Last week, it looked like the Charlotte Hornets had found their next head coach in Golden State Warriors' assistant Kenny Atkinson, but one week and an NBA championship later, Atkinson has had a change of heart and informed the team over the weekend that he was not going to take the position.
On Monday's Time out for Sports, The Charlotte Observer’s Langston Wertz, Jr. told WFAE’s Sarah Delia that the Hornets and owner Michael Jordon will refocus their search on two previous candidates and a surprise addition.
"Well, sources say there were two other finalists besides Atkins and there was Mike D'Antoni," Wertz said. "He's been a long-time NBA coach, in his late 60s right now. And Terry Stotts is the former Portland coach. They were finalists. And there's another name—Utah's Quin Snyder. He was not available at that time. And I can see him being a strong candidate for the Hornet's job."
After 33 seasons, a familiar face won't be pacing the sideline at Davidson College anymore. Wertz told Delia just how big an impact the retirement of hoops coach Bob McKillop means to the Wildcats.
"That's a really big deal. I think Bob McKillop is one of the very best basketball coaches in America," Wertz said. "One of the best ways to know if you have an impact on your team and your school is how often the players come back and the players always come back to Davidson. You know, we talk about Steph Curry so much every time he goes to Davidson. No, he goes to see Bob McKillop. That's his guy. You know, Bob McKillop coached 33 years and won 634 games and he made ten NCAA tournament appearances that resume. You put any coach's name in front of it and it's impressive. Bob had a great career."
You can listen to the full Time Out for Sports conversation above. Here’s a quick look at what else Delia and Wertz covered this week.
- Matt McKillop has big shoes to fill replacing his father at Davidson. Is he up to the task?
- Is Michael Jordon a difficult owner to work for?
- What will the Hornets do with the 13th and 15th picks on Thursday's NBA Draft?
