New Orleans Hornets Looking for a Coach

Jeff Bower is returning to the team’s front-office, and New Orleans is now looking to fill its head coaching position. The Times-Picayune takes a look at potential candidates: “Though Avery Johnson has been mentioned as the leading candidate to replace Jeff Bower as coach, New Orleans Hornets officials said on Tuesday there is no frontrunner for the job. Bower stepped down as coach but will remain on as the general manager and lead the search with team president Hugh Weber. Those decisions apparently were approved by Gary Chouest, who remains in negotiations to buy George Shinn’s majority share of the team. A team source said Johnson will be considered, along with several other candidates that could include former New York Knicks and Houston Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy, Boston Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau, Hornets assistant Robert Pack, Dallas Mavericks assistant Dwane Casey, former NBA player Mark Jackson and Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown, a likely long-shot. A source close to Johnson said Tuesday he is definitely interested in the Hornets’ job if they pursue him. Johnson, a New Orleans native who coached the Dallas Mavericks to the 2006 NBA Finals, was said to be Chouest’s top choice.”