Toronto Raptors looking at external candidates for head coaching job
After interviewing current assistants for the vacant head coaching position, the Toronto Raptors have expanded their search to external candidates.
With the next Toronto Raptors‘ head coach being the most crucial hire that Masai Ujiri will make this offseason, they are leaving no stones unturned.
There are many former head coaches that are available but the recent rumoured candidates have all been assistant coaches. The team reportedly began the interview process with Mike Budenholzer who decided to go to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Next were current assistant coaches Nick Nurse and Rex Kalamian, as well as Raptors’ 905 coach Jerry Stackhouse. Thomas Hall explained why Stackhouse would be the best choice for the next head coach but that doesn’t mean the organization isn’t going to look elsewhere.
The latest report from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN suggests that the Raptors have been in contact with Ettore Messina and Ime Udoka who are assistants with the San Antonio Spurs. Like Budenholzer, teams are intrigued by candidates who have worked under Greg Popovich.
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Both have impressive resumes especially Messina who was a well regarded international coach in EuroLeague before making the move to the NBA. When Popovich was unable to be on the sidelines due to the passing of his wife, Messina stepped in. He also has interest from other NBA teams so it remains to be seen if the Raptors’ job will be of interest to him.
Udoka was a former player for eight seasons before joining the Spurs’ coaching staff and has been tasked with being Popovich’s right-hand man, literally! Francis Okupa of ESPN wrote about how the former NBA player would be the one to hold back the long-time head coach if he got too heated with referees.
It should come as no surprise that the Raptors’ are looking at both assistants considering some teams have already found their head coaches from San Antonio. Along with Budenholzer, and Brett Brown have moved on to prominent coaching positions.
Why is that? Udoka told Okupa about what he’s learned from Popovich.
"“Anybody can do Xs and Os and game plan for a team and scheme. Pops got all the bases covered, he’s great in all areas but he’s the best at relating to the players. Building a relationship with those players.“Obviously, showing he cares for them is a big part of it. That’s the thing I’ll probably take away the most, the overall relationship with players. Once they know you care about them you can coach them a certain way and they allow you to coach them, but if it was that easy anybody that has a job would be able to coach guys and that’s not always the case,” he adds."
These are two assistants learning from one of the best coaches in the game and if the Raptors decide to go with either one, they will be in charge of trying to get an underachieving roster to reach it’s potential in the postseason which is part of the reason why Dwane Casey was let go.
Next: Raptors put regret behind them to concentrate on the future
Do you think the Raptors will go with an external candidate for their next head coach or are their internal candidates the best suited for the job? Let us know in the comments below.