Via The Star Tribune

“New Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis will add former Detroit Pistons bad-boy center Bill Laimbeer and former Sacramento Kings head coach Reggie Theus to his staff, according to a league source.

Those two notable names will join Boston assistant general manager Dave Wohl, a former Los Angeles Lakers assistant and New Jersey’s head coach in the 1980s who will become Rambis’ No. 1 assistant.

Laimbeer, 52, resigned as the Detroit Shock’s head coach and general manager in June after winning three WNBA titles in seven seasons as its coach. He did so in a surprise move presumably to pursue a coaching career in the NBA, where he won two NBA titles with the Pistons displaying an agitating playing style that earned him the nickname “His Heinous.”

He has never coached in the NBA.”

Good Luck Lamb

I’ll still miss the good old days.

• Kuester rundown from Matt Watson at Fanhouse.
• Kuester to run the place – Kelly Dwyer’s take.
• Kuester has a history with The Pistons.
• Will Dumars give Kuester a chance?
• The Ties that Bind Larry Brown to John Kuester and Everything.
• A Cleveland take after scooping up their assistant coach and the signings of Ben and CV.

And just so you know…I’m heading off to the Palace for the Villanueva/Gordon presser…video camera in tow.

Presser cancelled for today…probably tomorrow, my guess is they are waiting for the Kuester deal to be locked up and have one big party for them all. I will keep you posted…and FYI if you follow me on Twitter you will know my plans.

“The Detroit Pistons are no longer considering Avery Johnson for their head-coaching position after the two sides could not come to terms on a contract, an NBA source with knowledge of the talks said Tuesday morning.

The source said Cleveland Cavaliers assistant John Kuester is now the favorite to get the job, but

Boston Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau remains under serious consideration.”

The Issue:

Avery wanted a little a longer contract from a team that goes trough coach like Sheed get techs.

Little upset about it, my Avery Johnson impression is stellar.

Personally if they are going to go with someone with no NBA head coaching experience I would rather see Laimbeer helm.

From the Joe Dumars via DetNews

“Where we are right now as a team is kind of like where we were at the start of the Rick Carlisle era,” Dumars said. “And a $4 to $5 million (a year) coach is not what we need right now. We didn’t have one of those until we were close to contending for a championship when we got Larry (Brown).”

That leaves Avery Johnson as the front runner.

“I had a great talk with Joe (Dumars) and I appreciate being considered for the job, but I’ve decided to take my name out of the running,” said Collins late Wednesday night. “I am honored to have been given the opportunity. I have great affection for the Davidson family (owner Karen and late husband William), great affection for the whole organization and for the fans in Detroit.

“At this time, however, I feel it’s best that I not pursue the job.” Via The Detroit News

UPDATE:
Avery the new coach?

Thanks to team Need4Sheed member Joshua Polaczyk for the Video find.

A little laugh goes a long way.

I know, I know….I’m horrible.

Details forthcoming! Michael Curry relieved of his duties.

Is it wrong that I just danced a jig?

UPDATE: Via MLive

“AUBURN HILLS – The never-ending carousel of coaches for the Detroit Pistons continues with the announcement that head coach Michael Curry has been fired.

“This was a difficult decision to make,” said Joe Dumars, Detroit’s president of basketball operations. “I want to thank Michael for his hard work and dedication to the organization. However, at this time, I have decided to make a change.”

UPDATE: Chris McCosky The Detroit News

“As for the next coach, Dumars could choose from a very short list: Doug Collins, former Bulls, Pistons and Wizards coach; Avery Johnson, former Mavericks coach; and John Kuester, former Pistons and current Cavaliers assistant coach.

“My family and I have an understanding and they know I want to do it (coach) one more time,” Collins said during a phone interview from his home in Arizona. “It has to be the right situation, but everybody knows I have a great affection for Detroit and the Pistons organization. They are committed to winning.”

Johnson, reached in Texas, had not heard from the Pistons and didn’t want to comment.

“I have not heard from them yet,” Johnson said. “It’s unfortunate what happened to Michael, but of course I am always in listening mode.” “

UPDATE: Pistons.com Keith Langlois – Who’s Next?

“The names that have floated to the top of the list are Avery Johnson, Doug Collins and John Kuester – and all make sense, if for varying reasons.

Johnson has the most recent track record of success in the NBA. His strength is implementing a structured system. There were whispers in Dallas that his style eventually became overbearing, but the type of discipline the Pistons seemed to lack last year was never an issue in Dallas under Johnson.

Collins is universally recognized as a brilliant basketball mind – his TNT telecasts are mini-clinics, in much the way Hubie Brown’s once were – who, like Johnson, also comes with a reputation for burning through relationships within a few seasons. Pistons fans will recall how Collins milked more wins than seemed possible out of his teams here in the ’90s. When he considered the Bulls job last summer, Collins reflected on those days and said he’d learned to pull back.

Kuester was a highly respected piece of Larry Brown’s staff here previously and was seen as the counterbalance to Brown’s mercurial mood swings with the mettle to voice dissent. He doesn’t have the head coaching track record of Collins and Johnson – though he did run his own college basketball programs before leaping to the NBA – but he was credited by Cleveland coach Mike Brown for making the Cavs a much more efficient offensive team the past two years while Brown focused on defense, his specialty.

That Curry’s firing comes on the eve of free agency is nothing but coincidental. As Dumars said upon announcing the decision this afternoon, it was not one easily reached. It’s fair to assume it’s something he’s considered since the season ended, based on the dysfunction he perceived as the Pistons finished the season in a tailspin and put up little resistance during Cleveland’s four-game sweep in the first round of the playoffs.

Changes come with no guarantees, of course. Acknowledging a problem doesn’t ensure its resolution. But it’s a necessary first step that many in positions of power avoid for the reflection it casts on them. As the tough decision to fire Michael Curry one season into the job proves, the path of least resistance is one Joe Dumars steadfastly avoids.”

]]> http://need4sheed.com/2009/06/michael-curry-fired.html/feed 63 http://need4sheed.com/2009/06/did-laimbeer-just-get-a-nba-head-coaching-job.html http://need4sheed.com/2009/06/did-laimbeer-just-get-a-nba-head-coaching-job.html#comments Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:07:29 +0000 Natalie Sitto http://need4sheed.com/?p=4597 If any of you follow former Bad Boy Bill Laimbeer, you know of his aspirations of becoming an NBA head coach. Well he’s going to be resigning resigned today as the Head coach of the Detroit’s WNBA Shock. My guess, he’s got a head coaching job lined up.

“The Free Press has learned that former Pistons’ star Bill Laimbeer is expected to resign as the head coach of the WNBA defending champion Shock this afternoon following an immensely successful 6 1/2-year run.

It is believed that Laimbeer’s long-term aspiration is to become an NBA head coach.” Via The Detroit Free Press

And then there’s this (courtesy of Need4Sheed reader Jay)

I guess we will find out soon.

UPDATE: We all saw this coming but just in case you don’t know, former Bad Boy and assistant coach Rick Mahorn will step in for Laimbeer as The Shock’s coach.

We are thinking of you, and we know you are putting up one heck of a fight.  Get well soon!