Former Mavs Coach Carlisle Job Search: Why Not Celtics?
DALLAS - The Boston Celtics are in search of a new head coach, and a future Hall-of-Fame bench boss with Boston ties is available.
But the Celtics reportedly do not have Rick Carlisle on their list of finalists for the vacancy created after Brad Stevens was elevated from head coach to president of basketball operations.
According to Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald, the Celtics have "three or four" strong head-coaching candidates. And Carlisle is not among them. (Woj lists a trio of assistants, Brooklyn’s Ime Udoka, Milwaukee’s Darvin Ham and Clippers’ Chauncey Billups as being among the leaders there.)
Carlisle resigned as head coach of the Mavericks on Thursday after 13 seasons with the franchise. The 61-year-old had been the third-longest-tenured head coach in the NBA (behind only San Antonio's Gregg Popovich and Miami's Erik Spoelstra), but some of the same level of reported “dysfunction” that has driven Boston to make major organizational changes exist in Dallas, and drove Carlisle to resign.
Carlisle went 555-478 and 33-38 in the postseason. But Dallas, which this week also saw the dismissal of 24-year GM Donnie Nelson, has not advanced past the first round since the title run 10 years ago.
Carlisle, who once played fir title teams with the Celtics, is likely be a top candidate for the NBA’s many vacancies. Meanwhile. his top assistant in Dallas, Jamahl Mosley, has support from star Luka Doncic in a bid to succeed Carlisle.
READ MORE: Dirk Nowitzki Rejoins Mavericks Organization As 'Special Advisor'
Stevens, moving up in place of Boston GM Danny Ainge, obviously has his vision. In Dallas, owner Mark Cuban has his, with a stated desire to hire a coach only after Nelson’s replacement is in place. Michael Finley is an in-house candidate for the GM job, while in a speculative note, it’s worth mentioning that the contract of Masai Ujiri is up in Toronto.
READ MORE: Who Should Replace Rick?
