Tyrone Corbin Has Kings' Interim Head Coach Title Lifted for Remainder of Season

At least for the rest of the season, Tyrone Corbin won't have to worry about job security.   

According to the Associated Press, via ESPN.com, the Sacramento Kings have removed the "interim" tag from Corbin, who took over when Michael Malone was suddenly fired on Dec. 15, for the remainder of the 2014-15 campaign. 

Since Corbin became head coach, the Kings are just 2-6, dropping their overall record to 13-19. He has emphasized quickening the pace and getting into transition, but it has instead resulted in a steep drop in the team's defensive efficiency. 

The decision to replace Malone with Corbin was a controversial one right off the bat, and the slow start has only increased the hostility in Sacramento. 

Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press

He recently stressed that the changes are going to take some time to be effective, via The Sacramento Bee's Jason Jones:

"

It has to be gradual. We don’t want to confuse ourselves as we make tweaks to what we have, so it has to be a gradual thing. You can’t expect them to get it overnight. I think we’ve (gotten) better executing on the offensive end, but defensively we’ve lost a step. So we’ve got to make sure as we try to put more time in on the offensive end, get back to putting more time in on the defensive end as well.

"

Of course, Corbin doesn't exactly have years to work with. The Kings haven't been to the playoffs since 2006, and they haven't won 30 games since the 2007-08 season. With one of the best young centers in the league in DeMarcus Cousins to build around, the pressure to produce a winner is at an all-time high.

So, although Corbin has been given a stamp of approval for the rest of this season, don't expect him to carry a long leash as he attempts to turn around the franchise.