NBA Rumors: 7 Best Coaching Candidates to Run Michael Jordan's Charlotte Bobcats

After finishing the regular season 7-59, it's no secret that Paul Silas, former head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats, is out of a job. Silas has said that he knows it's time to retire. He'll seek an office job with the organization. So this brings up the issue of who will Michael Jordan hire as the next coach. There are a lot of options out there, as there are with any new head coach hiring.

There's speculation about Stephen Silas, son of previous coach Paul Silas, getting an interview with the organization. According to Rod Higgins, the president of basketball operations, Stephen is on a list of people they are looking at, but head coaching experience “is important” and Stephen has none of that.

Another interesting idea that's in everyone's mind is if Phil Jackson would come to the team. The Bobcats would never pay Jackson the money he deserves, but you can't overlook the relationship he and Michael Jordan obviously have. In a recent interview on the Max and Marcellus show on 710 ESPN, Jeannie Buss, longtime partner of Jackson, let it be known that money has little to do with Jackson's decisions.

So there are a lot of options out there, but these are the ones most likely as of now.

Mike Malone

A recent article by Rick Bonnell of Inside the NBA points to Mike Malone, of Golden State, as a potential move for the Bobcats. Bonnell writes,

"

Malone is a defensive specialist who is Mark Jackson's lead assistant with the Warriors. Previously he worked for the New Orleans Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers. He was a big part of Monty Williams' improvement of the Hornets' defense when they went 46-36 two seasons ago.

"

Both Golden State and New Orleans were dealt pretty rough hands this season. The Warriors struggled with the stars being healthy, and then eventually traded Monta Ellis. So their record doesn't necessarily reflect Malone's ability as a coach.

Brian Shaw

After leaving the Lakers at the end of last season, Shaw went on several interviews all over the NBA for head coaching jobs. He was an assistant under Jordan's mentor, Phil Jackson, and knows that offense well. This could be an enticing factor for Jordan to hire him.

Shaw was publicly endorsed by Kobe Bryant at the end of last season saying that Shaw would be a good choice for head coach. He has years of assistant experience and relates well to the players. Currently, Shaw is the assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers. His one downfall is that he has no experience as a head coach.

Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated has confirmed that the Bobcats have asked the Pacers permission to interview Shaw.

Mike Dunlap

Mike Dunlap is another guy who, it was announced this week, will get to interview with the Bobcats. Dunlap is an assistant at St. John's University and has worked at Arizona and Oregon. He also assisted George Karl in Denver.

Head coach Steve Lanvin of St. John's said of Dunlap, "Mike is a sound tactician with a deep understanding of the game and brings a wealth of experience to our staff." This pick seems a bit out of the blue and still doesn't address the Bobcats' concern with bringing in someone who has head coaching experience.

Steve Clifford

In Bonnell's article, he also says the Bobcats could be looking at Steve Clifford of the Orlando Magic. When Monty Williams was hired in New Orleans, Clifford was on that short list.

Clifford brings a lot to the table by way of experience. He worked his way up as a scout in the NBA. Since 2000, he's been an advanced scout and an assistant for the Knicks, Rockets and currently the Magic. While Clifford hasn't been a head coach in the NBA, he has had head coaching experience at Adelphi.

Patrick Ewing

Ewing is a known friend of Jordan, and Jordan is known to take care of his buddies. Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated wrote,

"

The phone of Magic assistant and Jordan's good friend Patrick Ewing shouldn't be ringing from the 704 area code anytime soon. But odds are that it will, especially because Jordan and Ewing talked about the job before Silas replaced Larry Brown in December 2010 and it was speculated then that Ewing would come on board as head coach eventually.

"

Yahoo! Sports reported on Tuesday that Ewing's phone did indeed ring and he'll be getting an interview. Ewing has never been a head coach, but he's been an assistant coach for eight seasons.

Nate Tibbetts

Nate Tibbets, it was announced earlier this week, will get to interview with the Bobcats for the position. Tibbets is currently an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tibbetts has head coaching experience in the D-League for four years.

This head coaching experience, and his one season in the NBA, is likely what put him on the Bobcats' radar, as well as Rich Cho. Cho is the new GM of the Bobcats and the two have a relationship. During the time Cho was with the Thunder, Tibbetts was coaching their D-League team.

Tibbetts is regarded as a young up-and-coming coach around the NBA. He is only 34 years old.  

Jeff Van Gundy

One Van Gundy is on his way out of the NBA, but could the other be on his way in? Jeff Van Gundy was briefly courted by a few different teams last season who were looking for a head coach. He's currently a TV commentator, so he's extremely familiar with all the players in the game and the systems they all run.

He was head coach of both the Knicks and the Rockets. You may know also him from the hilarious bench incident in which he was drug across the floor (which never gets old to watch). While he never won a championship, Van Gundy led his team to the playoffs every year but one (and one in which he resigned from the Knicks), including his rookie year as a head coach.

While this isn't being reported anywhere, he's a person the Bobcats should definitely look into. Van Gundy has the experience they want and can possibly be hired at price the Bobcats can afford.