June 9 (Updated: 4:07 p.m. CT) - Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson released a statement this afternoon at Westside Tennis Club stating that Jeff Van Gundy has accepted the offer to become head coach of the Houston Rockets. Van Gundy reportedly called Dawson slightly before 8:00 a.m. with his decision. “I was very thrilled,” Dawson said. “I didn’t expect it quite as early as I got it, but he was very excited and I was jumping up and down. He’s looking forward to getting here and becoming a Houstonian.” Dawson said the organization has received permission to work out a contract and is presently in negotiations with Van Gundy. However, terms were undisclosed at this point. Dawson also mentioned that the former Knicks coach is not expected to arrive in Houston until the contract is finalized. “Everything is really going well,” said Dawson. "He wants to be here so I expect things to happen real fast." Rockets.com
YUSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so its finally official. i think JVG's gonna be awesome cuz he can provide the discipline that we all need, and we know that JVG is gonna bust his butt trying to make us better, and thats all we coudl ask for.
It is not official until contract is done and signed. But certainly we have gone through 80% of the process. Can't wait for next season!!!
espn reported the hold up in negotiations was the compensation for the Knicks. WTF? They shouldn't get anything, imo. Out of courtesy, tahey should let JVG go.
They probably want us to take Shandon Anderson back . NY is not in a very strong bargaining position. I say throw them a second rounder in a couple years if they really are going to be jerks about this.
earlier it was reported the knicks wanted a 2nd rounder and the rockets to play 2 exhibition games at the garden
From www.nba.com/rockets June 9, 2003 - Houston Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson addressed the media today to confirm that Jeff Van Gundy has accepted the offer to become head coach of the Houston Rockets. The following is a transcript of Dawson¡¦s media session. Dawson On Van Gundy¡¦s decision to pursue a contract with the Rockets: It was an exciting day. I got a call early this morning from Coach Van Gundy and he said that he was ready to make a decision and was excited about coming here. That put the wheels in motion and for the rest of the morning I¡¦ve been on the phone with New York working out things so that we could negotiate a contract. According to both the teams, we¡¦re not releasing what the compensation is, but we do have clearance to go and work on a contract. As we talk right now, the contract is being worked on, so I expect it to be done pretty quickly. On when Van Gundy will arrive in Houston: When the contract is done. I don¡¦t expect any problems at all on the contract part. He¡¦s under contract; we had to get a release so we could negotiate with him; we got that just a little while ago, so things have been going pretty good today. On the salary compensation offer to Van Gundy: Like I said, both teams agreed that we would not put out what the compensation is, so it won¡¦t be put out. On his emotion when he received the call from Van Gundy: I was very thrilled. I was expecting it this morning, but I didn¡¦t expect it quite as early as I got it. He was very excited and I was jumping up and down. My wife thought that I was crazy. He thanked me and our owner for the confidence that we placed in him. He and his family thoroughly enjoyed Houston and he¡¦s looking forward to getting here and becoming a Houstonian. We had a great talk this morning. It was very nice and is one that I¡¦ve anticipated that we¡¦d have for a long time. Now that it finally came about you¡¦re looking at a happy guy. On moving quickly on the contract: I think that it could happen this week. The hardest part was getting the rights to negotiate. I think we can reach an agreement without a whole lot of trouble. We got two people. We want him and he wants to be here. So I think those situations kind of work themselves out pretty easily. On Van Gundy taking time to think about the Rockets¡¦ offer: This was a wanted guy. Everybody who had an opening was trying to get him. I feel very fortunate that we are the ones that came up with him. He had a lot of offers to look at, but this is the one he picked. We are very excited about that. I think we got a very good coach and I think that it¡¦s going to be a good marriage. On when he got the call from Van Gundy: It was early this morning. I think it was a little before 8:00 a.m. It started my day off the right way. The rest of it has gone pretty well, it just took a little bit of time. On why the Rockets chose Van Gundy: We had a lot of good choices this year, but Jeff has a 60 percent winning percentage in this league. He has been successful and his defensive philosophy is very sound. I¡¦ve always liked that. He prepares as well as anybody else in the league. I also think that he¡¦s has good guards and played well, plus a big man he¡¦s coached well. I think he¡¦s the whole package. I think we finally decided that he was the best fit for this team, as I¡¦ve said all along. We had a lot of good choices, but we went with the best fit. On why Van Gundy chose the Rockets: We became very close friends. He feels like this is a great situation. He looked this city over and he was very impressed, both he and his wife. He spent a lot of time with Leslie Alexander and liked what our owner had to say. He thinks he¡¦s committed to winning. He likes our talent. There wasn¡¦t anything he really didn¡¦t like. On making the call to Rockets¡¦ owner Leslie Alexander: That was a call I enjoyed making also. He was very excited too. In my heart I felt like we were the frontrunner, but you never know until it happens. You have to believe that way in your franchise. I spent half my life with this franchise so I really believe in it. I did my best to sell it and it worked out well. To get a coach to follow Rudy and be happy with him is very special. He is committed as anybody and I think he¡¦s going to do a great job. On Patrick Ewing becoming an assistant coach: You don¡¦t saddle anybody with your own coaches. You have to give them a choice. It¡¦s hard enough to win in this league as it is. I told him that we have good coaches here, but it will be his choice. It¡¦s been out a long time that he and Patrick have talked, but he also has a lot of other coaches that he¡¦s been with. So I¡¦m sure he¡¦ll talk to a lot of people.
CD said Van Gundy has a 60% winning percentage. Does anyone know what it was against the west though?
Posted by GR8-1 He is under contract through July 31st and we obviously didn't want to wait that long to hire him. I posted this in another thread, but word is the Knicks want a 2nd round pick and for us to agree to play to exhibition games in New York. If that's the case, what's the big deal?
I don't know about the % against the WC, but I will say, he won a lot of games with a fairly jacked-up roster. First with a hobbling Patrick Ewing, then with a donut team, all shooting guards and 5'8" power forwards.
I'm not sure it's worth a #2. What are we, 7 weeks away? I understand some reason for urgency, for if we don't sign JVG, another team could conceivably screw it up for us. That being said, Cuttino was a #2 pick. But, if that's the cost, I guess they should pay it.
