Houston Rockets Land New Head Coach

After nearly a month-long search the Rockets have hired Kevin McHale to become their next head coach. After interviewing nearly 20 candidates for the position, Houston narrowed their list of targets down to three and Kevin McHale ended up being the choice over Boston assistant Lawrence Frank and Dallas assistant Dwane Casey. McHale and Houston agreed to a three-year deal with club option on a fourth year.

McHale most recently worked for the Minnesota Timberwolves as their general manager, and in two stints serving as the Wolves’ interim coach he compiled a record of 39 and 55. He was 19 and 12 after taking over for Flip Saunders in the 2004-05 season and posted a 20-43 mark after replacing Randy Wittman for the final 63 games in the 2008-09 season.

Houston’s hoping McHale can have a little more success in the Bayou City as the Rockets have missed the playoffs that last two years as it has dealt with an assortment of injuries that have limited All-Star center Yao Ming to just five games since the 2008-2009 season. That year, Houston reached the Western Conference semifinals, breaking a streak of seven consecutive first-round exits for the franchise.

As a player McHale was the third overall pick in the 1980 draft, won three championships with the Celtics and was named one of the 50 greatest NBA players of all time in 1996.