Jeff Van Gundy is basketball coaching royalty. After coaching at the college level in the late 80s, including a Final Four run as an assistant at Providence, Van Gundy made the jump to the NBA. He began as an assistant with the Knicks, taking over as head coach in 1996. His tenure is best remembered for the run to the 1999 NBA Finals the Knicks made as an eight-seed. However, Van Gundy would unexpectedly resign from the Knicks 19 games into the 2001-02 season. He would return to the NBA in 2003, taking over as head coach of the Rockets. However, he would only last until 2007, being fired after a first-round loss in that year's playoffs. A decade later, he would coach Team USA to a gold medal at the AmeriCup in Argentina.
However, his primary career avenue after leaving the Rockets came in broadcasting. Starting in 2007, Van Gundy became a staple of ESPN's NBA commentary team. He primarily served as a color commentator alongside Mike Breen and Mark Jackson. However, Van Gundy was one of the victims of ESPN's broadcasting layoffs in June 2023. Now, the veteran coach and commentator has indicated where he would like to take his career next.
Van Gundy Wants To Return To Coaching
Per Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, Van Gundy is "actively exploring" a return to coaching as an assistant. "Dallas and Boston discussed roles with Van Gundy before beefing up their coaching staffs. There’s some mutual interest in Washington, where the Wizards have room on Wes Unseld Jr.’s staff," Mannix writes. Van Gundy went 748-430 as a head coach and 44-44 in the playoffs. Washington seems like a good fit, with Van Gundy potentially helping kickstart the Wizards' stagnant rebuild.
While not noted as actively being explored by Van Gundy, a return to the collegiate level could always been an option for Van Gundy. He spent three years as a collegiate assistant before making the jump to the NBA. The teams he helped coach went 54-39, with Van Gundy heading to March Madness in 1987 and 1989. If he were to open up his considering to colleges, he would likely get a number of offers. Furthermore, there is already one fairly prestigious opening already on the market. The shock resignation of Bob Huggins means that come the end of the 2023-24 season, West Virginia will be looking for a new head coach. However, we will just have to wait and see where Van Gundy goes.
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