Wizards on verge on hiring Wes Unseld Jr. as next head coach

In what is turning into a special occasion for the Washington Wizards, they are on the verge of reaching a deal with Denver Nuggets associate head coach Wes Unseld Jr. — the son of Wizards great and Hall of Famer Wes Unseld Sr. — to become their next coach, a person familiar with details told USA TODAY Sports.

The person requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly until the deal is completed.

The younger Unseld has been on the verge of a head coaching position for the past few seasons, and with the timing right, he is coming home to D.C. He was born in nearby Maryland, grew up around the NBA with his dad who starred for the Wizards, and then joined the Wizards as a scout after graduating from Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins University.

On Saturday, the Wizards confirmed the hire in a news release.

“I want to thank (GM) Tommy (Sheppard) and (owner) Mr. (Ted) Leonsis for the opportunity to lead this talented team both on and off the court and to continue moving the franchise in a positive direction,” Unseld Jr. said in a statement. “Becoming a head coach in the NBA is a goal that I have pursued my entire adult life and to have that dream realized by coming full circle back to Washington is truly special. I look forward to representing the DMV, connecting with our fans and establishing a new standard for Wizards basketball.”

Unseld has spent the past six seasons with the Denver Nuggets, rising to associate head coach under Michael Malone. The Nuggets have become one of the top teams in the NBA the two past seasons with Nikola Jokic’s emergence as an MVP and Jamal Murray as a top scoring guard on the verge of All-Star status.

Nuggets president Tim Connelly called Unseld one of the most hard-working guys in the NBA and one the nicest people in the league.

“Wes is one of the most highly regarded assistant coaches in the NBA and clearly separated himself from the large and diverse group of candidates we considered,” Sheppard said in a statement. “His strong record as an in-game tactician along with his attention to detail on both sides of the ball combined with his reputation for player development and outstanding character during his 20-plus years of coaching left no doubt that he was the best choice to guide our team to the next level.”

Unseld will bring a defensive-minded mentality to the Wizards. He was considered Denver’s defensive coordinator, and the Nuggets finished 11th in defensive rating this season.

“Tommy was very thorough during our search and the intelligence, information and recommendations he had gathered on Wes were exceeded by how impressive his preparation and planning were during the interview process,” said Monumental Sports and Entertainment CEO and Washington Wizards Governor Ted Leonsis. “We are excited to bring him on board and see those attributes in action with our players and in the community with our fans.”

Unseld takes over a team that had a strong finish to the season after battling COVID-19 and health and safety protocols earlier in the year. The Wizards reached the play-in tournament and advanced to the playoffs as the eight seed in the Eastern Conference, losing 4-1 to the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in the first round.

Unseld will have talent with Bradley Beal, Russell Westbrook, Rui Hachimura, Daniel Gafford, Davis Bertans and Thomas Bryant. But he will need more to compete with upper echelon teams in the East.

Unseld Sr., a five-time All-Star, won a title with the Washington Bullets in 1978, earning Finals MVP. He was league MVP with the Baltimore Bullets in 1969. He averaged 10.8 points and 14 rebounds in a 13-year career, leading the league in rebounds at 14.8 per game in 1974-75 and in field goal percentage at .561 in 1975-76.

Unseld Sr. coached Washington and was its general manager. He died last year after a long battle with health issues.

The Wizards went through a detailed coaching search. Beyond Unseld’s coaching acumen, they like tying together the story of Unseld Jr. coaching the franchise Unseld Sr. played for, coached and ran as a front-office executive.

Follow Jeff Zillgitt on Twitter @JeffZillgitt.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wizards hiring Wes Unseld Jr., son of franchise great, as head coach