Could Jeff Van Gundy join the Dallas Mavericks’ bench as an assistant coach?
Jeff Van Gundy’s name has been passed around as a potential candidate for the Dallas Mavericks assistant coaching position, according to NBA insider Marc Stein, via the New York Post.
Dallas is looking to fill an assistant coaching position next to Jason Kidd ahead of the 2023-24 season. The Mavericks “plan to gauge” Van Gundy’s interest in joining the team, according to Stein.
Van Gundy last coached professionally for the Houston Rockets in the 2006-07 season, finishing 52-30 in his final season. Even after the impressive 50-win campaign, the team opted to fire Van Gundy. Now, the 61-year-old is manning a color commentator role for ESPN, a position he has held for over a decade.
In 11 total seasons as a coach with the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets, Van Gundy achieved a record of 430 wins and 318 losses, with a win percentage of .575. Outside of his 2001-02 and 2005-06 seasons with the Knicks and Rockets, Van Gundy made it to the playoffs in every other year, including leading the Knicks to an NBA Finals appearance in 1998-99.
Outside of coaching in the NBA, Van Gundy has helped the United States men’s national basketball team in other tournaments. He made his return to coaching in 2017, assisting Team USA in the FIBA AmeriCup. Later in 2019, Gundy would help the United States qualify for the FIBA World Cup.
Now, Van Gundy faces a potentially bigger challenge. Stepping back into the coaching game with the Dallas Mavericks who have faced coaching challenges in the past.
Will the Mavericks hire Van Gundy? If so, can he help bring them back to the playoffs in 2024?
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