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The work of rebuilding the Wolves coaching staff begins with a clearing out of the old guard.
The Minnesota Timberwolves turned over Ryan Saunders’ coaching staff on Tuesday night, league sources told ESPN. They parted ways with Ed Pinckney, Larry Greer, Jerry Sichting, John Lucas Jr. and Dice Yoshimoto. They retained Malik Allen.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) May 22, 2019
All of the coaches who are leaving had expiring contracts, while Malik Allen remains under contract for this season.
How they go about building a staff will be interesting to watch, especially given Saunders’ relative inexperience. Gersson Rosas has been quoted as wanting something more like an NFL model, with “coordinators” for each side of the ball in addition to player development coaches.
Who they recruit and who they are able to lure to Minnesota is unclear. One guesses there will be an emphasis on high-level experience for at least some of the spots in order to buttress Saunders in his early tenure. On the other hand, will Saunders, 33 years old, be able to effectively manage a group of significantly older, more experienced coaches?
With the draft more than a month away, there is time to fashion an appropriate coaching staff. It’s up to Saunders and Rosas to find the right people.