Cavs Appear Poised To Make A Very Ordinary Hire
In an offseason that will dicatate the direction the Cleveland Cavs go for years to come, this head coaching choice looms large. The Cavs have been diligent in their search, interviewing a number of candidates and taking their time making the decision. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports has reported that the Cavs will have Clippers’ assistant coaches Tyronn Lue and Alvin Gentry back for second interviews conducted by Owner Dan Gilbert. Alvin Gentry seems like the logical choice at this point because of his experience and connections to Cavs GM David Griffin. Gentry won’t be a bad hire and is possibly the best available option. The problem is that the Cavs are in need of a coach that will create some excitement around the team. They need a name that has some presence and that will make playing for the Cavs more attractive to free agents.
Yahoo Sports reported that the Cavs offered The University of Kentucky Head Coach John Calipari $90 Million dollars over 7 years to take the Head Coaching position and the Presidential responsibilities, which would have included final say on all personnel decisions. Calipari decided to sign his extension at Kentucky instead but Gilbert had the right idea. The Cavs need a high profile name to turn around this team’s image.
It’s difficult to imagine Gentry or Lue getting final say on personnel and that is an issue in itself. Gilbert who is quickly getting the reputation as an overly hands-on Owner would do well to get out of his own way and hire a President to run everything basketball related. So not only are the Cavs’ top candidates not sexy enough to make the necessary splash needed but neither has the acumen to be President as well as Head Coach.
Ideally the Cavs would have been able to land Mark Jackson who I feel would have been perfect for this organization right now, however he has already signed a deal to go back to broadcasting with ESPN. I also like the idea of Florida Head Coach Billy Donovan. Historically, college coached making the leap to the NBA for the first time is not the way to go. However, Donovan is the type of guy that would bring with him some buzz. He is charismatic and very smart. It appears though that Donovan may be staying put at Florida. Gilbert and Griffin would do well to somehow lure Donovan away as he seems like their last chance to make a meaningful hire. The Cavs interviewed Cleveland legend Mark Price which creates buzz locally but in reality he is not qualified yet and wouldn’t demand much respect nationally. The idea is to create the impression that this organization is moving in the right direction with a hire that moves the needle. That kind of hire could generate some momentum going into the rest of the offseason. It appears though that the Cavs aren’t left with many options and could be poised to make a very ordinary hire.
By: Brad Ward
Follow @CST_BradWard on Twitter
