3 coaches chosen as finalists for Sacramento Kings head coaching job

As the NBA offseason nears closer, there are already a few teams looking for a new head coach. The Los Angeles Lakers fired Frank Vogel, the Charlotte Hornets fired James Borrego, and the Sacramento Kings let Alvin Gentry walk.

Well, the latter of those three teams has already narrowed things down to a few candidates. After an initial list was reported not too long ago, the Kings have finalized their pool of candidates to three options.

A myriad of reports have come out, but as Shams Charania of The Athletic and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tag team the story, Sacramento’s three finalists were announced.

3 coaches chosen as finalists for Sacramento Kings head coaching job

According to reports (subscription required), those finalists are Brooklyn Nets consultant Steve Clifford, ESPN analyst and former coach Mark Jackson, and Golden State Warriors assistant Mike Brown.

Based on the final pool of candidates, it’s clear that prior experience was likely on the Kings’ list of top priorities. All three of the finalists have been head coaches in the NBA before.

Clifford was the head coach of the Hornets for five years and the Orlando Magic for three years from 2013 to 2021. During that stretch he made the playoffs four times, never advancing past the first round.

That being said, he is well-known for his defensive prowess and decisions to play talent over youth. Both of those things scream winning culture and could help out the Kings a ton.

Jackson was the head coach of the Golden State Warriors for three seasons from 2011 to 2014. He made the playoffs twice, reaching the second round in one of those years.

The now-ESPN analyst is known for coaching Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in their early years before Steve Kerr took over. He has not coached in the NBA since.

Lastly, Brown has been the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers for eight years from 2005 to 2013. He reached the playoffs six times, always getting past the first round, and reaching the NBA Finals once.

In recent years, Brown has been a top assistant in Golden State and also took over as the head coach for the Nigerian national team. He led Team Nigeria to a couple of impressive wins, including one over Team USA in a scrimmage.

Regardless of who they choose, the Kings are obviously looking for a coach with experience to come in and lead their team to the postseason. All three of these candidates are solid choices, but who will they choose?