Coaching Fires: 101
Did the Thunder blunder in its firing of P.J. Carlesimo?
According to one writer it did.
Kevin Sullivan, writing for Sports Business Journal, groups the management of the Carlesimo firing in with the New York Mets’ removal of manager Willie Randolph last June and the Oakland Raiders’ ugly dismissal of coach Lane Kiffin.
Sullivan, a former White House communications director and public relations executive for NBC Universal and the Dallas Mavericks, believes the Thunder could have sent a louder message to its fan base simply by use of better timing rather than the early-morning hour decision it settled on.
“(Sam) Presti could have laid out his vision and then introduced impressive assistant coach Scott Brooks as the interim coach for the remainder of the season. Brooks would have had the chance to look into the cameras and say: “I have clear plans to make the team play with more energy and passion,” precisely what he said on that Saturday night in New Orleans when everybody in Oklahoma City was watching OU dismantle Texas Tech.“
-DM-
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Comments
Firing Carlisemo was not the blunder. Taking the interim tag off of Brooks without interviewing creditable and available coaches first (e.g., Tom Thibodeau) is the real blunder (Brooks had no plans).
ridiculous. willie randolph had a loaded team, and led them to a classic choke-job. p.j. had an extremely young team, and had them playing completely uninspired basketball. it had to be done.
…and i totally agree with martzmimic about al davis. that is an inmate running his own asylum.
[...] Sullivan of Sports Business Journal doesn’t like the way OKC fired P.J. Carlesimo (via Thunder Rumblings): “(Sam) Presti could have laid out his vision and then introduced impressive assistant coach [...]
A louder message? It was apparently loud enough throughout the NBA, as Carlesimo’s firing opened the flood gates allowing several other teams to fire their head coach due to poor performance. The only similarity to Randolph’s firing was that the Mets gave up on him too. Kiffin is just a freakin’ nut. Firing him was probably the only smart decision Al Davis has made in 10 years.