Kiki Vandeweghe: The Accidental Coach

[NJNJ]

Call him the accidental coach.

 

The guy who currently sits in New Jersey's lead seat recently was greeted as "Coach Vandeweghe.''

 

"It does sound funny,'' Kiki Vandeweghe said.

 

Yes, it does.

 

Not long ago, Vandeweghe rebuilt the woeful Denver Nuggets as general manager and looked primed to become one of the NBA's top executives. But Vandeweghe ticked off Denver owner Stan Kroenke by flirting with the Cleveland Cavaliers' general manager opening in 2005, and was ousted in 2006.

 

Vandweghe resurfaced with the Nets two years ago and eventually was named general manager. Vandeweghe, along with New Jersey president Rod Thorn, then began another NBA rebuilding project.

 

But something strange has happened on the way to the Nets' next summer having some $25 million of salary-cap room. They started losing so badly that coach Lawrence Frank had to go, and the team is the process of being sold to Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov.

By NBA rules, the Nets must have a coach. And the line of able candidates was about as long as those wanting to take over the wheel of a faltering Titanic in 1912.

 

Enter Vandeweghe.

 

"It was kind of a surprise,'' Vandeweghe said of when Thorn asked him to become interim coach after Frank was fired Nov. 29. "But it was an ask. It was a surprise because I hadn't really thought about (being a coach). But then it sort of made sense, and I said, 'Sure. OK. I'll do it. But I'd like to bring in Del.'''

 

That would be Del Harris, 72, who took his first coaching job around the time the Titanic left port. He was coaxed out of retirement, and he's serving as Vandeweghe's X's and O's man.

 

To look at the bright side, the Nets at least have won a game (three, in fact) since Vandeweghe took the job. Frank was fired after an 0-16 start that left him one loss shy of the worst start in NBA history.

 

Assistant Tom Barrise drew the short straw, and coached the Nets for two more losses as they broke the league mark with an 0-18 start. Then it was Vandeweghe's turn. He's 3-18 for 3-36 New Jersey.

 

"I was a little surprised,'' said Doug Moe, who was Vandeweghe's coach in Denver from 1980-84, when he heard his former star player had become a coach. "I talked to him after he took the job. Somebody had asked me what advice would I give Kiki, and I said, 'It's too late. He's already taken that job. I would have told him not to take it.'''

 

CONTINUE READING

[Universe]

The Worst Coach Ever is his real name.

[Newman]

"I was a little surprised,'' said Doug Moe, who was Vandeweghe's coach in Denver from 1980-84, when he heard his former star player had become a coach. "I talked to him after he took the job. Somebody had asked me what advice would I give Kiki, and I said, 'It's too late. He's already taken that job. I would have told him not to take it.'''

 

Got that one right. The Nets are a mess and they need an experienced coach to straighten them up.

[Universe]

Got that one right. The Nets are a mess and they need an experienced coach to straighten them up.

No they needed to keep Frank around for consistancy.

[Teletopez]

It's not that Frank was a bad coach. That's actually partially incorrect. He was doing a great job coaching our defense. Now, we have no defense. The best example of that is that we've faced the Pacers three times this year, and we still don't know that weak hacks won't stop Hibbert.

[Klashnekoff]

Yeah it's our defense and our lack of a go-to scorer. Lopez is playing great though, he may get a benched all-star spot.