Coaching Carousel Stops in Sacramento, Baltimore
One move has yet to be made, and the other one is all but official. The Baltimore Orioles have publicly stated that embattled Florida Marlins manager Joe Girardi is the front runner for its managerial job, just one day after firing Sam Perlozzo.
In Sacramento, the Kings will name former NBA guard and New Mexico State head coach Reggie Theus its new head coach in an afternoon press conference today. Theus was a part of the 1985 inaugural Kings roster, and turned around the Lobos program in just two years, leading them to a berth in last season’s NCAA tournament.
Girardi’s candidacy comes with baggage, as he was fired from the Marlins last season after a very public rift with owner Jeff Loria. Shortly thereafter, he was named the National League Manager of the Year despite finishing the season with a 78-84 record.
Having lived in Baltimore for the better part of eight years and having close ties to the Orioles for double that amount of time, I can tell you Girardi can possibly squeeze 10-15 more wins out of a team destined to lose under the dreadful ownership of Peter Angelos. In case you hadn’t heard, local Orioles fans staged a walk-out last season to protest his running the franchise into the ground.
As for Theus, he should be a steady leader for an underachieving Kings team. He’s regarded as a player friendly coach with great charisma and above average teaching ability. He should connect right away with Kings cornerstone Mike Bibby and other young guards like Francisco Garcia and Kevin Martin.
Kings ownership is a stark contrast to that of the Orioles. They are fan friendly and cognizant of the pulse of their following. Theus should have a successful run in Sacramento, and loyalty from fans and ownership from his previous ties to the city.
June 25th, 2007 at 7:29 am
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