George Karl Reportedly Will Remain Kings Head Coach: Latest Details, Reaction
Less than a day after reports surfaced that the Sacramento Kings planned to fire head coach George Karl, the organization revealed its intentions to keep him in place Tuesday.
According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, the Kings surprisingly reversed course, and the decision was made on the heels of a meeting between Karl and general manager Vlade Divac:
Per Stein, Divac released a brief statement explaining the move: "George is our coach and we're collectively working through our issues," Divac said.
It was first reported by Stein Monday night that sources expected Karl to be fired after a 21-31 start to the season.
Per Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, it was Divac who was chiefly responsible for ensuring that Karl was not let go:
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports provided a statement from Karl's agent:
The 64-year-old veteran took over as Sacramento's head coach with 30 games remaining in the 2014-15 season, posting a record of 11-19. Despite boasting a talented roster consisting of DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay and Rajon Rondo, he has failed to help the Kings take the next step.
Rumors have swirled all season regarding Karl's contentious relationship with Cousins, including a report from Jason McIntyre of TheBigLead.com in November that detailed a profane locker-room argument between them.
Karl has managed to hang on to his job, however, and his long track record of success may have something to do with it. In parts of 27 seasons as an NBA head coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Seattle SuperSonics, Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets and Kings, Karl has made 22 playoff appearances, including a run to the NBA Finals with Seattle in 1996.
According to NBA TV, Karl is among the winningest coaches in league history despite never having won a championship:
While Karl has enjoyed success at nearly every stop in his NBA career, he simply hasn't clicked with the Kings through what now amounts to one full season.
Barring a dramatic turnaround, the Kings aren't likely to reach the postseason this year since they sit five games behind the Utah Jazz for the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference playoff picture.
Karl may be safe for now, but if the Kings continue to head down their current path and don't show improvement, Divac may simply be delaying the inevitable.
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