Nick Van Exel Reportedly Will Be Named Texas Legends Head Coach

Former NBA guard Nick Van Exel will be named the next head coach of the Texas Legends, the Dallas Mavericks' D-League affiliate, sometime this week.

ESPN's Marc Stein reported the news, saying the announcement could come "as early as Tuesday." Stein initially reported that the Mavericks offered Van Exel the position last week after their first choice, Monte Mathis, was offered an assistant coaching job under Scott Skiles in Orlando.

Van Exel, 43, joined the Legends last season as an assistant under head coach Eduardo Najera. Najera, 38, coached the D-League outfit for the last three seasons before moving to a position with the Mavericks' scouting staff.

Ridiculous Upside noted Van Exel is stepping into a position held by luminaries:

Van Exel played 13 NBA seasons, including a stint in Dallas from 2002-03. He made one All-Star team and was largely known for his steady play, heady passing and three-point shooting. His coaching career began at Texas Southern University in 2009 and transitioned to the NBA level a year later. The Hawks hired him as a player development coach in 2010, and he later became an assistant under Larry Drew in Milwaukee in 2013-14.

“I’m a little bit different as a coach,” Van Exel told Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. “I was feisty as a player. I wore my aggressiveness and my emotions on my sleeve. I’m a lot more reserved and relaxed as a coach. I think you have to be. I tell people all the time the Nick Van Exel who was the basketball player is a lot different than the one off the court."

The Legends have not made the D-League playoffs since 2010-11. While that's in large part due to the team's shaky player development policies—Justin Anderson is the first top pick Dallas has used and kept on its roster since 2006—it'll be interesting to see if Van Exel can turn things around.   

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter