*Since the writing of this, Quin Snyder was hired by the Atlanta Hawks.* The Detroit Pistons are in the midst of another disappointing season and may look to make some big changes to the roster and coaching staff when it is mercifully over.
Dwane Casey has taken the brunt of the criticism for the Pistons’ performance this season, which is unfair considering the context, as he was not given a winning roster and the team has endured myriad injuries, including losing Cade Cunningham for the season.
But even with all of the youth and injuries, the Pistons have been underwhelming at times, especially defensively, and they may need a new voice in the huddle as they try to pivot towards being a competitive team next season.
Dwane Casey should be commended for some of the work he’s done with the young players, and for being a respected leader who has never lost the ear of his team, nor allowed it to devolve into non-stop drama like we’ve seen with other young teams.
But this is a results-oriented business and he is just 116-234 as the head coach of the Pistons, though you could argue that they were really only trying to win in one of his seasons. Moving on wouldn’t really be an indictment of Casey per se, as sometimes teams just need a new vision to take the next step.
A recent fan poll indicated that the fanbase is ready for a change, and we may get it at the end of the season.
If so, the Detroit Pistons will have a number of options from an in-house candidate, to two known commodities and even one wildcard from the college ranks.
Detroit Pistons: The in-house coaching candidate
Jerome Allen
If the Detroit Pistons wanted to keep some amount of continuity on the bench, they could turn to assistant coach Jerome Allen, who has been with the team and coach Casey for two seasons.
Prior to joining the Pistons, he was an assistant coach under Brad Stevens in Boston, who gave Allen high praise for his work with the Celtics.
His only head coaching experience was at Penn, where he eventually had to resign after a bribery scandal.
It has long been thought that Allen was being groomed for the job after coach Casey is fired, retires or heads to some kind of job in the front office. Allen is well liked by the players, and you see him constantly coaching up the young guys on the bench. He’s also been around some great basketball minds, and was partially responsible for helping to build the Celtics’ defense, which has long been among the best in the NBA.
He wouldn’t be the flashiest name, but Allen will definitely get an interview when and if Casey leaves.
Detroit Pistons: Possible coaching candidates if Dwane Casey is fired
Scott Brooks
Scott Brooks is a guy who Troy Weaver is well familiar with, as he was the head coach at Oklahoma City for much of Weaver’s time there and the two reportedly have a good relationship to this day.
Brooks was 521-414 in his time as a head coach and had some great seasons with the Thunder, topping 50 wins four times, reaching 60 once and winning Coach of the Year in the 2009-2010 season.
He’s a guy who has plenty of experience working with young stars and took the Thunder to the NBA Finals, so he has the type of experience and winning pedigree the Detroit Pistons need. He also took the Washington Wizards to the playoffs as a head coach, so Brooks has been a winner wherever he has been.
He also has connections to the Pistons, as he is currently the lead assistant under Chauncey Billups in Portland, so that and his connection to Weaver could make him a frontrunner for the job if he is interested.
Quin Snyder
Snyder is another formerly successful head coach who may be looking for a new job. He was considered one of the best in the business during his eight years with the Utah Jazz, where he compiled a 372-264 record and led the team to six straight playoff appearances.
Snyder also has experience getting the most out of young players as an assistant coach and player development coach for various teams, and worked under some of the best coaches in the business before taking over the head job. He also has experience working with Pistons’ veteran Bojan Bogdanovic, who was on the Jazz during Snyder’s time in Utah.
He resigned from the Jazz, but there is buzz that he is ready to return, which was heightened when he was spotted in Paris this week working with players from NBA Africa.
Snyder is considered one of the best offensive minds in the game and always got maximum effort out of his guys, but is he ready to come back?
Detroit Pistons: Possible coaching candidate if Dwane Casey is fired
Jerry Stackhouse
Stackhouse is very familiar to fans of the Detroit Pistons, as he was one of the team’s most prolific scorers during his tenure from 1997-2002 and still holds the team single-game scoring record with 57 points.
He has been considered for NBA coaching jobs in the past after working as an assistant for Toronto, then the head coach for their very successful G-League affiliate. He also worked as an assistant for Memphis before eventually taking his current head coaching gig at Vanderbilt, where he has had limited success.
Stackhouse’s connection to the Detroit Pistons, as well has his work helping develop players in the most successful G-League team to date, makes him an interesting possibility. He would also be the type of young coach that could grow with the team and would instantly garner respect as a former player.
Troy Weaver may want to go with more experience, but if he does think outside the box and look for a younger guy, Stackhouse will be high atop the list of possibilities.