I only caught the tail end of the report on the 4 oclock show but it appears the Rox extended his contract for one year. Still waiting on a link.
my initial reaction is - why? He's got 2 more years on his deal. wait till midseason to decide. what is he going to do - hold out, refuse to coach? [scratches head] no real upside for us on this move.
Typical Rockets braintrust, always jumping the gun, one of the reason why they have a lot of bad contracts. Not saying I dislike the move.
WHY??? VG did a good job this season, but what kind of business sense does this make, given that VG's got 2 more years on the original? What leverage does this provide the organization? None that I can think of. No one was questioning the organization's commitment to him, so why? I don't get it, especially when you potentially have, arguably, one of the best NBA coaches of all time waiting in the wings!
yeah, I can imagine the conversation: Van Gundy: uh, CD, Les. . . I've been reading about how Phil Jackson is angling to coach Yao and TMac. What do you . . . CD: You got us over a barrell Jeff. I give. We'll extend you a year. Van Gundy: Umm. What? I mean, sure. Ok.
This might have something to do whith the rumor that Phil Jackson is interested in the Rockets job, a showing of confidence in JVG? Not much business sense at all.
im just glad management did what management is supposed to do. make decisions. Leaving our coach in limbo like that would not let him do his job properly. And there was no guarantee that Phil Jackson was going to come here. Giving up a good coach for the chance at a PJ signing is just too much of a gamble. It makes perfect business sense. When the enviornment is not allowing JVG to do his job properly, management needs to protect its investment by making the enviornment more suitable for constructive work. Good job Rox!
Successful franchises maintain secure coaching situations. Look at Cowher. Look at Lasorda. Look at Rudy. Players don't look to get guys like these canned, they play. Or they leave. (Look at Denver with Bzdelik then Coop. Look at Nets with Scott. Look at the LA Kobes.) Good for JVG. Better for Rox.
Leverage? How about rewarding a man that is loyal to the organaztion, and completely dedicated, who finished the season with a decent job. This is called trust. Classy way of conducting business, and in a long only will help this organization by building good reputation. No more Phil.J talk please.
HOUSTON – Houston Rockets Owner Leslie Alexander announced today that he has extended the contract of Head Coach Jeff Van Gundy by an additional year. The agreement ensures that Van Gundy will remain with the team through the end of the 2007-‘08 season. During his two seasons with the team, Van Gundy has guided the Rockets to a 96-68 record and two consecutive playoff appearances. “When I hired Jeff two years ago, I said that wanted to bring in a championship-caliber coach,” Alexander said. “Jeff has done a great job for us over the past two seasons and I wanted to reward him for his hard work and dedication. Jeff has a unique ability to get the best out of his players and I believe he has our team poised on the verge of returning to our championship form.” Van Gundy joined the Rockets as the 10th head coach in team history on June 11, 2003. His two-year winning percentage of .585 stands as the highest of any coach in franchise history. Van Gundy, who has posted nine consecutive winning records as an NBA head coach with the New York Knicks and Houston, holds a 344-240 career coaching mark which ranks fifth among active coaches and tied for 15th in league history. “I am very appreciative to Mr. Alexander for displaying this type of faith and confidence in the job we are doing here,” Van Gundy said. “When I arrived in Houston nearly two years ago the goal was to return this team back to championship form. While we’re not there yet, I think we have made some significant progress over the course of the last two seasons and it’s nice to know that our owner feels the same way. As a coach, the chance to compete for a championship starts with a commitment to winning from ownership and I’m very thankful that Leslie has been very supportive of me and my staff.”
