Jeff Van Gundy is back on the NBA coaching staff.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Van Gundy has signed a contract to become a senior assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers, joining head coach Tyronn Lue’s staff. Van Gundy and Lue have been friends since they both worked together on the USA Basketball staff several years ago.
This is the first NBA coaching job for Van Gundy, 62, since 2007. He spent the previous 17 years coaching the Houston Rockets and New York Knicks, then accepted a broadcast job at ESPN after the Rockets hired him. they fired
It was a perfect fit. Van Gundy thrived at ESPN, combining wit and humor with his keen intellect for the game. According to Woj, Van Gundy is considered one of the “greatest minds in basketball” and spent his 16-year career at ESPN fending off numerous offers from teams trying to get him back into coaching.
Those teams had their best chance last year, when Van Gundy was fired from ESPN in June 2023. He didn’t jump into another broadcast job, preferring to dive back into the NBA and take a job as a senior consultant in Boston. Brad Stevens, Celtics president of basketball operations.
It worked pretty well. The Celtics dominated the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night to become NBA champions. Less than 12 hours later, Van Gundy is back in the coaching game.