Since he last coached in the NBA in 2007, rumors have connected Jeff Van Gundy to numerous available jobs. So far, none have panned out.
This time, however, could be different. Per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who has become a media colleague of Van Gundy, the former New York Knicks and Houston Rockets head coach is ready to get back in the game.
Moreover, after adopting Houston as his new hometown during and after his stint with the Rockets, that vacancy could be the most tempting of all.
From his latest podcast, here’s what Windhorst said:
All of us know Jeff Van Gundy. He’s a colleague. He really badly wants to get back into coaching.
He’s really tried to reinvigorate his career. He really wants another job, and Houston is his home.
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon has said that he believes Van Gundy remains the favorite to replace Mike D’Antoni as head coach with the Rockets.
Historically, Van Gundy has had a strong relationship with Rockets GM Daryl Morey, who is leading the search. Van Gundy was the coach during Morey’s first season (2006-07) in Houston, and he was reportedly one of Morey’s top options back in 2016. (D’Antoni got the job in large part because he was the preference of then-owner Les Alexander.)
ESPN's Jeff Van Gundy, about to broadcast the NBA Finals, is suddenly a candidate for two coaching vacancies
Van Gundy has admirers with the Clippers (most notably Lawrence Frank) as well as Houston (Daryl Morey wanted JVG in 2016 and Tilman Fertitta is also said to be a fan)
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) September 29, 2020
Known best for his emphasis on defense and toughness, Van Gundy has a career head coaching record of 430-318 (.575) over parts of 11 seasons in New York and Houston. Van Gundy is 44-44 (.500) in the playoffs, including a trip to the 1999 NBA Finals with the Knicks.
After coaching Houston for four seasons (three to the playoffs) from 2003-04 through 2006-07, Van Gundy has since worked for ESPN and ABC as the lead NBA analyst on television broadcasts. He’s now 58 years old.
The Rockets can’t hold an in-person interview with Van Gundy until the NBA Finals end, since he’s still at the league’s “bubble” in Florida as an announcer. That might help explain how long Houston’s process has dragged on, since it has now been almost a month since D’Antoni announced on Sept. 13 that he would not be returning as head coach.
Windhorst: "All of us know Jeff Van Gundy. He’s a colleague. He really badly wants to get back into coaching.
He’s really tried to reinvigorate his career. He really wants another job, and Houston is his home." https://t.co/fGe8vE2RcM
— Disney Gary Clark (@Itamar1710) October 9, 2020
Besides Van Gundy, other current Houston candidates are believed to include recent Los Angeles Clippers assistants Ty Lue and Sam Cassell; New Orleans assistant Chris Finch; Minnesota assistant David Vanterpool; Dallas assistant Stephen Silas; Denver assistant Wes Unseld Jr.; former Brooklyn head coach Kenny Atkinson; and current Rockets assistant John Lucas. There is no clear timetable for a hire to be made.
As MacMahon pointed out, Morey has historically had a large role in determining the assistants beneath the head coach. Thus, even if Van Gundy were hired as head coach, it’s plausible that they could still pursue some of the names on that list in an assistant capacity, instead.
