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After Michael Malone was fired by GM Pete D'Alessandro on Sunday as Sacramento's head coach -- for resisting management's affinity for analytics and an uptempo offense and relying on old school defense -- rumors are swirling regarding the head coaching position currently occupied on an interim basis by Tyrone Corbin.
Here's a look at Corbin and other possible candidates to take over as the next Kings head coach:
Tyrone Corbin
Corbin was hired during the offseason and led the Kings summer league squad to the championship in Las Vegas. He was named interim head coach on Monday, but D’Alessandro stopped short of naming Corbin the interim coach for the duration of the season, raising speculation that another domino is going to fall.
Corbin spent seven years as an assistant coach with Utah before succeeding Jerry Sloan as head coach of the Jazz with a record of 112-146 (.436) over four seasons.
Corbin is respected in the locker room, but can he simultaneously increase the pace of play and win enough to satisfy management?
George Karl
Karl has significant experience and is a proven entity, especially in the up-tempo offense that Kings management craves.
A cushy ESPN gig doesn’t compare to being on the practice floor and on the sidelines for Karl, who has a serious itch to coach again.
“If they’re interested in me, I’m interested in them," Karl told SiriusXM NBA Radio on Monday regarding the Kings opening.
A 25-year head coaching veteran with stops in Cleveland, Golden State, Seattle, Milwaukee, and most recently Denver, Karl has a career coaching record of 1131-756 for a .599 winning percentage.
D’Alessandro was part of the front office in Denver while Karl coached the Nuggets from 2005-2013.
When the “mourning period” -- as as Karl described it -- for Malone ends, it will be interesting to see how talks progress.
Chris Mullin
A Hall of Famer, Mullin has never coached in the NBA. But Mark Jackson and Steve Kerr recently thrived in their first seasons, proving that experience is not a prerequisite for coaching success.
Mullin serves as a special adviser to Ranadive. And he shares St. John's ties with D’Alessandro, another alum of the university in Queens, NY.
But does he really want an NBA head coaching job and all the rigors that come with it?
If he did, perhaps he would have been introduced at Monday’s press conference, when the team announced Malone’s dismissal.
Mark Jackson
Speculation swirled when, after he broadcast the Kings' 104-92 loss to the Thunder on Tuesday, Jackson met with D’Alessandro -- both St. John's alumni. Chris Mullin and DeMarcus Cousins also crashed the party, according to USA Today.
Back to broadcasting after he was fired by the Warriors following a 51-win season and a first-round loss to the Clippers last year, Jackson wore out his welcome in Oakland.
"Part of it was he couldn't get along with anybody else in the organization,” owner Joe Lacob said, according to insidebayarea.com. “And, look, he did a great job -- and I'll always compliment him in many respects -- but you can't have 200 other people in the organization not like you."
Ironically, Malone was close to landing the Golden State head coaching job. Instead, he was hired onto Jackson’s staff before landing as the Kings head coach -- hired by Ranadive, a former part owner of the Warriors.
Alvin Gentry
Currently an assistant with the Warriors on Kerr’s staff, Gentry was rumored to be in the mix for Sacramento's assistant coaching position before the season, which went to Corbin.
Conspiracy theorists say Gentry resisted joining the Kings staff with a coup d'état in place to take out Malone.
Is he interested now that the dirty work is complete?
Vinny Del Negro
In five seasons as an NBA head coach, Del Negro has four trips to the postseason.
Del Negro took the Bulls to the playoffs in both seasons in the Windy City as head coach from 2008 to 2010.
And after missing the postseason in his initial campaign with the Clippers, he led Los Angeles to two consecutive trips to the playoffs from 2011-2013.
Mike Woodson
Currently on Doc Rivers' staff with the Clippers, Woodson had good runs in Atlanta and New York and spent part of his playing career in Sacramento.
Widely respected and a sleeper candidate, “Woody” would be a solid choice.
