June 10, 2003, 10:56PM Today's the day for Rockets, Van Gundy By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle As rejuvenating as a year in broadcasting might have been and as exciting as seven weeks as a coveted commodity had to be, today Jeff Van Gundy returns to the profession for which he spent a lifetime preparing. Today, Van Gundy becomes a coach again. Though the fine-print lines of his contract had not been finished Tuesday, the Rockets scheduled a 2 p.m. news conference for today to introduce Van Gundy as their coach. Confident the last details will be completed as easily as the contract negotiations themselves, the Rockets were as ready to present their choice as he was to go to work. "He's still very excited, but he's in the work mode," Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson said. "He's starting to think about summer league (July 7-20 in Long Beach, Calif.), getting a staff together, the draft. "He'll start wanting to meet people, the rest of the scouts. He talked to Keith (Jones, the Rockets' trainer) and Dennis (Lindsey, director of player personnel), but he'll want to sit down with them. I think he'll get as much of that done tomorrow as he can." Dawson said Van Gundy has begun putting together his coaching staff, a process that has included conversations with former Knicks star and Wizards assistant coach Patrick Ewing, but that there is more work to be done. "He's still contacting guys and seeing where they are," Dawson said. "There are a lot of people talking to Patrick." With Van Gundy able to get to work, the Rockets will present him with a collection of videotapes so he can begin evaluating the team he will inherit and the changes he might implement. Van Gundy has a long-established style for his teams. But Dawson said different teams require different styles and that in their talks, Van Gundy spoke more about "philosophies" than rigid plans for any roster he ever coaches. "I think he's been buttonholed a lot more than he should be," Dawson said. "To win, you coach to your talent. It's going to be interesting to see how he feels things will work with this team. That's why we're getting a lot of film together for him. He has intensity to win, but he finds the right button to push for each team." Still, Van Gundy's years with the Knicks could offer clues. Because Van Gundy shares many offensive philosophies with Pat Riley in his half-court offense, the Knicks used far more cross screens to isolate players in the low post than did Rudy Tomjanovich's Rockets. The Knicks were more likely to post up guards and small forwards, though that was generally before recent rules changes. Van Gundy also has used more weak-side screens to free shooters. At their best, the Rockets emphasized ball movement. The Knicks were more oriented toward player movement to find open shots. The style worked well. Van Gundy, 41, had a 248-172 record as Knicks head coach with a 37-32 postseason mark. He resigned 19 games into the 2001-02 season but never had a losing record. "We had a lot of good choices this year, but Jeff has a winning percentage of 60 percent in this league," Dawson said. "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 had good guards ... plus a big man (Ewing) he's coached well. "I think he's the whole package. I think that we 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. I think we got it." Forward Glen Rice, who played for Van Gundy with the Knicks for one season, said the Rockets will have to become accustomed to a stricter approach to practice and meetings. But with little choice, the Rockets seemed to welcome change, if only to move them from last season's unsatisfying 43 wins to a return to the playoffs. "I'm glad it's done," guard Moochie Norris said. "It was tough being in limbo, not knowing who was going to be at the helm calling the shots. I think it will be real physical. It will probably be games in the 80s, a lot of being in control, a lot of contact, a lot of defense out there. "That's good. It's always been that way. Offense wins games, and defense wins championships. A guy coming in here with a defensive mindset, using physical play and making teams work for what they get against us I think will help us a lot. "I'll miss the other staff. I got used to them. This is almost like starting over again. I asked Glen about it early on, and he said it's going to be good for us." That is, of course, the idea. Today, almost eight weeks after their season ended, the Rockets can begin "starting over" with Van Gundy. "I am very excited to hear the news about coach Van Gundy joining the Rockets," center Yao Ming said in a statement. "I felt very lucky to play for a Hall of Fame coach last year in Rudy Tomjanovich, and I feel lucky to now play for another of the best coaches in the game. I am aware of the work that coach Van Gundy did with Patrick Ewing during the peak of his career, and I think he can bring out the best in me and all of my teammates. I believe coach Van Gundy can help lead the Rockets to the next level." http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/1946526
Ok I have a question: From this article and from interviews/articles over the past week we have heard comments from Moochie, Rice, EG and Posey. Now granted, Yao's in China right now so we can expect a delayed reaction from him. But what about our so-called team leader, our franchise player. Where is Stevie in all this madness and why hasn't he come foward with any comments. And Cat? I understand if they're outa town or are anavailabe for comment. But if they are in town then why haven't they said anything about Van Gundy's hiring? Honestly, aside from Yao, those two would be the two most important people I'd look to for comments regarding such a major change like this.
I'm not positive, but I think Steve has said something. I forgot the exact quote but it was something like if they thought he was good for the team, he was all for Van Gundy. Or something like that. I think that was from one of the Chronicle articles, but I don't remember which one. There have been like 3-4 each day for the past few days. Maybe someone can help me out here.
Well, I guess their publicists were fired and they are looking for new ones. Yao also said his hair is longer than JVG's.
if i could remember correctly, i think stevie said something about excited of workin with JVG this offseason so that the adjustment will be faster and that if the rocs org are happy with JVG, then he is happy...
Steve Francis, his curiosity piqued by the news that Jeff Van Gundy would soon become his coach, could not wait to find what awaited him when he went to work for the Rockets next coach. But having no choice, he instead looked ahead to this morning when he would show up for his daily workout and hear the stories that veterans trade. Francis, in Maryland for the offseason, could likely imagine tales of grueling workouts and intense defenses. He could have wondered about the slow-down, halfcourt offenses that Van Gundy used with the Knicks, or his new coach's celebrated work ethic and intensity. But for now, Francis knew only that things would be different. There would be a new system, a new style, and a new staff, and Francis could not quite imagine how different life with the Rockets will be. "I don't know what to think, but if they're happy, I'm happy," Francis said. "I guess tomorrow I'll start hearing all about him. But I look forward to seeing him and finding out what his coaching is all about."
I thought that the NBA frowned upon teams making big annoucements like this when the NBA Finals are going on.
Here's the official release from the rockets, my apologies if already up: Rockets Name Jeff Van Gundy Head Coach June 11, 2003 - The Houston Rockets have hired Jeff Van Gundy as the 10th head coach in franchise history, Rockets owner Leslie Alexander announced today. Among coaches with 400 games of experience, Van Gundy ranks 13th in NBA history with a winning percentage of .590. Van Gundy possesses a career coaching record of 248-172 and posted a winning record in each of his seven seasons with the New York Knicks. Van Gundy stands third in Knicks history with 248 wins, trailing only Red Holzman and Joe Lapchick. He became the Knicks head coach on March 8, 1996, when Don Nelson stepped down with 23 games remaining in the season. In his first full season as head coach, Van Gundy led the 1996-97 Knicks to a 57-25 record, marking a 10-game improvement over the previous season. New York’s 57 wins matched the third-best total in franchise history and marked the best record ever posted by a Knicks coach in his first full season. Van Gundy stands with Holzman, Rick Pitino and Pat Riley as the only coaches to guide New York to 50 wins in a season. During the 1999-2000 season, Van Gundy registered his second 50-win season with New York. The Knicks finished in second place in the Atlantic Division in four of Van Gundy’s first five seasons. On Dec. 8, 2001, Van Gundy resigned as head coach of the Knicks. New York advanced to the playoffs in each of Van Gundy’s first six seasons, moving past the first round five times. In Knicks history, he trails only Holzman and Lapchick for number of playoff berths. Van Gundy’s most successful postseason run came during the 1999 NBA Playoffs, when the eighth-seeded Knicks overcame losing Patrick Ewing to injury and advanced to the NBA Finals. The following season, the Knicks continued their playoff success with a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. Defense has been a trademark of Van Gundy-coached teams. In each of his five full seasons, Van Gundy helped the Knicks to rank among the NBA’s top five in fewest points allowed and among the top three in lowest field goal percentage allowed. Over this five-year span, New York ranked second in the NBA in scoring defense, as its 89.0 points per game allowed trailed only Miami’s mark of 88.6. During this same stretch, the Knicks led the NBA in field goal percentage defense, as opponents connected on just 42.1 percent of their field goal attempts. Under Van Gundy’s guidance, New York held 33 consecutive opponents to under 100 points from Nov. 11, 2000 to Jan. 21, 2001, which stands as the longest stretch in the NBA since the shot clock was introduced in the 1954-55 season. In his first full season, Van Gundy helped the Knicks limit opponents to 92.2 points per game and a league-low .425 shooting. The following season, New York ranked second in the NBA in both scoring defense and field goal percentage defense, as opponents averaged 89.1 points on .428 shooting. The 1998-99 Knicks restricted opponents to 85.4 points per game on .403 shooting and the 1999-2000 squad held opponents to 90.7 points per game on .424 shooting. In the 2000-2001 season, New York led the NBA in both scoring defense and field goal percentage defense, as opponents registered 86.1 points per game on .417 shooting. Van Gundy joined the Knicks as an assistant coach on July 28, 1989 and spent the next six-and-a-half seasons providing support to Riley, John MacLeod and Nelson. Van Gundy’s coaching career began in 1985 at McQuaid Jesuit High School in Rochester, NY. He spent the following three seasons at the collegiate level, moving from a graduate assistant to an assistant coach at Providence and as an assistant coach at Rutgers
