Congratulations to Stan Van Gundy. SVG will return to the sideline, and make his first appearance in the front office, in his newly appointed role as head coach/ President of Basketball Operations for the Detroit Pistons.
The deal was finalized Tuesday night per Yahoo Sports and is said to be worth five years- $35 million. Van Gundy’s name was also in the mix for the Golden State Warriors head coaching job, but the Pistons swooped in with an offer that was the same number of years but, $5 to $10 million less. But money wasn’t the kicker here, the prospect of being able to make over the team to his liking was.
I like Stan as a coach, but he does have a reputation for wearing his players out. Think Dwight Howard and SVG’s infamous Pepsi Swig in Orlando. Or those years with Shaq in Miami. Contrary to popular belief, Riley taking over that team wasn’t just about his desire to win another ring as a head coach.
Good luck SVG, with a roster that currently contains Josh Smith, Brandon Jennings, Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond, he’ll need it.
