Houston Rockets Head Coach Kevin McHale announced today that he has hired two-time NCAA National Coach of the Year Kelvin Sampson as lead assistant coach, as well as John-Blair “J.B.” Bickerstaff, Chris Finch and Brett Gunning as assistant coaches on his staff.

“I’m thrilled to have these men on my coaching staff,” said McHale. “We are fortunate to have a very qualified and well-respected group of coaches on staff who will be committed to winning and helping our players reach their full potential.

“Kelvin Sampson has an established track record as a very successful college and NBA coach and will be a valuable addition to my staff. I have known J.B. Bickerstaff since our days together in Minnesota, and he has developed into one of the league’s best young coaches. I had an opportunity to work with Chris Finch for a few weeks leading up to the draft and I am very impressed with his success in the D-League and internationally. Brett Gunning has been here for the past three seasons in a player development role, but he has a very good feel for our players and the system we plan to implement.”

Sampson joins the Rockets after spending three seasons as an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks. During his time with the Bucks, Sampson was part of a staff that helped Milwaukee’s defense improve from 15th in the NBA in points allowed per 100 possessions in 2008-09, to second in 2009-10, and fourth in 2010-11. Prior to moving into the NBA, Sampson served two seasons as head coach at Indiana University (2006-08) where his teams went 43-15 (.741) and received NCAA Tournament bids in both of his two campaigns. His biggest success came during his 12 seasons at Oklahoma University (1994-2006) where Sampson earned two National Coach of the Year awards (AP in 1995 and NABC in 2002), made 12 postseason showings in 12 seasons (11 NCAA and one NIT), advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 (1999), Final Four (2002) and Elite Eight (2003), captured three Big 12 Tournament championships (2001, 2002 and 2003) and shared the 2005 Big 12 regular season title with Kansas. Sampson won at least 20 games in each of his final nine seasons at OU and finished with a 279-109 (.719) record with the Sooners.

Sampson went to Oklahoma from Washington State where he was as an assistant before being named head coach. Overall, he went 103-103 (.500) with the Cougars (1987-94) and was twice named Kodak District 14 Coach of the Year by the NABC (1990-91 and 1991-92), as well as earning Pac-10 Coach of the Year (1991-92). He began his collegiate head coaching career at Montana Tech (1981-85), winning two regular season titles and one Frontier Conference championship. Over his final four seasons, he guided the Orediggers to a 73-45 (.619) mark. Montana Tech had won just 17 games combined in the three years prior to his arrival. Sampson was also named the league’s Coach of the Year twice (1983 and 1985).

Bickerstaff comes to the Rockets after spending four seasons (2007-11) as an assistant coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Prior to joining the Timberwolves, Bickerstaff spent three seasons (2004-07) as an assistant coach to his father, Bernie Bickerstaff, with the Charlotte Bobcats. He also served as head coach of Charlotte’s Summer League teams in 2005 and 2006. The youngest assistant coach in the NBA at age 25 when he began with the Bobcats in 2004-05, J.B. followed in the footsteps of his father, who was the youngest assistant coach when he joined the NBA at 29 years old in 1973.

Around basketball his whole life, Bickerstaff provided color analysis on radio broadcasts in 2003-04 for the Timberwolves when the team won the Midwest Division and advanced to the Western Conference Finals. Prior to that, he served as the director of operations for the University of Minnesota men’s basketball program where he oversaw all administrative areas of the program and assisted the coaching staff with recruiting, scouting and coaching.

Finch enters his first season as an assistant coach with the Rockets after spending two campaigns as head coach of Houston’s single-affiliation NBA Development League partner the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. In two seasons at the helm of the Vipers, Finch registered a mark of 67-33 (.670) and guided Rio Grande Valley to back-to-back D-League Finals. In 2009-10, Finch took home the Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year Award en route to capturing the 2009-10 D-League championship. Finch also led the Western Conference All-Stars to a win at the 2009 D-League All-Star Game in Dallas.

Prior to his return to the United States, Finch built a successful overseas coaching career that included taking over a dormant Great Britain National Team in May 2006 and winning FIBA’s 2007 Division B Promotional Competition. In 2009, his squad qualified for the European Championships for the first time since 1981. Finch will also lead the British National Team in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. In addition to his work with the British National Team, Finch was a head coach of teams in England (Sheffield Sharks), Germany (Giessen 46ers) and Belgium (Euphony Bree, Dexia Mons-Hainaut) from 1997-2009. Finch, who has three titles and three BBL Cup Finals on his resume, qualified for the playoffs in 11 of his 12 seasons overseas. A three-time Coach of the Year, he was also selected as a FIBA EuroCup All-Star head coach. He began his career with Sheffield, which was the same club that he played on during his four-year professional playing career. Under Finch’s tutelage, the Sharks enjoyed the franchise’s most successful run in its history. Finch was named the BBL Coach of the Year after winning the regular season title with Sheffield in 1998-99. He also led Euphony Bree to their first-ever championship in 2005.

Gunning begins his fourth season with the Houston Rockets and his first as an assistant coach. Gunning began with the Rockets as the team’s Director of Player Development, where he was responsible for improving player performance through on-court, one-on-one skill development and the use of video analysis.

Gunning joined the Rockets in 2008 after seven seasons on Jay Wright’s staff at Villanova University. During his stay with the Wildcats, Gunning played a vital role in recruiting and developing a unit that secured four straight NCAA Tournament berths and made three appearances in the Sweet 16. Gunning was named associate head coach in 2005 and was recognized following the 2007-08 season as one of the top-25 assistants in the nation by rivals.com. His responsibilities with the Wildcats included on-court teaching, recruiting and scouting. A part of Wright’s staffs at both Hofstra University and Villanova, Gunning was an integral part of the rebirth orchestrated at Hofstra over his seven seasons. He was part of a staff that built the Pride into an America East powerhouse that posted a 72-22 (.766) record from 1998-2001. Gunning, who assisted with recruiting, individual instruction, scouting and film analysis at Hofstra, was also instrumental in the development of Pride players.

Rockets add Sampson, three others to coaching staff

Houston, TX (Sports Network) – Houston Rockets head coach Kevin McHale
announced on Friday that he has hired Kelvin Sampson, John-Blair “J.B.”
Bickerstaff, Chris Finch and Brett Gunning as assistant coaches on his staff.

McHale, who was hired on June 1 to replace Rick Adelman, will make two-time
NCAA National Coach of the Year Kelvin Sampson his lead assistant.

Sampson joins the Rockets after spending three seasons as an assistant coach
with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Prior to moving into the NBA, Sampson was head coach at Indiana University
(2006-08) where his teams went 43-15 and received NCAA Tournament bids in both
of his two campaigns.

Sampson earned two National Coach of the Year awards during his 12 seasons at
Oklahoma University (1994-2006). He led the Sooners to the postseason every
year and ended with a 279-109 record at Oklahoma.

Bickerstaff has spent the past four seasons (2007-11) as an assistant coach
with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He also spent three years (2004-07) as an
assistant coach to his father, Bernie Bickerstaff, with the Charlotte Bobcats.

Finch spent two campaigns as head coach of Houston’s single-affiliation NBA
Development League partner the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. In two seasons at the
helm of the Vipers, Finch registered a mark of 67-33 and guided Rio Grande
Valley to back-to-back D-League Finals. In 2009-10, Finch took home the Dennis
Johnson Coach of the Year Award en route to capturing the 2009-10 D-League
championship. Finch also led the Western Conference All-Stars to a win at the
2009 D-League All-Star Game in Dallas.

Gunning begins his fourth season on the Rockets’ staff.

07/15 18:24:39 ET

Houston, TX (Sports Network) – Houston Rockets head coach Kevin McHale
announced on Friday that he has hired Kelvin Sampson, John-Blair “J.B.”
Bickerstaff, Chris Finch and Brett Gunning as assistant coaches on his staff.

McHale, who was hired on June 1 to replace Rick Adelman, will make two-time
NCAA National Coach of the Year Kelvin Sampson his lead assistant.

Sampson joins the Rockets after spending three seasons as an assistant coach
with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Prior to moving into the NBA, Sampson was head coach at Indiana University
(2006-08) where his teams went 43-15 and received NCAA Tournament bids in both
of his two campaigns.

Sampson earned two National Coach of the Year awards during his 12 seasons at
Oklahoma University (1994-2006). He led the Sooners to the postseason every
year and ended with a 279-109 record at Oklahoma.

Bickerstaff has spent the past four seasons (2007-11) as an assistant coach
with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He also spent three years (2004-07) as an
assistant coach to his father, Bernie Bickerstaff, with the Charlotte Bobcats.

Finch spent two campaigns as head coach of Houston’s single-affiliation NBA
Development League partner the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. In two seasons at the
helm of the Vipers, Finch registered a mark of 67-33 and guided Rio Grande
Valley to back-to-back D-League Finals. In 2009-10, Finch took home the Dennis
Johnson Coach of the Year Award en route to capturing the 2009-10 D-League
championship. Finch also led the Western Conference All-Stars to a win at the
2009 D-League All-Star Game in Dallas.

Gunning begins his fourth season on the Rockets’ staff.

The Sports Network

By Matt Conner

– Editor

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May 27, 2011 – After rumors that had former NBA great Kevin McHale as a frontrunner for the Houston Rockets head coaching gig, the word is now official with a contract in place to officially succeed Rick Adelman. According to ESPN, McHale beat out other finalists like Lawrence Frank and Dwane Casey. Yet despite being able to flash some high profile bling from his playing days and holding onto his one great draft pick of Kevin Garnett, it remains to be seen what the draw was for Houston execs to pull the trigger on this deal.

The bottom line is that Kevin McHale has been an Isaiah Thomas-lite on this side of his NBA playing days. Several miserable years as a Minnesota Timberwolves executive finally came to an end before the 2009-2010 season, leaving behind a legacy of wasted draft choices, embarrassing sanctions from David Stern for the Joe Smith free agency debacle and a 39-55 interim coaching record in two different stints. As a player, he was one of the best of all time. As anything else basketball-related, he’s been a miserable failure.

So why would Houston give up on Adelman? Perhaps it was time for fresh blood, but certainly the failure to make the playoffs cannot rest on his shoulders alone. Adelman went 193-135 in his four full seasons in Houston. He also went 9-10 in the NBA Playoffs, missing the last two seasons, including this year when the Rockets sunk to fifth place in their division with a 43-39 record. Yet the injuries mounted early and often for the Rockets, so it’s not all Adelman’s fault. Of course, it’s assumed Adelman will find another job soon, given he was a finalist for the Lakers job already.

McHale will face the same issues, like health, as Adelman, since no single Rockets player suited up for 82 games last season. A stress fracture kept Yao Ming from playing most of last season, limiting him to five games, and even though he says everything is healing well, it’s questionable whether he will even be able to play this year as well. The injury history is long for Ming and it creates all kinds of questions on the team’s identity since Yao is such a force when healthy.

The team also has to make up for the departure of team leader and do-it-all forward Shane Battier after trading him to the Memphis Grizzlies next season, but the Rockets do have the No. 14 and No. 23 picks in the upcoming NBA Draft. To that end, they can add some needed depth or secure a top player in the lottery if they can move up enough. Still, McHale has shown no ability to make either of these things work in the past. He has his work cut out for him to bring out the best in project center Hasheem Thabeet and find an identity for a team in need of one in a competitive Western Conference.

Read More: Kevin Garnett (F – BOS), Rick Adelman (H – HOU), Dwane Casey (A – DAL), Lawrence Frank (H – NJN), Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers

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The Los Angeles Lakers have narrowed their coaching search to former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown and former Houston Rockets coach Rick Adelman, according to sources, with current Lakers assistant Brian Shaw, the preferred choice of most of the team’s current players, still in the mix. But the Lakers’ insistence on holding firm to a lower salary for their next head coach has kept the search open.

The Lakers want to significantly reduce the salary they pay their next head coach after paying Phil Jackson $10 million in his final season and $12.5 million the previous season. The Los Angeles Times reported Monday that the Lakers were not willing to go above $5 million in salary next season. While Brown is not expecting to make $7 million a year as Doc Rivers will be getting from Boston starting next season (Rivers signed a five-year, $35 million deal last week), the next tier of coaches, led by New York’s Mike D’Antoni (four years, $24 million), don’t have Jackson or Rivers’ pedigree, while Brown has a 2007 Finals appearance and two Eastern Conference finals appearances to his credit.

But the Lakers are adamant about maintaining their salary ceiling, and seem to be looking for the candidate that will accept those terms as opposed to picking a candidate and negotiating a deal with him.

Yahoo! Sports reported Tuesday evening that the Lakers were in serious negotiations with Brown, who has spent this year working in television with ESPN after being fired as coach of the Cavaliers after Cleveland’s second-round loss to Boston in the 2010 playoffs.

Lakers owner Jerry Buss had said earlier in the day in a radio interview on XM Sirius Radio that the team was “very close” to hiring a new coach, and seemed to dismiss the notion that the team would hire Shaw because several players, including Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher, had endorsed his candidacy.

“Obviously, we have to select somebody who has a reputation that players would be happy with,” Buss said in the interview, on Playboy Radio, with local broadcaster Michael Eaves and Lakers executive Bonnie-Jill Laflin. “But to ask a direct player to select a particular coach, that’s general manager territory.”

Brown, 41, was 272-138 in five seasons in Cleveland, reaching the second round of the playoffs each season. But after the Cavaliers’ six-game loss to Boston in which the Cavs played poorly in the last two games, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert decided to fire Brown. That decision helped lead to former team president Danny Ferry’s departure from the club as well, and James, famously, followed both out the door in July.

Adelman, 64, moved into eighth place on the NBA’s all-time coaching victories list this season, finishing the year with 945 wins, one better than Bill Fitch and seven ahead of Red Auerbach. In 20 seasons as a head coach, Adelman is 945-616 (.605), with only four losing seasons. His teams have made the postseason 16 times, and he’s reached the Finals twice, both times with Portland (1990 and 1992). This season may have been one of his best coaching jobs; Houston had hoped to have Yao Ming back this season after he’d missed all of the 2009-10 season with a stress fracture in his left ankle, but Yao only played five games before suffering another stress fracture in the left ankle that shelved him the rest of the year.

But Adelman remade the Rockets on the fly, turning them from a team that was planning to pound the ball inside to one that got its scoring from the perimeter with guards Kevin Martin and Kyle Lowry. Houston didn’t make the playoffs, but was one of the hottest teams in the league down the stretch, going 17-8 after the All-Star break. Nonetheless, the Rockets made next to no attempt to re-sign him and the club announced after the season it and Adelman had mutually agreed to part ways.

Shaw has been a Lakers assistant for five years, gaining the respect of players as someone who can speak candidly to players and challenge them. He played with the team from 1999 to 2003, helping the team win three straight NBA titles. He has said that he would maintain the triangle offense that Jackson used both in Los Angeles and Chicago, though he would tweak it some. Buss said that he expected the team to play some triangle next season but also expected some changes in the offense.

The Lakers have moved away from veteran coaches Jeff Van Gundy and Mike Dunleavy, the ex-Clippers coach and general manager who led the Lakers to the 1991 Finals.