Sources: Pelicans target Celtics' Darren Erman for Alvin Gentry's staff

ESPNBOSTON

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The New Orleans Pelicans are in advanced negotiations to hire Darren Erman away from the Boston Celtics to serve as a defensive guru under new head coach Alvin Gentry, according to league sources.

Sources told ESPN.com that Erman, who was quickly snapped up by the Celtics after his controversial ouster in Golden State late in the 2013-14 season, has been targeted by the Pelicans as an ideal addition to an all-new coaching staff because of his defensive expertise to complement Gentry's offensive creativity.

After the profound impact he had on team defenses -- both with the Celtics in his first Boston stint and with the Warriors under Mark Jackson -- Erman is regarded as one of the league's brighter young defensive minds.

He was fired by the Warriors in April 2014 for what was termed a "violation of company policy" that was later revealed to be secretly recording conversations between the team's coaches and players.

Yet Erman is held in such high esteem by Celtics officials that he was almost immediately re-hired by Boston as NBA director of scouting. In July, Erman was quickly moved onto Brad Stevens' bench to essentially serve as the Celtics' defensive coordinator to replace the highly respected Ron Adams, who had been poached from the Celtics by Golden State's Kerr.

"Darren's really a great defensive coach," Stevens told the Boston Globe last October. "But he's more than that. He is as detail-oriented as detail-oriented gets. If your hands aren't in the right place as you're guarding the pick-and-roll or if your body positioning is not at the right angle, he'll stop it and he'll correct it. He's really studied the game and I think that adds another good, young, ambitious guy that's really excited to help these guys get better."

No deal with the Pelicans has been finalized yet, sources said, but Erman was in New Orleans on Monday to discuss the job.

112288

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sources--pelicans-coach-alvin-gentry-164205332.html



Sources: Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry hires defensive coordinator Darren Erman as associate head coach



Adrian Wojnarowski By Adrian Wojnarowski
3 hours ago
Yahoo Sports



The New Orleans Pelicans are moving quickly to assemble a coaching staff to surround Alvin Gentry, reaching an agreement in principle with Boston Celtics assistant Darren Erman to become associate head coach, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Erman, who will oversee the Pelicans' defense, informed Celtics officials on Tuesday morning that he had accepted the job with New Orleans, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

View photo
.Alvin Gentry (NBAE/Getty Images)
Alvin Gentry (NBAE/Getty Images)
A disciple of ex-Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, Erman was the architect of a Golden State Warriors defense that developed into one of the league’s juggernauts.
When Erman took over the Golden State defense, he transformed a 26th-ranked unit to 11th in 2012-13, and ultimately third in 2013-14. Erman worked under Thibodeau and later Lawrence Frank with the Boston Celtics as members of coach Doc Rivers’ staff.

Several Golden State players, including Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes, point to Erman's individual work as a key asset to their development.

Erman spent the 2014-15 season on Brad Stevens' staff with the Boston Celtics, where the defense showed significant improvement. Celtics general manager Danny Ainge has been a proponent of Erman's, and brought him back for a second tour in 2014-15 to work under Brad Stevens.

The Toronto Raptors recently pursued Erman to become defensive coordinator under Dwane Casey, sources said, but the chance to become associate head coach with Gentry and work with superstar Anthony Davis apparently swayed him.

New Orleans is discussing another assistant's job with Oklahoma City Thunder assistant Robert Pack, league sources said. Pack is unlikely to be retained by new coach Billy Donovan.

Pack has been an assistant coach with New Orleans Hornets, the Los Angeles Clippers (2010-13) and Thunder (2013-15). After going undrafted out of the University of Southern California, Pack had a 13-year NBA career with seven teams.

Gentry agreed to a four-year, $13.75 million contract to replace Monty Williams and will begin his duties in earnest after the Golden State Warriors finish the NBA Finals. Gentry is the Warriors’ associate head coach.



bob
MY NOTE:  Good luck to Erman.  One final stick in the eye of former GSW coach Mark Jackson, who fired Erman.  Alvin Gentry, currently an assistant coach for GSW, sees the value in Erman.  


.

This is what can happen to your team when it starts to gain success in the standings as well as in player development improvement.

It will be interesting to see whom Stevens finds to replace Erman.

LET'S GET DOWN TO SPECIFICS..........WHAT DID NEW ORLEANS OFFER HIM THAT THE CELTICS COULD NOT HAVE OFFERED HIM??????

IF HE WAS THAT GOOD AND IT SEEMS AS HE WAS.......WHAT, WE COULD NOT TWEAK THE COACHING DUTIES AND GIVE HIM ASS'T TITLE AND ANOTHER $400K???

112288

I seem to sneeze a lot lately.  Thibsoosky!  Aronothibs!  Foothibsco!  Ruffthibsachoo!

Sam