In an offseason that saw a reigning Coach of the Year get fired from his post, it is no surprise that the likes of former Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy remain jobless. This is not to take away anything from Van Gundy; he is after all a highly-competent head coach. Unfortunately for him, it's just a very tough industry to be in at the moment.
The 58-year-old recently guested on the Real Talk Basketball with Rex Walters podcast, and was brutally honest about his current conundrum.
“It's been like 11 weeks, 12 weeks, and there's still no plan,” a perplexed Van Gundy said. “I don't have any idea. I'm sort of as lost as I've been. Every other time, I've known or had a pretty good idea that I was still gonna try to coach.”
After spells with the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic — including a legendary run to the NBA Finals with a 23-year-old Dwight Howard back in 2009 — Van Gundy moved to Detroit in 2014, wherein he would be hired as the head coach and president of basketball operations by the Pistons.
Van Gundy's four years in the Motor City is highlighted by a single postseason appearance by the Pistons in 2016, in which his side bowed out in the first round. In May of this year, Detroit fired Van Gundy from his post, and he has been out of work since.
It is quite disheartening to hear this type of statement from such a familiar personality in the sport. Hopefully, rumors of Van Gundy's retirement remain as such, and he is able to land a gig sooner rather than later.
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