Rockets and McHale agree to a 3year deal, 4th year TO

[biscuitsNgrady]

To be honest, I don't have any faith in the 3. I know age is a factor, but i wouldn't mind seeing Hubie Brown take over.

[x-]

Well for one it looks like the Rockets already have a replacement for the next coach in Chris Finch.

The Rockets have been researching candidates exhaustively for weeks, calling everyone from ex-players, agents, front-office executives and coaches. The hiring of a coach could come down to the willingness of a candidate to accept a deal on Houston’s terms. It’s possible that an offer could come with only two guaranteed years, and $2 million per season.

Another element of the Rockets’ job will be the prospective coach’s willingness to include the Rockets D-League affiliate’s coach as an assistant. Rockets management is enamored with Rio Grande’s Chris Finch, and some see him as a future head coach in the NBA. Finch had left a more lucrative coaching career in Great Britain to take a paycut in the D-League. In his first season, Rio Grande won the D-League championship.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=A ... ists051911

I also wouldn't be suprised if Sikma was named an assistant, considering he's familiar with the team & RA's offense.
Casey/McHale + Finch + Sikma + one assistant of Casey/McHale's choice sounds good to me.

I still don't want Frank. He's a poor man's JVG IMO.

[Kal El]

im intrigued by chris finch as far as the future goes. interested to see how his future goes...

[College Boy]

Why not just go ahead and hire Finch if they have such a hard on for that man. We're not going to be contending the next few years anyway, we might as we just pick him up as the HC.

[MaxRider]

i believe casey will be the one
we'll have to wait until mavs season is over for the announcement

[Mr. E]

The info about Chris Finch makes me even more certain that McHale is the guy. Out of the three, he sounds like the situation that would be most amenable to including a guy who is essentially his replacement on the staff.

[x-]

Expect a decision in the next few of days. Probably Monday or Tuesday.

There might be a tendency to believe the Rockets indecision on the coaching position indicates Dallas’ Dwane Casey is the favorite among the finalists. Kevin McHale and Lawrence Frank are available now. Casey is not. If the Rockets keep waiting, they could be waiting for Casey.

That might eventually true, but they have not aimed for a decision this week. Morey is going back and forth between interviews with coaches and draft prospects. Leslie Alexander is out of the country.

If the Rockets had to make a decision now, they probably could. And they could certainly get every thought needed from the owner regardless of where he is, assuming he is not off climbing Kilimanjaro. But for now, it is still a three-coach race.

http://blog.chron.com/nba/2011/05/scott ... utsy-call/

Once Rockets officials return to Houston, they'll huddle with owner Les Alexander and decide among Casey, Frank and McHale.

http://twitter.com/#!/WojYahooNBA/statu ... 3696356352

Yet a source close to the situation said it's doubtful that Frank would take the Rockets' job if it was offered, as the salary is expected to be on the lower end for head coaches (about $2 million per season for two years). Another source close to the situation strongly refutes the assertion that the salary is already set, saying it will be dependent on the quality and experience of the coach. Rockets owner Les Alexander has paid the team's last two coaches, Adelman and Jeff Van Gundy, more than $4 million annually.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/w ... z1MwUocup4

i believe casey will be the one
we'll have to wait until mavs season is over for the announcement

Not necessarily.

If the Rockets opt for Casey, they’ll have to figure out what to do about his current job. The NBA would not allow him to sign on as Rockets coach while working for another team, but theoretically, the Rockets could name him coach while he finishes his duties with the Mavericks.

The Mavericks could ask them to hold off on any announcement until after their postseason run. It is too soon to know if they would, or what the Rockets would ask them since the Rockets have not made their choice or asked anything of the Mavericks other than to interview Casey.

http://blog.chron.com/nba/2011/05/nba-g ... hoops-too/

[rdehonney]

frank or casey I don't care just not f***** mchale.....

[x-]

Great news guys.

With a strong, late push in the search process, Kevin McHale has emerged as the frontrunner for the Houston Rockets coaching vacancy, multiple league sources told Yahoo! Sports on Saturday.

No final decision has officially been reached, nor are contract negotiations underway, but McHale has clearly separated himself from Dallas Mavericks assistant Dwane Casey and Boston Celtics assistant Lawrence Frank, sources said. McHale made a strong final impression in conversations with Houston officials on Thursday in Chicago, and could receive a formal offer in the next week.

he Rockets are still deliberating on different scenarios involving the three finalists, sources say, but McHale is the candidate to beat for the job. Rockets owner Les Alexander must still ultimately sign off on the recommendation of GM Daryl Morey and his front office staff.

McHale, an analyst for TNT, would need to come to agreement on financial terms and length of contract should an offer be made, but sources say he’s too anxious for a chance to coach to reject a deal.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=a ... ets_052111

There may still be hope for you Frank lovers though.

[...] What he did not say is that it really does not matter if there were a leader of the pack, anyway. Alexander made the call on the previous hires and he’ll make the choice, again.

Daryl Morey will lay out all the information and all of his opinions. But Alexander prefers information to opinions. Always has. And he does not rubber stamp recommendations. It has long been known that to get Alexander’s blessing on a decision in any department you do not say what you think should be done no matter how great an expert in your field you might be. You must lay out the reasons and be prepared to back up arguments.

On basketball decisions, there are tons of long discussions with Alexander before he weighs in.

This is not to suggest that Morey is just a researcher in this process. But there are qualities in each candidate that impress him. There is reason to believe he is torn.

Morey could make a recommendation, but Alexander will want to know everything that went into the choice. Hearing all that, he will pick a coach.

The Rockets could know where he stands at this stage, but have set things up to have those discussions when he gets back. Then, someone could go from front-runner to coach very quickly.

http://blog.chron.com/nba/2011/05/still ... ng-choice/

[TMU]

X-, does that make you a McHale lover?

Go McHale!

[x-]

Casey or McHale I really don't care. Just not Frank.

I understand that going from Adelman to McHale looks horrible on paper, but hey this team isn't going to go anywhere soon, so please, go ahead and take a chance on somebody.

I would have been fine with them just outright going with Chris Finch or somebody like Dave Joerger, but apparently the Rockets want somebody with previous head coaching experience to 'mentor' Finch.

McHale gives this team a recognizable face. It kind of puts them back on the map in the national media. He's a guy people listen to, a leader. Players in Minnesota loved him. He's said to be a great teacher, especially with big men. He can relate to Morey making a gazillion trades that may or may not help the team now.
It may very well be disaster of a choice, but it might also turn out great.

With Frank I just see no upside, he's the safe choice.

Casey is somewhere in between.

I also do not believe that a head coach necessarily has to be great with x&o's. You just have to pair him with good x&o assistants.
Why be afraid to try something new or different, when you're not competitive enough to win it all anyway.
It works in the NFL. It worked in Indiana with Bird as the head coach and Carlisle, among others, as an assistant.

Who's to say McHale can not be Bird and Finch can not be Carlisle, or better?

[Guy986]

What Mchale is, he's a big name that players respect. If we hire him, its because of who he is and not because of what he's capable of. While Frank may be a poor man's JVG, Mchale is not a poor man's anything at the moment. He's just a poor coach.

The problem with hiring Mcfail as a coach is that he's not really much of a coach. He's more of a baby sitter. If we hire him, him business cards should read Head Babysitter instead of Head Coach.

Mchale is perfect for a young team with a bunch of prima donna. Mchale has a presence that commands respect because of his championship pedigree. But we don't need a babysitter because we have a roster full of coachable guys(except Twill maybe?). I dont want a lovable coach that everyone gets along with. I want a Coach. A real one.

With all that said, I'm on the hire Finch boat. Give him a chance to learn and a chance to fail. Of the 4 guys mentioned, Mchale is easily my least favorite.

[GSForever]

That's very true!! He's not a great X's and O's guy but a good fill in coach.....But definitely not good for long term

[rdehonney]

What Mchale is, he's a big name that players respect. If we hire him, its because of who he is and not because of what he's capable of. While Frank may be a poor man's JVG, Mchale is not a poor man's anything at the moment. He's just a poor coach.

The problem with hiring Mcfail as a coach is that he's not really much of a coach. He's more of a baby sitter. If we hire him, him business cards should read Head Babysitter instead of Head Coach.

Mchale is perfect for a young team with a bunch of prima donna. Mchale has a presence that commands respect because of his championship pedigree. But we don't need a babysitter because we have a roster full of coachable guys(except Twill maybe?). I dont want a lovable coach that everyone gets along with. I want a Coach. A real one.

With all that said, I'm on the hire Finch boat. Give him a chance to learn and a chance to fail. Of the 4 guys mentioned, Mchale is easily my least favorite.

quoted for emphasis...

[funkatron101]

I actually liked McHale as a coach, but as a GM, he was a bonehead.

[moofs]

I kinda think what's happening... in Minnesota, McHale always seemed to keep his job less based on his talents, and more on his being a great company-man. If Morey/Alexander are looking to groom a guy, don't really like any of the existing options, and don't think the existing guy is quite ready, McHale could be a win/win. He gets to scratch his itchy coaching finger and be around the game, and Ownership gets to have their future in training on the sidelines.

[Ribalding]

^ That.

[MaxRider]

Lakers got Mike Brown
guess Adelman is out of luck
any playoff team changing coach soon?
New York? Orlando?

[Don Draper]

McHale? Come on. What the hell is he good at? Wasn't he forced into his coaching position with the Wolves? I guess we are in full out tank mode. I expect a lot of blowouts and home losses next season. Hope I am wrong.

[inquisitive]

I say give him a chance. He was a good coach for Minny, but not so as GM.