Sam Cassell is reportedly set to follow Doc Rivers to the Philadelphia 76ers after losing out on the Clippers head coaching gig.
After he was passed over for the LA Clippers head coaching position, assistant coach Sam Cassell will leave the organization.
Los Angeles’ loss is the Philadelphia 76ers‘ gain. As expected, Cassell will follow former Clippers head coach Doc Rivers to Philadelphia.
That’s according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, who reported the news on Twitter on Wednesday night.
Sam Cassell will continue his coaching career with the 76ers
Cassell joined the Clippers as part of Rivers’ staff in 2014. It was a homecoming for the player who had played for the organization from 2005-08.
He got his start coaching with the Washington Wizards after his retirement in 2009. He finished his career with Rivers’ Boston Celtics.
When Rivers and the Clippers decided to part ways after the 2020 season, Cassell was reportedly among the candidates to replace him.
However, Steve Ballmer went a different direction, hiring fellow assistant Tyronn Lue to lead the team into a new era.
Now, Cassell will continue to work under Rivers, but it’s clear he’s on the lookout for head coaching opportunities. For the time being, he will try to help Rivers turn the 76ers into a contender like the Clippers became during his time in LA.
He’s not the only Clippers staffer who will make the trip. Rivers is also taking head video coordinator Pete Dominguez with him, according to David Aldridge of The Athletic.
Other moves made by the 76ers this week include adding former Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings head coach Dave Joerger and Indiana Pacers assistant Dan Burke, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. The franchise is also in the process of hiring former Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey to oversee basketball operations, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Cassell spent time with eight different teams during his pro basketball career, but none of them was Philadelphia. This will be his first connection to the City of Brotherly Love.