Assistant coach DeSagana Diop is moving from the Utah Jazz to the Houston Rockets, where he will work for new head coach Stephen Silas.
The news was first reported Tuesday by ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
A seven-footer, Diop played in the NBA as a center from 2001 to 2013 with four different teams (Cleveland, Dallas, New Jersey, and Charlotte). After his playing days, Diop immediately went into coaching, working with the Texas Legends of the NBA G League in 2014-15 and 2015-16, followed by the Jazz and Quin Snyder for the last four seasons.
Diop’s addition to Silas’ staff continues an offseason trend in which the Rockets — known for playing small a season ago — have clearly placed a greater emphasis on big men. Besides adding a former center to the coaching staff, the Rockets have also agreed to contracts with a pair of centers (Christian Wood and DeMarcus Cousins) in free agency.
Diop joins Jeff Hornacek, John Lucas, Will Weaver, and Rick Higgins as assistants on Houston’s revamped coaching staff. All had prior NBA experience, which should serve Silas well as a first-time head coach. Training camp for the 2020-21 season opens next Tuesday, Dec. 1.
Another big man headed to Houston: Former NBA center DeSagana Diop has joined Stephen Silas’ coaching staff. Diop had been a Jazz assistant coach the last four years.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) November 24, 2020
