Memphis Grizzlies: 6 potential head coach candidates

The Memphis Grizzlies are initiating another search for a head coach after Chris Wallace fired David Fizdale just 101 games into his career.

The Memphis Grizzlies shook up the NBA world yesterday afternoon when they fired David Fizdale.

Benching Marc Gasol for the final 15 minutes in a disappointing loss to the Brooklyn Nets was Fizdale’s final straw. The theory says Fizdale knew this action would result in his losing his job, and it was a deliberate act on his part.

Frankly, that sounds silly to me. I don’t believe Fizdale is the type of man who would deliberately lose his job much less an NBA game. Fizdale is respected — despite this setback — and he’ll likely land on another team’s staff very soon. This setback will slow his down his chances of getting another opportunity in the future, however, regardless of his motivation.

Enough with the past though.

Now is the time to look to the future. Fizdale is gone, GM Chris Wallace is still here, and the team needs to make decisions for the long term benefit of the franchise.

The most pressing decision is, who will the next Memphis Grizzlies head coach be?

Internal candidate

JB Bickerstaff has the inside track as interim Head Coach. If he can right the ship and get the Grizzlies back to respectability, he’ll most likely be the next full-time head coach.

Bickerstaff has a lot of positives about him as well. He took over when Kevin McHale was fired in Houston and brought them to the playoffs. He did it by changing from the wide-open free-flowing style McHale preferred to a more structured style of play. This is exactly what is being requested by at least some of the players on the Memphis Grizzlies right now.

Marc Gasol likes structured play more than a free flowing style

That doesn’t mean Chris Wallace should sit back and see what happens before making a decision on the Memphis Grizzlies’ future. This decision will determine Wallace’s legacy and possibly his continued employment with the franchise.

So who else should be considered?

External candidates

• David Blatt should top the list. Fans of the Memphis Grizzlies likely remember him as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He took them to the NBA Finals in his first season and the Eastern Conference’s best record midway through his second season. That was before LeBron James decided he wanted Blatt fired. Blatt has been one of the most successful American coach in European basketball. He has expressed interest in returning to the NBA as well. He’s currently coaching in the Turkish league but is assumed he would leave them to return to the states. Blatt has experience as a head coach and knows how to play the European style that Marc Gasol would likely support.

Not that Marc’s opinion is all that should matter.

• Ettore Messina should also be strongly considered. Messina is currently an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs and previously was the head coach of Real Madrid in the Spanish League. Like Blatt, Messina was succcesful in Europe, winning four EuroLeague Championships. It was believed tha Messina was on the short list for the Memphis Grizzlies coaching job before David Fizdale was hired as well. Messina favors the inside-out offense that’s well-suited for Marc Gasol’s style of play as well.

Not that Marc Gasol’s opinion should matter that much. 

• Jay Larranaga is a name many Memphis fans may not know. He is a lead assistant for Brad Steven’s Boston Celtics team. Prior to sitting on the Celtics bench for the last six seasons, Larranaga coached the Erin BayHawks in the NBA Development league and took his team to the playoffs both seasons he coached them. Larranaga set a D-League standard with 12 players being called up to the NBA. Player development is a strength of his as well as talent evaluation. On a team with young players, this skill could be considered a need.
• Stephen Silas is a long shot but should be interviewed. Silas is a student of the game and the son of longtime NBA Head coach Paul Silas. The younger Silas has never been a head coach, which is a drawback. He’s known to have excellent relationships with players. Silas is a tactician willing to experiment with plays. He is also a firm believer in a structured style.
• Then there’s Lionel Hollins. The former Grizzlies Head Coach left on bad terms, and it wasn’t Chris Wallace’s fault. Jason Levien fired Lionel Hollins. From all accounts, Hollins had a good relationship with Wallace. Hollins believes in structure and playing the “right way.” Lionel is 64 years old, so he shouldn’t be seen as a true long-term solution.

Next: Memphis Grizzlies fire Fizdale

The job is Bickerstaff’s for now. Hopefully this list won’t be necessary.