The Los Angeles Lakers' search for their next head coach is now in full swing. Several names have already been linked to the high-profile job opening, which just recently, has reportedly included former Portland Blazers head coach Terry Stotts.

A darkhorse that has emerged for the job is Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy, who is one of the most respected skills coaches around the NBA. For his part, Handy himself has already declared his willingness to take on the role of Frank Vogel's successor as LeBron James' next head coach:

“I am definitely at that point now to where I know I’m ready to be a head coach,” Handy said in a podcast appearance, via Matt Peralta of Lakers Nation. “I’m ready to take on my own team and direct the ship in that fashion.”

According to NBA insider Bill Oram of The Athletic, however, Handy isn't considered a strong candidate by the Lakers:

“Phil Handy has been an assistant with the Lakers for the last three seasons, and obviously has had tons of success as an assistant coach, has a long history with LeBron James and has interviewed for head coaching jobs in the past, in Washington a year ago. Not a name I’ve heard, though, in terms of internally the Lakers looking at Phil Handy,” Oram said in a recent appearance on The Forum Club podcast (h/t Harrison Faigen of Silver Screen & Roll).

“Whether that’s because of an overall reset on the coaching staff, or because he doesn’t bring exactly what they’re looking for, hard to say… So I don’t know if Phil Handy is a guy that you’re going to see in the late stages of this coaching search.”

The Lakers apparently have a growing list of candidates for their head coach opening but unfortunately for him, it sounds like Phil Handy has been ruled out early on in the search.