A lot of forum members/media seem to think the JVG firing was handled in an extremely poor fashion. Knowing what we know, how would you have handled the situation if you were Les/Morey? Here's the scenario from a first person perspective (I'll be the first to admit that I never though JVG was the right coach for the Rockets after the Tmac trade. I did think he was the right coach for the Francis/Mobley era, but since they left I've really wanted him gone so this is probably written with some bias...feel free to add in anything I missed so we can keep this as objective as possible and hopefully make for a good thread) : 1. Before the season you sit down with JVG and express how you would like a more up tempo offense. This results in him ignoring your wishes and coaching the team how he sees fit. 2. The team is doing pretty well and during the season you offer him a contract extension. He declines it. 3. The team continues to do well despite Yao going down and you again offer him a new contract. He says no. 4. You lose the first round series after going up 2-0, in game 7 on your home floor. Within a day you call JVG and ask him to talk about his future with the team. He tells you now is not the time, and that he needs to think it over some. 5. You talk to him a few days later and he's still undecided. At this point there's probably some conversation along the lines of : "So Jeff, what do you want to do, stay or leave?" "I need some time to evaluate things, but do you want me here? I mean, you said yourself that you wanted a more uptempo offense and when you didn't see it you seemed pretty upset. If I'm going to be the coach you have to let me coach my way because that's what I'm good at" "Let me ask you again, do you want to stay or leave? If you're thinking about leaving then tell me now because there's a short list of coaches out there than I want for this team, and if you want out then we need to start talking to them before anyone else starts jumping in." "Like who, Adelman? If it's his offense you want, then maybe you should go talk to him" So it's basically at this point where a lot of people think the situation went awry. How would you handle this situation if it was your team?
Jeff didn't say he was undecided though. After the season, he knew he wanted to coach here and told that to management. If I was going to fire him, I would probably say that our philosophies and direction for the team seemed to be in two different places. I would tell him that he would be let go as coach, and offer him a front office job. I would then announce publicly that the Rockets were moving in a different direction and thank JVG for his service, and announce that we hope that he will continue working for the Rockets in a different capacity than coach. After doing all of the above I would begin talking to other coaching possibilities. I would hope that people would appreciate my honesty.
by making up a bunch of lies that he had cancer and didn't want to coach anymore. Oh wait, that's how I would have handled the Rudy firing signed Leslie Alexander P.S. U FANZ R DUM
i wouldn't have fired him. also are we sure that he was "offered" contract extensions in the middle of the year? i thought he just didn't want to discuss it at the time.
After the lose, I would go through these 4 steps: Denial, bargain, compromise and acceptance. When everyone accepts the lose, understands why we lose, then make up the mind. I started a thread " what if the jazz wins it all?" earlier, in the process of understanding the loss to the Jazz. I can not believe JVG got fired way before the end of the playoff. Our management made the decision in the stage of denial. Premature.
I would've in a letter: Dear Jeff, Things haven't been so great here. I know you love coaching the Rockets, and I know the players all love playing for you. They have constantly said that you've been their best coach ever. But we haven't gotten along. So I know you're wondering what you want to do now. Well, I'll give you one chance to get back in my good graces: If you say that you are mine, You'll be here ’til the end of time. So you've got to let me know: will you stay, or will you go? Otherwise, if you stay, there will be trouble. If you go, there could be double. So, Jeff, just let me know: will you stay, or will you go? Sincerely, Les Alexander PS: I'm a buttface.
I would write a text message to the trainer, Keith Jones saying I don't know how to handle the pressure in firing a guy so maybe Keith can talk to Jeff. But seriously, the Rockets organization screwed this whole firing thing the wrong way. If they were going to fire him they should of told them the next couple of days, not waited and bullsh!ted around by telling the media, that they want him back, then telling him they would give him time to decide. Then the Rockets interviewed a coach, behind his back, basically trying to force him to resign. Then JVG went public saying that he would like to comeback but it was up to Morey and Les. Which basically made the Rockets look classless. So to make a long story short, fire him right away quit with the bullsh!ting. They told JVG they would give him time to decide but they decide 2 weeks after elimination, just pathetic.
Dear Jeff, As we all know, you did a great job this season with injuries to Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. Your a great coach when it comes to defense and discipline to your players. Your 4 years here with the Houston Rockets has been nothing but success, you took this organization to the playoffs in 3 of your 4 years here, BUT your coaching style sucks donkey balls and you made ABC drop like 4-5 games during the season when I could of seen the team in HD. You are a really stubborn coach and nothing came out of our free-agent signings with Bonzi and Stromile. Anywayssss, you suck and your FIREDDDD Sincerely, Les Alexander AKA yo daddy
3-4 days after the loss: Dear Jeff, You're fired, Les ____________ Dear Fans, We've decided to go another direction. JVG did a great job during the regular season but we thought a change was needed to achieve our ultimate goal, winning a championship. Les Alexander
It's actually better for JVG's resume that he was fired, as opposed to pulling another "no mas" as he did in NY. That's probably why he refused a "mutual" deal, which would have added to the stigma. The Rockets did him a favor how they handled this by making him look sympathetic.
