Tag: Ime Udoka

Celtics adding Spurs assistant Will Hardy to Udoka’s staff

Ime Udoka has started to build his coaching staff, starting with San Antonio Spurs assistant Will Hardy.

New Celtics head coach Ime Udoka has already began adding to his coaching staff.

Reported by Jay King of The Athletic, Udoka is adding San Antonio Spurs assistant Will Hardy to his staff.

Hardy has spent 10 years with the Spurs, starting as a video intern and video coordinator from 2010-15 before becoming an assistant coach on Popovich’s staff in 2015, Alongside sharing assistant duties on Pop’s staff for four seasons, Hardy also joined Udoka as an assistant on the Team USA coaching staff for the 2019 FIBA World Cup, giving him a head start creating relationships with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart.

Being the lead assistant for Pop over the last two seasons, Hardy has gained recognition around the league, interviewing for the New York Knicks job last summer.

Hardy is also somewhat of a local hire, playing his college ball at Division III Williams College.

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Boston Celtics officially announce Ime Udoka as franchise’s 18th head coach

The Portland native was officially announced as Boston’s head coach on Monday morning.

The Boston Celtics announced via press release the official hire of former Brooklyn Nets assistant coach Ime Udoka as the franchise’s 18th head coach Monday morning.

The Portland, Oregon native played seven seasons in the NBA and 12 in various leagues as a player before joining San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich’s coaching staff as an assistant in 2012. Udoka has since served in that role with the Philadelphia 76ers and most recently the Nets, where he worked as a defensive specialist. He has also coached with Team USA. “It’s an honor to be a part of the historic Celtics franchise. Coaching this talented roster and working alongside Brad makes it an ideal situation,” said Udoka via the release.

“I’d like to thank Wyc, Steve, and Brad for entrusting me with this opportunity,” he added. “I look forward to getting started right away.”

WATCH: Who will new Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka hire to his staff?

There are more changes to come on Boston’s coaching staff – who will stay with the team, and who will he bring on board?

Any time an NBA team hires a new head coach, it creates something of a domino effect with the organization’s coaching staff, with the new coach bringing in at least some of his own supporting staff of assistants, even if she or he keeps a handful of the previous regime’s assistants for continuity.

And with the Celtics clearly valuing that — exemplified by moving former head coach Brad Stevens to the front office — it seems probable at least a few assistants may remain with the team. But with Jerome Allen leaving to join the Detroit Pistons and Scott Morrison interviewing for other jobs, it’s virtually assured we’ll be seeing some new faces on the team’s coaching staff soon.

Who will join Udoka in Boston? Who’s likely gone by opening day? The hosts of the CLNS Media podcast “Celtics Beat” debate exactly that in their latest episode with guest Jeff Garcia of the “Locked On Spurs” podcast for some insight into Udoka’s thinking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuiXUAPw7-A

Watch the video embedded above for their takes on this and what else we need to know about the former Spurs, 76ers and Nets assistant set to take the helm in Boston.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

Why the New Orleans Pelicans can not wait to make a head coaching hire

Last summer, the Pelicans waited over two months to hire a head coach, putting Stan Van Gundy behind the eight ball early on. This offseason, they can’t afford to wait again.

Patience is not a virtue for the Pelicans this summer. Last offseason, the Pelicans waited patiently to find the right person for the head coaching job, a move that backfired as Stan Van Gundy was fired after one season.

It’s part of a carousel of coaches the Pelicans’ core has gone through. Zion Williamson will be on his third coach in three seasons, which should trigger alarms about his future and his current level of discontent. For the trio of Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart – though the latter two are restricted free agents – next season would be their fourth coach in four years.

All of this does not spell good things for the current state of the Pelicans. Though stability is one of the most valued and sought aspects of franchises, the Pelicans lack it in every sense. Williamson, a player entering his third year in the league, is the longest-tenured Pelican. Two young core pieces, Ball and Hart, are entering restricted free agency.

And topping it off is a head coach vacancy and a franchise lacking a guiding voice on the court. Last year, Alvin Gentry was fired on Aug. 15 after a disappointing run in the bubble. Van Gundy was not hired until Oct. 21, 67 days later.

For multiple reasons, the Pelicans can’t afford that long of a wait this season, none moreso than the need for a clearer path throughout the offseason. In many senses, Van Gundy was given a job he was never going to succeed at last year. By being hired late, he could not work with his team throughout the offseason. Every aspect of his job was rushed even without taking into account the shortened offseason and abbreviated preseason.

This summer could be a far more normal summer for the Pelicans, But names linked to the team are already being snapped up. Ime Udoka was hired by the Celtics and Jason Kidd is reportedly nearing a deal with the Mavericks.

New Orleans can’t afford to wait again this offseason as candidates are hired elsewhere. Regardless of how interested the team was in Kidd and Udoka, New Orleans needs to afford its next head coach the time never available to Van Gundy.

If the franchise wants to move forward and closer to the stability it needs to find, the first move is to move far more swiftly toward a head coaching hire this offseason and set the path for the offseason.

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Celtics Lab 53: Ime Udoka hired as head coach, Al Horford speaks on return

The Celtics have a new head coach, and Boston has a beloved big man back in the fold.

The Boston Celtics have a new head coach in former Brooklyn Nets assistant Ime Udoka, and former Celtic big man Al Horford made his first appearance with the press after his trade back to the team from the Oklahoma City Thunder.

With all this in mind, we felt we needed to make an early podcast appearance to discuss some of the significant goings-on with the team, taking the temperature of the Udoka hire and talking through our excitement –and Al’s — for the return of Horford to the Celtics. In a week of significant change for the team, we just couldn’t wait any longer to talk through some serious developments for Boston.

Listen to the podcast embedded below to get up to speed on the Celtics’ new coach, Horford’s fit in today’s Boston roster and more with your usual hosts Justin Quinn, Alex Goldberg and Cameron Tabatabaie.

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This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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WATCH: What do we know about new Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka?

Get up to speed with some background info on Boston’s new head coach.

We know that former Brooklyn Nets assistant coach Ime Udoka is the next head coach of the Boston Celtics, but what do we know about him? Apart from the fact that he is now the 18th head coach in franchise history (and NOT the first Black head coach no matter what Jay Williams or his alleged hackers may think), he is something of a mystery man to many Celtics fans.

Though we did dig up a story showing how he’s exactly the guy you want on your side when the going gets rough, what can we expect from Udoka in Boston’s top coaching job? The hosts of the CLNS Media podcast “Dome Theory” dive into this very question and come up with some interesting facts.

Watch the podcast embedded below to get a primer in the man who will helm Boston’s roster from the sidelines next season, and see what could be in store for the Celtics and their fans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h92KFT5iRc

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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ESPN’s Jay Williams says hacker behind awful tweet on Boston coaches, hilarity ensues

ESPN’s Jay Williams claims he was hacked when his account made an egregious error on Boston’s coaching history, but folks aren’t buying it.

It seems ESPN’s Jay Williams is having a rough day when it comes to Twitter, whether you buy his story or not. Willliams — or perhaps a hacker — took it upon himself to congratulate the new head coach of the Boston Celtics Ime Udoka for landing the coveted gig, only to make the mistake of suggesting he was the first Black head coach in franchise history.

Except, Udoka very much wasn’t. In fact, the very first Black head coach in league history was hired by Boston more than a half-century ago in one Bill Russell, and there have been five more since, including the one at the helm for their most recent title in one Doc Rivers.

Instead of admitting his likely mistake, Williams instead doubled down.

Woj: Celtics to hire Brooklyn Nets assistant Ime Udoka as next head coach

The Boston Celtics are finalizing an agreement to hire Brooklyn Nets assistant Ime Udoka as their next head coach.

The Boston Celtics have their head coach.

Reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Boston Celtics are finalizing an agreement to hire Brooklyn Nets assistant Ime Udoka as the new head coach.

From the beginning of the Celtics’ coaching search, Udoka was a top candidate and made an impression on Brad Stevens through the interview process. Udoka had the support from Celtics players from their experience with him with Team USA.

This season was Udoka’s first season as an assistant with Brooklyn after previously serving as an assistant last season with the Philadelphia 76ers and seven seasons serving under Gregg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs, winning an NBA championship in 2014.

Udoka played seven NBA seasons, four with the San Antonio Spurs before joining the coaching staff following retirement.

Working with Team USA this summer in the Tokyo Olympics, Udoka will have a head start in creating a close bond with Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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Is Ime Udoka in pole position to be the next head coach of the Boston Celtics?

The Nets assistant is increasingly looking like the favorite.

Whispers are turning into rumbles that assistant Brooklyn Nets head coach Ime Udoka could be the favorite to secure the vacancy in the Boston Celtics‘ head coaching position.

The Nets assistant, who has a good relationship with Celtics star wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown and veteran guard Marcus Smart via Team USA, is “believed to be at the top of Boston’s list to replace Stevens on the Celtics’ bench” according to the New York Times’ Marc Stein in his latest newsletter, a sentiment echoed by The Athletic’s Clevis Murray, who referred to Udoka as the team’s “favorite” candidate at the “top of their list” in a recent tweet.

“There’s been growing confidence the past few days he’ll be their guy,” added Murray.

Given the apparent rapport between Murray and several current Celtics, the fit seems a sound, logical one free from distracting baggage or the risk of alienating key parts of Boston’s future.

While the final decision could yet still be some time away, it’s very possible the future head coach of the Celtics could be Udoka.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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Report: Mike D’Antoni joining Steve Nash’s staff in Brooklyn

Along with Mike D’Antoni, former Philadelphia 76ers assistant Ime Udoka is joining the Brooklyn Nets’ coaching staff under Steve Nash.

The highly anticipated Suns reunion is happening in Brooklyn.

A week ago, Steve Nash added his old Phoenix teammate Amar’e Stoudemire to the Nets coaching staff as an assistant who will focus on player development. During the Nets’ town hall on Tuesday, Nash confirmed Stoudemire’s addition.

But before the Stoudemire news came out of nowhere, there was speculation about whether or not one of Nash’s old head coaches in Phoenix, Mike D’Antoni, might join Brooklyn’s staff.

Well, turns out that was in the cards after all.

D’Antoni is finalizing his deal to become an assistant coach in Brooklyn, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Joining D’Antoni, Stoudemire and Jacque Vaughn on Nash’s staff is former Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Ime Udoka, per Woj.

Prior to his lone season in Philadelphia (2019-20), Udoka spent seven years as an assistant under his old head coach in San Antonio, Gregg Popovich.

While with the Spurs, Udoka also worked alongside now Nets general manager Sean Marks, who was on the San Antonio bench as an assistant in 2013-14 before making the move to assistant general manager.