All has been fairly quiet on the Timberwolves coaching search since Dave Joerger decided to stay in Memphis, but a new name has entered the conversation. Maybe.
Vinny Del Negro, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein, has emerged as a serious candidate to become the next head coach of the Wolves.
Coaching sources say Del Negro quietly interviewed w/Wolves last week before Dave Joerger talks collapsed. VDN also in mix for Cavs job
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 29, 2014
Stein adds that ex-Wolves player and former Raptors head coach Sam Mitchell is not a lock to get the job. Other known candidates the Wolves have interviewed include former Memphis coach Lionel Hollins and ex-Magic guard Scott Skiles.
Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune confirmed Stein’s report, but added that he isn’t sure how serious of a candidate Del Negro is other than simply interviewing for the job.
Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press doesn’t think Del Negro is still in consideration for the job.
Told definitively that there are "no legs" to the reports linking Wolves and Vinny Del Negro.
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) May 29, 2014
CBS Sports’ James Herbert referred to Del Negro as a surprise option for the Cavaliers considering “he didn’t exactly earn praise for his tactics when he was the head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 2008 to 2010 and the Los Angeles Clippers from 2010 to 2013.”
When Del Negro was fired by the Clippers following the 2013 season, he went on the Dan Patrick Show and in a backhanded way suggested that star Clippers point guard Chris Paul got him fired.
“Well, Chris is a free agent,” Del Negro said, according to CBS Sports. “They were compelled to make a decision. He’s entitled to his opinion. He’s a free agent and he’s going to have a lot of say on a lot of things as he did in the previous summer when we put the team together.”
According to USA Today, he paid the price because he wasn’t able to turn the Clippers into a true title contender.
The Bulls went 41-41 in each of Del Negro’s two seasons in Chicago. Del Negro then took the Clippers from a 32-win team his first season in 2010-11 to a 56-win team in 2013 – a Clippers franchise record.
Del Negro spent parts of his 13-year NBA career playing guard for the Kings, Bucks, Suns and Warriors.
