Both current Lakers assistant Quin Snyder and former Lakers assistant Brian Shaw have conducted second interviews for the vacant Charlotte Bobcats head coaching job. As it stands those two are the last two candidates left standing.
Perhaps wanting to give some other qualified candidates a chance but more likely coming to his senses, Jerry Sloan is said to have removed his name from consideration for the job. Can’t imagine a coach like Sloan would enjoy coaching up a roster of young but highly inexperienced talent while working for a penny pinching owner like Michael Jordan. But that’s beside the point.
Snyder and Shaw are both eager to get their feet wet at the NBA level.
Shaw was completely ignored by Jim Buss for consideration when Phil Jackson stepped down despite his overwhelming approval by the Laker players. He spent this past year helping to coach the Indiana Pacers to the second round of the playoffs.
As for Snyder, he’s looking to get back into the head coaching world. Having begun a promising career at the University of Missouri, the wheels came off as Snyder found himself caught up in some not-so-innocent allegations and rumors. He’s since toiled as an NBA assistant and a head coach in the D-League.
Now the Bobcat job is nothing to write home about. Whoever gets that gig will be pitted with rescuing a fledgling franchise from the worst season in league (dare I say sports?) history. But it’s a starting point.
Such is the life of an NBA coach trying to work their way up the ranks. Not everyone gets the Erik Spoelstra fortune of inheriting a playoff-ready roster. More often than not it’s the Kurt Ramibs route that’s taken by most assistants. For Snyder or Shaw the hope is that they don’t have to endure an experience at all similar to Rambis but odds are it won’t end well in Charlotte. Not so long as His Airness is running the show.