Doug Collins resigns as 76ers coach, becomes advisor

The summer-long process to replace former coach Doug Collins has included a long list of rumored names, including Collins’ assistant Michael Curry.

The decision could still take a while because 76ers owner Josh Harris has not interviewed any of the candidates but will speak with the finalists before a hire is made, according to Pompey.

With the 76ers embarking on a major rebuilding project under new GM Sam Hinkie, the team’s coaching search has taken a backseat to re-working the team’s roster. Considering the 2013-14 season will be more about position in the draft order than the standings for Philly, most big coaching names haven’t even been considered for the gig.

Snyder or Atkinson would qualify as a forward-thinking hire for the Sixers. The former was recently brought in by Atlanta after a stint with CSKA Moscow in Russia, with his last head coaching experienced coming roughly seven years ago at the University of Missouri, while the latter only has assistant experience in New York and Atlanta.

Melvin Hunt has never been a head coach at any level, but he is in serious consideration to be the head coach of two NBA franchises, the Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers.

Hunt, who began his NBA coaching career under Rudy Tomjanovich with the Rockets and later with the Lakers, has served as an assistant to George Karl in Denver for three seasons. With Karl now gone, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the Nuggets want to promote him to head coach -- but the Sixers are also trying to get in on it as they look for a replacement for Doug Collins. From the Inquirer’s John N. Mitchell:

Philadelphia recently hired Sam Hinkie to be its new president of basketball operations and general manager. Hinkie is taking his time with the hiring of a new coach and believes a coach is “secondary in the process” because Hinkie has an understanding of what type of player the Sixers need to select in the upcoming draft. Philadelphia has the 11th pick in the draft.

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New Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie is apparently looking at some of his former Rockets cohorts to be the head coach of his new squad, as Liberty Ballers writes that Hinkie is looking at Houston assistants Kelvin Sampson and Chris Finch to take the open position.

Sampson, 57, had oodles of success as an NCAA head coach, making the NCAA Tournament all but one year between 1994 and 2007 in jobs at Washington State, Oklahoma, and Indiana, making the Final Four and Elite Eight with the Sooners. But sanctions placed on him after NCAA violations in the recruiting of Eric Gordon led to him becoming a toxic name at the college level and forcing teams to pass a show-cause in order to hire him. He’s since been a well-regarded NBA assistant, taking jobs with the Spurs and Bucks and working with Hinkie in Houston since 2011.