Sources: Jeff Van Gundy out of running for Rockets job
After weeks of an uneasy dance, there will be no Jeff Van Gundy reunion with the Houston Rockets, league sources told The Vertical.
Van Gundy had serious interest in the Rockets’ coaching opening, but the process ended Tuesday without the two sides ever sitting down to talk, league sources told The Vertical.
Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Mike D’Antoni has emerged as a frontrunner in the process, and the Rockets have been gauging possible top assistant coaches for D’Antoni’s potential coaching staff, league sources said.
Houston is still planning more second head-coaching interviews with candidates, league sources said.
Rockets general manager Daryl Morey didn’t want to drag Van Gundy through an extended process that included interviews with multiple candidates, and ultimately decided that the organization wanted a different kind of a coach, sources said.
Van Gundy, 54, coached the Rockets for four years and had two 50-plus win seasons before leaving in 2007. He continues to keep his home in the city.
There had been significant support within the Rockets’ front office for a reunion with Van Gundy, but it became apparent that owner Leslie Alexander was uncertain about restoring the partnership, league sources said.
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