Five-time All-Star and NBA Champion Chauncey Billups has been named a candidate for the Indiana Pacers head coaching job.

In a report by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Pacers have begun interviewing candidates for the head coaching post. They have spoken with Billups and are planning to talk again soon.

As the Pacers begin preliminary interviews with a number of candidates, Billups and the Pacers officials have recently engaged and are planning to talk further conversations about the job, sources said.

Billups, who now works as an analyst and broadcaster, has been offered front-office opportunities by several teams since his retirement in 2014. However, the former Detroit Pistons stalwart has repeatedly declined. NBA executives seem to have a penchant for Billups' strong personality, leadership style, and of course, his hefty basketball resume which includes an NBA title.

Though Billups has never worked as an assistant coach, he has worked with several NBA guards and has aided in their development. In recent years, Billups has spent time with the likes of Kyle Lowry and Marcus Smart. He has also formed a relationship with the Pacers' Victor Oladipo and Malcolm Brogdon. Although it's still a matter of wait-and-see if this is going to be a key factor in the Pacers' decision.

Indiana has long been perennial playoff contenders in the East. Over the last 10 seasons, they have only failed to qualify for the postseason once. But in the last five years, they have failed to go past the first round. Now, they are looking for a coach that would get them out of this rut.