloof told The Associated Press in a phone interview Friday night. "We just like him a lot. We're really comfortable with the guy. Our whole family feels that way."
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Musselman, who wowed the Maloofs by writing a 100-page scouting report on the Kings for his second interview Thursday night, didn't immediately return a phone call seeking comment.
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The Maloofs also interviewed Golden State assistant Mario Elie and Sacramento Monarchs coach John Whisenant for the job, but Musselman won over the entire clan -- including Colleen Maloof, mother of the four sons who preside over the family's extensive business empire -- and president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie.
Musselman showed up to his interview with the Maloofs carrying a lengthy report on his opinions of the Kings' season, as well as his plans for their future.
"We saw that, and we thought it was great," Joe Maloof said.
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Musselman also is known for wowing potential employers in interviews. Former Golden State general manager Garry St. Jean reportedly hired Musselman for the club's top job after first interviewing Musselman only as a possible assistant. Edited by: pistonJW
From AP:
The Kings scheduled a news conference Saturday to announce Musselman's hiring, spokesman Troy Hanson said late Friday. The team still was working on contract details.
Musselman and Joe Maloof didn't immediately return phone calls seeking comment.
The 41-year-old Musselman is the 20th head coach in the history of a franchise that began life as the Rochester Royals in 1948....
Sacramento also interviewed Golden State assistant Mario Elie and Sacramento Monarchs head coach John Whisenant for the job, but Musselman won over the entire Maloof clan -- including Colleen Maloof, mother of the four sons who preside over the family's extensive business empire -- and president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie.
...
Musselman, a former University of San Diego point guard, has been a coaching prodigy since getting his first head job in the Continental Basketball Association at just 23. After compiling the second-highest winning percentage in CBA history behind George Karl, Musselman was an NBA assistant in Minnesota, Orlando and Atlanta.
In 2002, he was hired to coach moribund Golden State, where he went 75-89 despite two largely unimpressive rosters. He was the runner-up for the NBA's coach of the year award in 2003, won by San Antonio's Gregg Popovich.
Though his teams were more competitive than any Warriors clubs in the previous half-decade, he was fired when he clashed with players and incoming boss Chris Mullin. Many Warriors didn't appreciate a sometimes autocratic management style compared by many to his hard-nosed father, the late former Cleveland and Minnesota head coach Bill Musselman.
But when the Maloofs went looking for a charismatic, defense-oriented coach who will apply more discipline than Adelman, Eric Musselman fit the bill.
Musselman also is known for wowing potential employers in interviews. Former Golden State general manager Garry St. Jean reportedly hired Musselman for the club's top job after first interviewing Musselman only as a possible assistant.
From Sacbee:
On their Web site, the Kings said they'll officially announce their seletion for head coach Saturday at approximately 1 p.m. Afterward, the new coach will greet fans at a "Meet the Coach" event at the Arden Fair mall (the center court in front of Nordstrom) at 3:30 p.m. Team owners Joe and Gavin Maloof and president Geoff Petrie also will be in attendance.
Musselman has sought a head coaching position in the NBA twice before. He interviewed for the top coaching jobs in Orlando and Minnesota last offseason before losing out to Brian Hill and Dwayne Casey, respectively.
