Hawks’ Sund lacks string of great coaching hires in past
Dick Motta was a great choice as the Dallas Mavericks' first head coach. (Dallas Morning News photo)
(Updated: 1:40 p.m.)
We’ve established that Rick Sund has a difficult offseason in front of him (new coaching hire, Joe Johnson, potential roster remake). We’ve kicked around the names of potential candidates (some legitimate, some suspect) to replace potential candidates to replace Mike Woodson.
But here’s something we really haven’t addressed: How adept has Sund been when it comes to hiring coaches?
Answer: Overall, not very.
In his time as general manager and front office executive for three previous NBA franchises (Dallas, Detroit, Seattle), Sund has hired or inherited and kept 11 head coaches (not including Woodson). Here’s a brief synopsis of each with a final grade (thanks to the advantage of hindsight).
♦ 1. Dick Motta (Dallas, 1980-87): Motta was a veteran coach, having won an NBA title with the Washington Bullets. He helped grow the expansion Mavericks and improved them every season, although they could not get past the second round of the playoffs. GRADE: A.
♦ 2. John McLeod (Dallas, 1987-89): Also a veteran coach who had reached the finals with Phoenix. In his first season with Dallas, McLeod coached the team into the Western Conference finals (Sund’s only conference finals appearance). But the Mavs failed to make the playoffs the following year and Sund surprisingly fired him only 11 games into the 1989-90 season. GRADE: C.
♦ 3. Richie Adubato (Dallas, 1989-93). This started a string of colossal failures by Sund. Adubato mostly had been an assistant, with one unsuccessful year as head coach in Detroit. He made the playoffs in his first season with Dallas but exited quickly. In the next two-plus seasons, the Mavericks went 52-141. He was fired after a 2-27 start in 1992-93. GRADE: F.
Quinn Buckner made the mistake of trying to emulate the ways of Bob Knight, his former college coach.
♦ 4. Gar Heard (Dallas, 1993): He took over as interim in 1993 and couldn’t stop the downward spiral. Record: 9-44. GRADE: Incomplete.
♦ 5. Quinn Buckner (Dallas, 1993-94): The grease fire of Sund’s hires. Buckner, who had no coaching experience, attempted to replicate the dictatorial ways of his college coach, Bob Knight. Didn’t go well. Dallas started the season 1-23 and finished 13-69. When it was over, Sund was gone too. GRADE: F.
♦ 6. Doug Collins (Detroit, 1995-98): Collins had a decent coaching run in Chicago but couldn’t win a title. He was replaced by his assistant, some guy named Phil Jackson. Collins lost in the first round twice in two seasons with the Pistons, then was fired in year three following a 21-24 start. GRADE: C.
♦ 7. Alvin Gentry (Detroit, 1998-00): Gentry is having a great run with Phoenix in the Western Conference finals. That wasn’t the case in Detroit. He mostly was a well-traveled assistant (save for one season as head coach in Miami) before he took over for Collins. The Pistons missed the playoffs in that first year and made a quick postseason exit the following season. Gentry was gone after a 28-30 start in 2000-01. GRADE: C-minus.
♦ 8. George Irvine (Detroit, 2000-01): Sund’s time in Detroit clearly was running out (the Pistons hired Joe Dumars as vice president of basketball operations in 2000). Hiring Irvine didn’t help his cause. Irvine’s record: 46-60. After the season, he and Sund both were gone. GRADE: F.
Bob Weiss represented one of Sund's biggest coaching mistakes.
♦ 9. Nate McMillan (Seattle, 2001-05): Sund inherited McMillan, who had taken over as interim the previous season. He kept him. The Sonics made the playoffs in two of the next four seasons and won 52 games and a division title in 2004-05. But after the season, he opted to leave for Portland, taking a reported five-year, $30 million offer over Seattle’s four-year, $18 million deal. GRADE: B.
♦ 10. Bob Weiss (Seattle, 2005-06): The only explanation is that when McMillan left, Sund went insane. Bob Weiss? He was fired after 30 games (13-17). GRADE: F.
♦ 11. Bob Hill (Seattle, 2006-07). A step up from Weiss. But not by much. Totals: 53-81 in a season and a half, no playoffs. Neither Hill nor Sund (who had several draft mistakes in Seattle) survived. GRADE: D.
Many believe Sund had it right when he said the Hawks needed a new coach to take them to the next level. To find that guy, he’ll need a bit of a turnaround.
♦
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92 comments Add your comment
Jeff Schultz
May 27th, 2010
8:37 am
Bugkiller — I’m OK with you having a different opinion but a correction in your comment: Avery Johnson led Dallas to the NBA finals in his second season, where they lost to Miami with Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal.
It's Too Late Now!
May 27th, 2010
8:37 am
Sund was out of the league when this organization hired him……….Jeff that’s when the concern should have been questioned about his ability as a hiring GM.
Jeff Schultz
May 27th, 2010
8:38 am
Feudfinder — Hawks definitely spoke to view after the season, as they did all the coaches and players. Where he has had an actual former head coach interview since the process started, that I can’t answer.
SOUTH GA DAWG FAN
May 27th, 2010
8:39 am
My question is how does sund manage to keep such a high profile job with all of his massive failures ?
why not get rid of Sund and offer his Job to Doc Rivers ? Doc might be wanting a break from coaching especially if the magic lose and they very well could , put doc in sunds role for a year or two until he decides he wants to return to the bench.
SOUTH GA DAWG FAN
May 27th, 2010
8:40 am
i meant if the magic beat the celts
It's Too Late Now!
May 27th, 2010
8:42 am
And yes! He NEVER should have been hired in the first place…………….Until the ASG get their act together this team is just going to do what they been doing………which is NOTHING!
Feudfinder
May 27th, 2010
8:51 am
SouthGaDawgFan, you are very funny!!! Mr. Sund is yet to handpick his own coach, and you are already calling for his exit. You are the weakest link!!!
SOUTH GA DAWG FAN
May 27th, 2010
8:55 am
I stand corrected feudfinder I was under the impression this article was about the terrible job sund has done at hiring his own coaches.
my apologies to all the fans i have offended by suggesting mr sund has not done a out of this world job.
Rich
May 27th, 2010
8:57 am
I guess spellcheck can’t catch everything:
‘Collins had a decent coaching run in Chicago but couldn’t win a total.’
How about ‘couldn’t win a TITLE’
Feudfinder
May 27th, 2010
9:01 am
Hey bro, I was just messing with you. Infact, Mr. Sund’s past outlook was not good, but I was just saying that before we crucify him we should give him a chance to handpick his own coach. He did not hire coach Woodson. PEACE!!!
SOUTH GA DAWG FAN
May 27th, 2010
9:09 am
I hope in a year or so we are saying man that sund made a heck of a pick when he hired coach _________ !
BugKiller
May 27th, 2010
9:13 am
I know Avery Johnson got his team to the Finals.
I’m talking about the way his time in Dallas ended, which is more indictative of his coaching ability. That ultra-talented team having two straight first round exits.
It seems to me that Johnson, being the kind of personality he is, is the kind of coach that players will tune out after a year or two.
Casey, on the other hand, has proven he can take garbage and make a five-course meal out of it.
Kind of like the opposite of Bobby Cox, who takes filet minon and makes ground beef, but has never taken an average or below average team and made them better.
Dwayne Casey is the BEST hire the Hawks can make.
TONE
May 27th, 2010
9:24 am
have the hawks scheduled an interview with Panagiotis Giannakis yet , he may be available this coming year , he might even take the job.
Slick Willie
May 27th, 2010
9:43 am
Maybe you should e-mail this column to the Gearons, Jeff . . .
Lowcountry Bulldawg
May 27th, 2010
9:46 am
WOW! Thats terrible. How was he even qualified to again be a GM with that track record? Made a couple of nice trades, but he hasn’t hired a decent coach in a decade and 3 of them in 30 years.
The Hawks are in big trouble, bring back Billy Knight! Hell bring back Pete Babcock!
Clay
May 27th, 2010
9:48 am
Bugkiller, yeah but …………………………..oh yeah, Bobby’s a players manager!! Everybody says that, especially the “uknowwho” hitting 3rd in the lineup every freaking day, even though he’s been hitting .200 since last July!
Ted M
May 27th, 2010
10:06 am
How does Sund’s current budget for a coach, relative to the times, stack up to those past coaching budgets?
I’m guessing he has less money to work with. With all the openings available even Dwayne Casey might be offered more money to coach elsewhere.
Delbert D.
May 27th, 2010
10:13 am
Hire the least-worse coach? The evil of 4 lessers? If that is the case, expand the pool.
Old Hawks Fan
May 27th, 2010
10:46 am
I question Rick Sund body of work on MB blog. I pray he has learned from those choices made in the past…………….only time will tell. This franchise doesn’t need to take any steps back but move forward. Rick Sund it is in your hands to show hawk’s fan that you have growned from those choices made in the past and give this team a quality coach to build on what Mike Woodson has done. Make the choice soon and let’s get this roster ready for 2010-2011.
heartofdarkness
May 27th, 2010
10:51 am
France never hired another successful general after Napoleon was exciled to St. Helena either.
Bobby Petrino
May 27th, 2010
11:44 am
Pick me pick me! I promise I won’t quit after 13 games and my offense would excell in the NBA!
gcs
May 27th, 2010
11:55 am
“Of all the names I’ve heard, Avery Johnson certainly seems to carry the least risk.”
Is that like the lesser of evils? That’s not quite a ringing endorsement.
It sounds to me like Sund is interviewing the wrong guys. Avery will do NOTHING. Casey will do less. The Hawks need to think bigger.
.
Chris
May 27th, 2010
12:00 pm
It’s a pipe dream but I hope Sund is taking his time because maybe he has a reason to believe Doc Rivers wants to come to Atlanta.
Chris
May 27th, 2010
12:01 pm
It’s a pipedream but I hope Sund is just taking his time until he can talk to the coach he really wants…>Doc Rivers
Ted M
May 27th, 2010
12:06 pm
If Sund takes his time all the good coaches will be gone. I’d like Rivers too but as you said “It’s a pipe dream”
TROTTINGHOME
May 27th, 2010
12:24 pm
Schultz, you don’t have string of greatly written articles either.
sidslid
May 27th, 2010
12:37 pm
Passing on Chris Paul is a “Todd Van Poppel” moment
Taylor Hanson
May 27th, 2010
12:47 pm
I’m still surprise the NBA owners let Spirit purchase this team. The NBA is nothing if not a league of indiviual personalities.
From its stars on the court to its commissioner, the Association is driven by its individuals. I just don’t see how this faceless oligarchy we’re stuck with ever passed through leadership’s standards.
Taylor Hanson
May 27th, 2010
12:50 pm
Who remembers the time when the Falcons fired Dan Henning? We had 3 or 4 coaches say no, and then we ended up giving Marion Campbell another shot because we literally couldn’t get anyone else.
That was a result of no one wanting to work for lousy ownership. I hope our city doesn’t bump into that again.
i_am_soulstar
May 27th, 2010
3:04 pm
Jeff, you’ve supplied me with nightmares for the next week
Still, great article though.
'Friend' of Clint Eastwood, Julie Andrews wants Thrashers! | Jeff Schultz
May 27th, 2010
3:20 pm
[...] ♦ Hawks’ Sund lacks string of great coaching hires in past [...]
Jeff Schultz
May 27th, 2010
3:50 pm
GCS — My point is that there’s risk with any hire.But I realize that came off as a backhanded compliment.
Born2Buzz
May 27th, 2010
4:56 pm
A coach is usually only as good as the players he’s coaching. Although good coaching can certainly elevate good players to achieve more. (See the Bulls with Doug Collins and then Jackson).
I would surmise that most of those coaching failures were saddled with bad talent. Hey, even Woody suddenly looked like a decent coach once he got enough talent to compete.
And Boston was ready to can Doc Rivers until they got KG and Ray Allen. Now he’s…oh wait, Doc might be available come next Monday.
m. upshaw
May 27th, 2010
6:11 pm
It’s sad that the Hawks are looking all over the country and they have(a proven coach) right here in there backyard. He a native georgian, a mercer graduate, a thirteen year NBA veteran and previous coach of the year with the Toronto Raptors. I think Sam Mitchell would be a great fit for this young team. Josh Smith desparetly needs a coach like Sam.
Jeff D.
May 28th, 2010
12:57 am
If things don’t work out w/ Avery the Hawks could go the TV/Hollywood route: “I’m not a coach
(or doctor) in real life, but I play one on TV.” This would clear the path for Hollywood’s best to run the Hawks, like Samuel L. Jackson and Gene Hackman! You could count on lively post game quotes that would put Mike Woodson’s weekly “This is unacceptable!” to shame.
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May 28th, 2010
3:04 pm
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[...] coaching experience? I think the last time Sund tried this, he hired Quinn Buckner in Dallas, and as I noted the other day on this list of past Sund hires that didn’t turn out so well. If Jackson gets the job and proves me wrong, it will be so noted. In large bold letters. But I [...]
Jon
May 31st, 2010
11:20 pm
The Hawks need to hire Lenny Wilkens.
Tony
June 1st, 2010
3:12 pm
What ever happen to Avery Johnson or Jeff Van Gundy? Why not give a shot to Mark Jackson…can’t hurt!
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June 7th, 2010
10:00 am
[...] good news is it will not be Bob Weiss. The Hawks and Rick Sund (in Seattle) both made that mistake [...]
wuffe
June 9th, 2010
8:40 pm
Hey Bibby a coaching position is open
hint hint
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