The Golden State Warriors have announced the hiring of two new coaches to fill open positions on their staff. Veteran coach Terry Stotts and former NBA All-Star player Jerry Stackhouse have joined the team, bringing a wealth of experience to the coaching staff.
Stotts, 66, has over 13 years of head coaching experience, most recently with the Portland Trail Blazers. He will take on the role of top assistant vacated by Kenny Atkinson. Stackhouse, 49, is a two-time All-Star who turned to coaching after retiring in 2013. He will be filling the spot left open by the passing of assistant Dejan Milojević in February.
Kris Weems will remain on the front bench and take on the third assistant spot. This move brings back Bruce Fraser, known for his close relationship with Stephen Curry, to the second bench after three seasons on the front bench. Stotts and Stackhouse are expected to join Steve Kerr on the front bench, creating a stronger coaching staff for next season. Weems was promoted to the front bench last summer after Jama Mahlalela left for a job with the Toronto Raptors.
Despite both Stotts and Stackhouse having previous head coaching experience, their additions are meant to strengthen the Warriors’ coaching staff for next season.
In recent years, Stotts had a discord with head coach Adrian Griffin while working as an assistant for the Milwaukee Bucks last season, which led to his resignation before the season began. On the other hand, Stackhouse spent three seasons coaching with Toronto Raptors and two as head coach of their G League team before becoming head coach at Vanderbilt for five seasons.
The Warriors hope that these new additions will help them win another championship next season and bring more success to their franchise players such as Curry and Kevin Durant.
