Ranking the Top Head Coaching Candidates for the Portland Trail Blazers
It's been an eventful 72 hours for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Following their disappointing first-round loss to the Denver Nuggets, the team parted ways with longtime head coach Terry Stotts, a move that was widely expected following a fourth early playoff exit in five seasons. Later Friday night, Damian Lillard went public with his desire for Jason Kidd to be the Blazers' next head coach, before Kidd officially pulled his name from the search Sunday.
Blazers president of basketball operations Neil Olshey said at his Monday morning end-of-season press conference that a priority for his next head coaching hire will be an improvement on the defensive end of the floor. He also said that he will initially present between 20 and 25 candidates to team governor Jody Allen, and they won't start the interview process while potential candidates are still with other teams in the playoffs.
It remains to be seen how true that timeline will hold—teams typically like to have head coaches in place by the predraft combine, which will take place later this month.
With that said, a few names on the market immediately jump to mind as potential fits as the Blazers look to make the most of the remainder of Lillard's prime.
5. Darvin Ham
1 of 5
One person who is seemingly mentioned every year as a potential head coach candidate and has gotten several interviews for jobs in recent cycles is Darvin Ham.
He checks the former-player box that appears to be what Lillard is gravitating toward in his desires, and has a reputation as a strong defensive mind on Mike Budenholzer's staff in both Atlanta and Milwaukee. In those eight years Ham spent with Budenholzer, their teams have had five top-five finishes in defense, including the best mark in the league in both 2018-19 and 2019-20.
The only thing he's lacking is previous head coaching experience, but if Olshey's search expands beyond the expected front-runner in Chauncey Billups and a few other names, Ham's defensive acumen and experience on contending coaching staffs should make him a strong candidate.
4. David Vanterpool
2 of 5
There hasn't been much chatter linking David Vanterpool to the Blazers job—they'll probably go with someone with more experience—but we'd be remiss not to mention someone who would immediately come in with Lillard's respect.
Lillard has repeatedly vouched for Vanterpool for other job openings and was especially vocal in his displeasure when Vanterpool, who has been the Minnesota Timberwolves' associate head coach since 2019, was passed over for the job when the team fired Ryan Saunders and opted instead to bring in an outside hire, Chris Finch, in an unusual midseason move.
Vanterpool joined the Timberwolves' staff after seven seasons working under Stotts in Portland. Both Lillard and CJ McCollum have credited him with their development, especially early in their careers, as well as praised his ability to communicate with players.
He has routinely appeared on lists of up-and-coming coaching candidates around the league and has interviewed for several head coaching jobs. Given his history with the organization and relationship with Lillard, he can't be completely counted out.
3. Mike Brown
3 of 5
Mike Brown would be a veteran candidate with head coaching experience and a well-established reputation as a great defensive mind.
No less than LeBron James has credited Brown for helping him learn to communicate on the defensive end early in his career, when Brown coached James in Cleveland.
Brown has spent the past five seasons as Steve Kerr's lead assistant in Golden State, where the Warriors have ranked no worse than 11th in the league in defense in four of those five seasons (throwing out the pandemic-shortened, injury-plagued 2019-20 season).
.png?w=256)
2. Steve Clifford
4 of 5
Over the weekend, the Orlando Magic parted ways with Clifford as they prepare to undergo a full rebuild. Any team looking to improve its defense, as the Blazers clearly are, should give Clifford a hard look.
In eight years as a head coach with Orlando and Charlotte, his teams finished in the top 10 in defensive efficiency four times and never lower than 17th until this season, when the Magic tore down the roster at the trade deadline.
Clifford also has a history with Olshey and the Blazers. He interviewed for the head coaching job in 2012 and was one of four finalists when Stotts was ultimately hired. At the time, he was a highly respected defensive assistant with the Magic and ultimately followed Dwight Howard to the Lakers before getting his first head coaching opportunity a year later with the Hornets.
While Clifford isn't the kind of coach who would excite most people, he fits perfectly with what Olshey's stated goals are and has been successful at both of his previous stops. He'd make some sense as an option.
1. Chauncey Billups
5 of 5
As of now, Billups is widely believed to be the front-runner for the job. He was the other name besides Kidd that Lillard has publicly endorsed, and he also has a longstanding relationship with Olshey, going back to Olshey signing Billups with the Clippers in 2011.
Billups doesn't have any head coaching experience but is currently the lead assistant on Tyronn Lue's staff with the Clippers, who are now in great position to make a Finals run over the next month. As a highly respected former player and fellow cerebral point guard, there's reason to believe he would be a great choice to connect with Lillard.
However, since Billups' name has been brought up as a candidate for this round of coaching openings, a 1997 civil lawsuit saying that Billups and then-Celtics teammate Ron Mercer raped a woman at the home of teammate Antoine Walker began recirculating on social media. The suit was settled out of court in 2000.
Given the immediate, widespread backlash to Kidd's candidacy in light of his 2001 conviction for spousal abuse, expect a similar response in Portland if Billups is ultimately the choice. From a basketball and relationships standpoint, he checks all the boxes, but the hire may be a tough sell to fans given the past allegations.
Advanced stats via NBA.com.
.png?w=480)
