Warriors' Steve Kerr on Arizona HC Vacancy: 'I'm Not Going Anywhere'
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is planning to retain that title, even as his alma mater is searching for a new basketball coach.
Kerr, who played at Arizona before he was drafted by the Phoenix Suns in the second round in 1988, told reporters he doesn't intend to take the vacancy that was created when Arizona fired Sean Miller.
Since joining the team in 2009, Miller led Arizona to seven NCAA tournament appearances, going as far as the Elite Eight in three of those outings.
Athletic director Dave Heeke said in a statement that Miller's departure, which came with one year left on his contract, came amid an evaluation of "the overall position of the program."
"We evaluated it and we decided at this time it's the appropriate time to make a change so we can restore and rebuild the overall status of this world-class basketball program," he said.
The school was hit with five Level I NCAA violations related to a 2017 federal investigation into college basketball corruption. Miller was embroiled in the investigation as evidence suggested he may have paid $10,000 a month to Deandre Ayton to play at the school, an allegation he has denied, per ESPN's Jeff Borzello.
Amid the 2017 investigation, Kerr said that was part of the reason he coached at the professional level instead.
"I never wanted to be a college coach," he said, per Mark Medina of the Bay Area News Group. "I don’t immerse myself in that stuff. The NBA is very pure. We don’t want to make apologies or concessions about what we’re doing. We’re just playing basketball. It’s a business. And the NCAA obviously has lots of things to figure out on many levels who they are and what they’re doing.”
Kerr isn't the only NBA head coach with ties to Arizona—or to express a lack of desire for the gig. Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton said he has "no interest" in the opening and is "very committed to being here in Sacramento."
Borzello reported that Gonzaga assistant Tommy Lloyd and BYU head coach Mark Pope, among others, are candidates for the job. Los Angeles Lakers assistant Miles Simon is also "expected to be involved."
