Feb 5, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; ESPN NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy watches the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs at the American Airlines Center. The Spurs defeat the Mavericks 116-90. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jeff Van Gundy looks like he may be winning the breakup with ESPN.
Veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein wrote on Substack on Sunday that there is buzz circulating in coaching circles that Van Gundy, who currently works as a consultant for the Celtics, could be moving to the bench as a day-to-day assistant coach under Joe Mazzulla. Stein notes that the Celtics are about to lose top assistant coach Charles Lee, who will be the next head coach of the Charlotte Hornets after the season.
Van Gundy, 62, joined the Boston front office in October after getting laid off by ESPN, where he had worked as a TV commentator since 2007. He obviously has a very extensive history as a coach though, racking up 430 career wins as head coach of the New York Knicks from 1996-2001 and then as head coach of the Houston Rockets from 2003-07. Van Gundy guided the Knicks to the 1999 NBA Finals and also served as an assistant coach for the Knicks prior to that from 1989-96.
A long-awaited return to coaching may just be inevitable for Van Gundy, who was also recently linked to a head coach job in the East. While many, including older brother Stan, were upset with the way that ESPN handled Van Gundy’s departure, it seems Van Gundy is doing pretty well for himself since then.
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