Celtics will consider assistant Jay Larranaga, other youthful candidates, for head-coaching job
The Boston Celtics will consider several younger and lower-profile candidates for the franchise's coaching vacancy, including Celtics assistant coach Jay Larranaga, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.
After two seasons as a head coach in the NBA Development League, Larranaga, 38, made a strong impression on coach Doc Rivers and the Celtics' front office during the 2012-13 season.
Larranaga will coach the Celtics' summer league entry in Orlando, allowing general manager Danny Ainge a better look at him.
With Rivers and his $7 million salary headed to the Clippers, the Celtics are moving into a rebuilding phase. They expect to have a young roster and no longer want to pay an elite coach's salary.
Rivers also has a strong interest in bringing Larranaga to the Clippers as part of his coaching staff, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.
Larranaga reached the playoffs in each of his two seasons with Erie of the D-League and set a team record with 32 victories in a season. Before getting the assignment in Erie, he played 12 seasons of professional basketball in Europe, including a stint as player-coach for the Irish National team.
Larranaga, the son of Miami (Fla.) basketball coach Jim Larranaga, spent the summer of 2012 as an assistant coach on the Ukraine national team under former longtime NBA head coach and current basketball broadcaster Mike Fratello.
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