The Sacramento Kings may see Dave Joerger back in the head coaching chair six years after they fired him. According to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, he is in the running for the Suns' open gig (subscription required). Phoenix is still in the early stages of its search, but Kings fans are already laughing.
Joerger was fired by the Kings in 2019 after three seasons as head coach. Sacramento went 98-148 during his tenure but just finished a 39-win season that showed promise. It was confusing, but Joerger struggled to communicate with his players (subscription required). Things were so bad the Kings went in a different direction, but they did not improve under Luke Walton.
Sacramento had another coaching change this season with Doug Christie landing the full-time gig after another Play-In Tournament exit. The Kings struggles aside, it is still hilarious for fans to see another team wanting to take on a problem Sacramento knows too well.
Dave Joerger being in the running for Suns HC opening is too funny to Kings fans
Joerger has interviewed for several hea coaching jobs since his departure from the Kings, but has not landed one. He has been an assistant coach under Doc Rivers in Philadelphia and Milwaukee in recent years. The 51-year-old has had success in that role, but neither of his head coaching shots went as planned.
Joerger made the playoffs three times in three seasons as the Grizzlies' head coach, but he left for Sacramento after struggles with the front office. The situation repeated three years later with the Kings. What makes the Suns think things will be different in Phoenix? Six years have passed, but Joerger hasn’t changed.
Having a head coach for three seasons would be a massive win for the Suns. They have fired three in three years, including two who won championships since 2020. Phoenix is at a crossroads but wants to keep Devin Booker and stay in contention. Joerger is not likely to last given the unrealistic expectations and his struggles communicating. Those issues led to Mike Budenholzer, Frank Vogel, and Monty Williams being fired. Joerger would be next if he is the Suns choice.
The Sacramento Kings hired a franchise legend to be their head coach. Everyone hopes Doug Christie can get them back to the playoffs, but it won’t be an easy task. The Kings must improve their roster this summer. They hope the Suns hire Dave Joerger, but the process is still in the early stages. This will only get more comical the longer it drags out, so stay tuned.