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The Philadelphia 76ers are looking for their new head coach, and Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach Tyronn Lue seems to be a leading candidate. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported in late August that interest between Lue and the Sixers is “expected to be mutual,” and now Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated has reported that this mutual interest is even stronger.
There’s strong mutual interest between the Sixers and Ty Lue, per sources. With Wright out of the mix, expect Philly to aggressively pursue Lue. https://t.co/QaeTc2bs3V
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) September 2, 2020
This update comes just hours after Villanova head coach Jay Wright, a popular suggestion among Philly fans, announced that he isn’t a candidate for the Sixers job.
Lue may not be a dream target, but he’s underrated by some from an X’s and O’s standpoint and should be able to provide a fairly commanding presence in the locker room and challenge players when need be.
Elton Brand is leading the Sixers’ offseason right now, from the head coach search to front office moves. During his press conference on August 25, Brand said that he feels the organization needs to be strengthened from top to bottom and that front office changes will be coming.
You’d think it might be a good idea to start addressing the front office to begin with. Brand may be staying and taking on more responsibility (even if he isn’t qualified or experienced enough to do so), but the Sixers need a front office overhaul to start turning things around and establish a better foundation of decision making as they move forward.
While Lue sounds like a leading head coach candidate so far, it’s still very early on. Brand also said in his press conference that he wouldn’t rush the decision of choosing the team’s new head coach.
Well, that should be the case at least. The Sixers should talk to plenty of candidates and see what they could bring to the team, from big-name options to others who don’t receive as much attention. For example, Dawn Staley, who has been incredibly successful as a player in the WNBA and as a coach. Staley has been the head women’s basketball coach at the University of South Carolina since 2008, where she’s won SEC Coach of the Year four times and was named the Naismith National Coach of the Year this season. She would reportedly be open to taking on the Sixers’ head coaching job.