There’s drama in the Bay between Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson and assistant Brian Scalabrine, according to Yahoo! Sports. Jackson reportedly demoted Scal from the team bench, this despite the fan-favorite having support from upper management:
It is immediately unclear what kind of a role to which the Warriors will transition Scalabrine, but management has no intention of letting him leave the organization, sources said.
Over the past two years, Jackson’s difficulty with managing his coaching staff and creating a functional work environment has developed into one of the issues that threatens his future on the job, league sources said.
Scalabrine, who joined the staff in July, was Jackson’s choice as an assistant coach. For two straight years, Jackson has had issues with assistant coaches that he hired. Michael Malone and Jackson would go weeks without speaking to each other a year ago, league sources said. Malone left Golden State to become the head coach of the Sacramento Kings.
Jackson, in his third year at the helm of the Warriors, has one year left on his contract, but has come under increased scrutiny within the organization for how he has run the team and worked on the job. There have been no conversations about an extension for Jackson – nor are they expected to take place, sources said.
Jackson, 48, had tried and failed to get involved with several head-coaching openings over the past year, including the Los Angeles Clippers and Brooklyn Nets, league sources said.
Scalabrine, 36, had an 11-year NBA playing career. He had been offered a chance to join Tom Thibodeau’s coaching staff with the Chicago Bulls after finishing his playing career there in 2012, but elected to try broadcast media for a year. He had come to Jackson’s staff highly recommended by Thibodeau.
