Maurice Cheeks Named Detroit Pistons Head Coach

The word had been out that the Detroit Pistons were seriously considering OKC Thunder assistant coach Maurice Cheeks for their head coaching position. Now, they have confirmed the hiring. Per the press release: “Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that the club has named Maurice Cheeks as head coach, signing him to a multi-year contract. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Cheeks brings more than 30-plus years of NBA experience to the job and becomes the 29th head coach in Detroit franchise history. He will be formally introduced to the Detroit media later this week. ‘We’re pleased to welcome Maurice Cheeks to the Pistons organization,’ Dumars said. ‘The leadership and player development qualities he brings as a former player and coach blends nicely with the roster we are building for the future. He’s won an NBA championship, coached in two NBA Finals as an assistant coach and mentored some of the top young players in the NBA.’ … ‘After spending some time with Maurice, I was very impressed not only with his basketball knowledge but his communication and leadership skills,’ said Pistons owner Tom Gores. ‘We are very excited to have someone of his experience and talent help take this franchise into the future.’ Cheeks joins the Pistons after serving four years as an assistant coach with Oklahoma City, where he helped guide the Thunder to a 212-100 (.707) record, four playoff appearances and an NBA Finals appearance in 2012.”