Yahoo Finance Report: Doc Rivers named Philadelphia 76ers next head coach
Doc Rivers wasn’t on the job market for long.
Rivers, just days after parting ways with the Los Angeles Clippers, reached a deal to become the Philadelphia 76ers’ next head coach on Thursday afternoon, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
After a rapid courtship and negotiation, Doc Rivers has reached agreement on a deal to become the next coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 1, 2020
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Rivers and the 76ers reached a five-year deal. Specific terms of the contract, however, are not yet known.
Rivers, 58, split with the Clippers on Monday after seven seasons, a decision that was mutual but stunned many in the league. He had compiled a 356-208 overall record in Los Angeles and reached the playoffs in all but one season, however, he failed to lead the Clippers to the conference finals.
They were bounced from the postseason at Walt Disney World this year after blowing a 3-1 series lead to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals, which marked the third time in Rivers’ career that he’s done so.
The 76ers also interviewed assistant coach Kevin Young for the head job, according to Wojnarowski, and Clippers assistant Ty Lue.
Lue, however, is reportedly an emerging top candidate to replace Rivers in Los Angeles and is expected to interview with the New Orleans Pelicans, too.
Rivers replacing Brett Brown in Philadelphia
The 76ers reportedly reached out to Rivers immediately after the news of his split with the Clippers, and set up a meeting with him on Wednesday in the Philadelphia area.
Clearly, that meeting went well, as the two sides didn’t waste any time.
Rivers will replace Brett Brown in Philadelphia, who the 76ers fired in August shortly after they were swept in the first round of the playoffs. Brown was in Philadelphia for seven seasons and compiled a 221-334 record, though is credited from bringing them back from the near bottom of the league and survived three seasons where they failed to win even 20 games.
They did reach the playoffs in his final three years, but never made it out of the semifinals. Brown also reportedly struggled to take control of the locker room, league sources told Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes, and his game plan was frequently questioned by players.
Rivers has been a head coach in the league since 1999, and spent five seasons with the Orlando Magic before a nine-year stint with the Boston Celtics — where he won a title in 2008. The 76ers were among the top job openings this season, thanks largely to the presence of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. While Rivers will have to corral the locker room to find success, a coach of his caliber is likely in a great position to get that done.
And so far, it seems he’s off to a good start.
Welcome to the city of Brotherly Love Coach @DocRivers !!!! Excited for the future and what we’re building here #PhillyForever
— Joel “Troel” Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) October 1, 2020
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