Trail Blazers Expand Coaching Search, Schedule Interview With Jerry Stackhouse
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The Portland Trail Blazers will meet with former NBA All-Star Jerry Stackhouse this weekend as the club continues its wide-ranging hunt for a new head coach, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
Stackhouse, 49, played 18 NBA seasons from 1995 to 2013 before moving into coaching. His résumé includes assistant stops with the Raptors (2015-16), Grizzlies (2018-19) and Warriors (2024-26), plus head-coaching stints with Raptors 905 in the G League (2016-18) and Vanderbilt University (2019-24). His contract with Golden State recently expired, and he is actively pursuing head-coaching opportunities in Portland and Chicago.
Other candidates still in play
Chris Haynes of NBA on Prime reports that Portland is impressed with Jazz assistant Mike Williams. The 29-year-old former Capital City Go-Go head coach joined Utah’s bench in 2023 after two seasons leading Washington’s G League affiliate.
Celtics assistant Tyler Lashbrook has also advanced to the next stage of interviews, per Fischer. Lashbrook worked for the 76ers from 2014 to 2023, moved to Boston three years ago and guided the franchise’s G League club in Maine during the 2024-25 season.
Earlier finalists and ongoing evaluations
Clippers assistant Jeff Van Gundy, Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori and Portland interim head coach Tiago Splitter were identified Thursday as finalists, but new names suggest the definition of “finalist” remains flexible. League sources told Fischer and Marc Stein that Portland initially targeted roughly 30 candidates, and several remain under consideration.
The process has been difficult to track, with some coaches interviewing with general manager Joe Cronin, others with new owner Tom Dundon and some meeting both decision-makers.
Financial and stylistic considerations
Stein notes that Van Gundy earns about $3 million annually with the Clippers, creating curiosity about how much Dundon is willing to pay amid reports he prefers a lower salary for Portland’s next coach. Celtics assistant D.J. MacLeay, Heat consultant Noah Laroche and Brisbane Bullets coach Will Weaver have also been linked to the opening. One league source told Stein that Dundon wants a coach who will “coach players hard.”
The Trail Blazers are one of several NBA teams with coaching vacancies this offseason.
Source: Hoops Rumors
