After much contemplation, last week Steve Kerr returned to the Golden State Warriors as the highest-paid coach in the NBA. The four-time championship-winning head coach is on a two-year deal and wants to make amends for just 37 wins and a missed playoff chance. And the reconstruction has already begun, starting with some of the assistants on the coaching staff.

The top two assistants in the Bay Area, Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse, are departing the franchise, as Anthony Slater broke the news on Thursday. Unlike Kerr, who received a new contract, the assistant’s contract expired after this past season. Later, Brett Siegel added, “Staff changes were among those discussed between Steve Kerr and Joe Lacob.” Stotts just finished his second year as Kerr’s lead assistant and offensive coordinator. But had already informed Steve Kerr late in the regular season that he didn’t intend to return. But he still remains on good terms and wants to pursue head coaching opportunities in the NBA.

Before moving away, recently, certain reports named Terry Stotts as a potential replacement for Kerr. Last year, he was also approached to be part of Mike Brown’s staff with the New York Knicks. But Stotts was committed to his Warriors job. Similar to Stotts, Stackhouse also served a two-season run on Steve Kerr’s staff. He is leaving to actively pursue head coaching opportunities elsewhere.

 

Recently, he was reported to be on the shortlist if the 76ers fired Nick Nurse. So far, they haven’t, but the Sixers did part ways with the president of basketball operations, Daryl Morey. Stackhouse was also disappointed when his alma mater, North Carolina, didn’t interview him for the head coaching job that went to Michael Malone. His hiring in 2024 was on the back of the vacancy left by Kenny Atkinson, who departed to take the Cleveland Cavaliers head job that summer.

Before the Warriors, he was the head coach of Vanderbilt for five seasons, so looking for head coaching opportunities in the NCAA might be the right fit. Stackhouse and Stotts became the latest assistants from Steve Kerr’s staff to depart. Earlier in January, Chris DeMarco departed to take the New York Liberty head coaching job. To fill his role, longtime assistant Kris Weems got the job, and now he will be part of the coaching staff, unlike Stackhouse and Stotts. The reconstruction of the coaching staff has already begun, and the next set of targets for the Warriors is ready.

Steve Kerr and the Warriors’ replacement plans under threat

It’s still the early stage of short-listing, but Slater reported that former New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green is among the candidates. Siegel further hinted, “I don’t full believe it to happen yet, but one early name I’ve heard come up along with Willie Green is Andre Iguodala.” While the return of Iguodala is minuscule despite his ties, there is more possibility of Green returning as he started his NBA coaching career with the Warriors in 2016 and spent three seasons as an assistant on Kerr’s staff.

The two have remained close, but there is another reason why Green might not return to the Bay Area. The Pelicans fired Green at the beginning of the season after a 2-10 start and replaced him with interim head coach James Borrego. Despite the underwhelming spell, he has a 150-190 record as a head coach over 4+ years in New Orleans. But he also has ties to is one of the shortlisted candidates for the Orlando Magic. He was a former Magic player during the 2014-2015 NBA season, and now, with Jamahl Mosley’s firing, the head coach’s seat remains vacant.

Along with Green, long-time NBA assistant Sam Cassell and former Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer are also options for the Magic. The head coaching job might triumph over the assistant’s role that the Warriors and Steve Kerr are currently offering.

 

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