In the end, P.J. Carlesimo’s family came first.
That’s why he decided not to replace Mike D’Antoni as associate head coach of the 76ers. Carlesimo intends to remain doing TV and radio work with ESPN. He was a strong candidate to replace D’Antoni, who was named the head coach of the Houston Rockets on Thursday.
“As we talked, he felt like he couldn’t make the move and I respect it, knowing him like I know him,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said a phone conversation he had with Carlesimo on Sunday night. “It didn’t surprise me. He’s got two young boys, one’s in high school. They are on the West Coast.
“Maybe if I was the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, the distance would have been palatable.”
Brown said the Sixers “are still in a complete development mode.” He wants to make sure the city remembers that. As a result, he’s looking for coaches who can teach and establish relationships.
In addition to D’Antoni, the Sixers must replace video coordinator/assistant coach Will Weaver and player-development assistant/assistant coach Sean Rooks. The team is not expected to renew Rooks’ contract, according to a source. Weaver will leave his posts as his wife pursues a fellowship at Columbia University Medical Center. Weaver is a candidate to join the Brooklyn Nets staff.
Carlesimo, 67, and Brown have been friends for the last 35 years. At Boston University, Brown played against a Wagner team coached by Carlesimo. And the two spent six years together as assistant coaches on the Spurs staff.
“My father and P.J. have known each other for several years, coached against each other,” Brown said. “So he’s somebody for me that when Mike left, it was a no-brainer that I could reach out to a friend that is credentialed as he is. … And so when he weighted everything up with his family situation, he just felt like he couldn’t do it and I get it.”
Carlesimo had head coaching stints with the Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder, and Brooklyn Nets.
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