Like a few other teams around the NBA, the Charlotte Hornets are in the market for a head coach. As most fans of the team know, the Hornets — now out of the playoffs for a second consecutive season — decided to part ways with Steve Clifford earlier this month. Now, according to a report from Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer, the Hornets have their eyes on San Antonio Spurs assistant Ettore Messina.

“The Charlotte Hornets will act quickly to interview San Antonio Spurs assistant Ettore Messina for their head-coaching opening, as soon as the Spurs season is complete.

“A source familiar the situation said Messina will interview as early as the middle of next week, if the Spurs are eliminated by the Golden State Warriors by then.”

Messina, now 58 years of age, won four EuroLeague championships as a head coach (EuroLeague Coach of the Year twice: 2006 and 2008) before joining the Spurs in 2016. In 17 seasons of Euroleague coaching, Messina recorded a 279–98 overall record (.740).

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On Thursday, the Italian-born play-caller was asked to fill in for Gregg Popovich, who recently lost his wife, Erin, due to health complications.

“He’s one of the best coaches in the world,” Popovich told the San Antonio Express-News when he hired Messina. “He’s very successful, a great technician, a great game coach. To be able to befriend him over the years, and now work with him, is a joy for me and really good for our organization.”

Messina does have some ties to the Hornets organization — most notably with Mitch Kupchak, the team's new general manager. Messina actually served as a consultant to Kupchak when they were both with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2012.

While Messina's name seems to be the prominent one in this instance, the Hornets are likely considering a few candidates for their head coaching vacancy, including former Memphis Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale and Toronto Raptors G-League coach Jerry Stackhouse.