Stan Van Gundy and his mock turtlenecks won't return to the NBA sidelines next season, as the coach told an Orlando radio station that he would not accept a head coaching gig despite the overtures of several teams.
Stan Van Gundy says he will not coach in 2013-14
Though contacted about several openings, Van Gundy will stay out of the game for a second straight season, preferring to stay with his family than re-enter the NBA fray.
Six NBA coaches have been fired, five openings have not yet been filled, and more are likely to come. Van Gundy’s name has been on several short-lists, with the Hawks and the Bucks both rumored to have the 53-year-old in their sights. But Van Gundy confirms that he won’t be taking those jobs, or any others, per David Baumann of Sports Talk Florida.
”As you get down the road more and the longer you are out, the harder it is to get back in and that was certainly a difficult part of the decision process for me because it’s certainly something that I miss and don’t want to close the door on for the rest of my life, but, it is not right now anyway, in the best interest of my family, so it won’t be next year.“The older of the two Van Gundy brothers, Stan says that although several teams have contacted him, he has not interviewed with any and won’t this offseason. However, he is interested in returning to coaching, just not right now.
Van Gundy has been out of coaching since the end of the 2011-12 season. He's had success at both of his NBA stops, turning a Miami Heat squad with Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade into a title contender, then turning the Magic into an elite squad around Howard.
But both stints have met contentious ends: in Miami, many viewed his resignation as a move forced by Pat Riley, who unretired months before the team won its 2006 NBA Finals. And in Orlando, Van Gundy's departure was part of an overhaul made by the squad in hopes of retaining Dwight Howard, who eventually forced his way into a trade in the 2012 offseason.
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