Ford in mix, Wright says not interested
News blogs, sports blogs, entertainment blogs, and more from Philly.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News.
Ford in mix, Wright says not interested
The Sixers and General Manager Ed Stefanski announced this morning that they have completed six interviews for their vacant head coaching position. Until this release, the number was thought to be four: Eddie Jordan, Dwane Casey, Kurt Rambis, and Tom Thibodeau.
That makes the question: Who were the two candidates interviewed that weren't known? A source has confirmed that one was internal candidate Chris Ford, who has been the head coach of the Boston Celtics as well as a short stint with the Sixers. The second was Jay Wright, currently coaching the Villanova Wildcats. Villanova PR has confirmed that Stefanski reached out to Wright and that Wright said he is not interested in moving from Villanova to the Wachovia Center. A press release is expected confirming that Wright will remain at Villanova.
Here are Wright's comments:
“Last week, Ed reached out to me to see if I would be willing to speak to him about the Sixers’ coaching position,” stated Wright. “He is a longtime friend of mine whom I have great respect for and is someone I talk to often. We had a lively conversation about the vision Ed has for the Sixers organization. As a lifelong Sixers fan, I was honored to be part of the process.
“Following our meeting, I called Ed to thank him and requested that he remove me from consideration. I love Villanova and it is where I want to be. I am grateful to the Sixers for including me in the process. There is a lot to look forward to for Sixer fans like me with the young talent they have put together and the leadership of Ed Stefanski.”
In the release, Stefanski said the following:
"In the past week, I have completed interviews with six candidates, all of whom are exceptionally qualified, have an impressive knowledge of the game and are very well-respected within the basketball community.
"I truly appreciate that they took time out of their schedules to meet with me regarding this position. Along with my staff, we will continue our due diligence – including further interviews, extensive research and in-depth background checks – before a final selection is made.
"As I have said before, the qualities I am looking for in our next head coach include excellent communication and leadership skills, will stress the importance of accountability while also developing our players and will be a strong tactician.
"As such, due to the number of candidates still involved in the process, there is no timetable set for when this very important decision regarding the future direction of the franchise will be made."
--Kate
Why doesn't he interview Doug Moe too?— Dr. Michael- Thanks L.A. Steve, before I even heard this story I was telling somebody Chris Ford was actually somebody who I wanted. He did do a great job here last time and he deserves a chance. He is hard nosed, but also had the younger guys getting better. I think the only reason they got rid of him was because of A. I. I think Chris ford would be a great choice.— ddstman
Comment removed.- Jeff Van Gundy!! A winning coach!— Larry Brown
- The Sixers' have a coach and do not even realize it because he is not a household name. Chris Ford should not had been released by Billy King. But he decided player over a coach who was trying to make a selfish player unselfish. Ed is going down the same path look at the names of the people he has interviewed. Most have losing records as a coach. The team played competitive and inspired ball under Ford. He is not Larry Brown, But he can have them play the right way and win.— smitty03281964
John Mitchell is in his second year covering the 76ers for the Inquirer after joining the paper in November 2011. He covered the Washington Wizards for the Washington Times from 1998 to 2008. He's also worked at the Philadelphia Tribune, the Wilmington News Journal, Courier-Post, Trenton Times and Elmira Star-Gazette.Born and raised in West Philadelphia - not too far from Will Smith - he graduated from Overbrook High School the same year the 76ers won their last championship. He's a proud graduate of Howard University and the proud father of two sons, Jared and Jordan.
ABOUT MARC NARDUCCI
Marc Narducci has served in a variety of roles with the Inquirer since beginning in 1983. He has covered the 76ers as a backup and a beat writer. In addition, Narducci has covered everything from the Super Bowl to the World Series and a lot in between. Narducci also has a true passion for South Jersey scholastic sports, which he has covered for many years.
