Mike D'Antoni Hired as 76ers Associate Head Coach: Details, Reaction

The Philadelphia 76ers hired former NBA Coach of the Year Mike D'Antoni as an associate head coach on Friday.

The team's head of public relations, Michael Preston, provided a statement from the team:

Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer was the first to report the organization's decision to bring in the 64-year-old veteran coach.

Word of D'Antoni and the 76ers' potential marriage initially came from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports on Dec. 12:

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New Philadelphia 76ers chairman Jerry Colangelo is beginning to impose his influence on the franchise, engaging Mike D'Antoni in talks to join Brett Brown's staff as associate head coach, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

D'Antoni, a four-time head coach in the NBA, has been discussing with Colangelo and Brown a role on the Sixers' bench that could begin later this month, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

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Wojnarowski also noted D'Antoni and Colangelo have a "longstanding relationship" from their time with the Phoenix Suns and USA Basketball.

D'Antoni was once regarded as one of the best and most innovative minds in the NBA. His tenure with the Suns was incomplete because the franchise didn't win a championship, but the team won at least 54 games in four consecutive seasons and never finished lower than third in scoring.

Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated pointed out why the 76ers were making a good move bringing D'Antoni into the mix:

D'Antoni was last seen on the sideline as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2013-14. He didn't have a successful two-year stint in Hollywood, posting a 67-87 mark, and that was coming off four disappointing years leading the New York Knicks that saw him go 121-167.

It's easy to look at his recent coaching stops as an indictment of his ability, but there was a time when he helped usher in a new era of basketball.

In addition, the Sixers don't have much to lose at this juncture, as they are just 1-26 on the season despite boasting young, talented players such as Rookie of the Year candidate Jahlil Okafor and big man Nerlens Noel.

The 76ers' strategy hasn't worked for years. This is a franchise that needs to start thinking outside of the box to get respect, let alone even be considered a threat for the postseason in the next few years.

Pairing D'Antoni with head coach Brett Brown qualifies as out-of-the-box thinking, and it's refreshing to see smart basketball minds coming together to help a Philadelphia franchise that needs as much assistance as it can get.