Mavs' Harris no longer a candidate to coach Hawks

[zanahale]

Mavs' Harris no longer a candidate to coach Hawks

08:55 PM CDT on Sunday, June 27, 2004

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

Del Harris will be staying with the Mavericks next season.

Harris has taken himself out of the running for the Atlanta Hawks' head coaching position, two sources close to the Mavericks said Sunday.

Harris was one of the favorites for the Atlanta job after interim coach Terry Stotts was fired following the season. Harris talked with the new Atlanta owners before starting his duties as coach of the Chinese national team.

The Hawks have been talking to numerous candidates, including Detroit assistant coach Mike Woodson and Indiana assistant Mike Brown. However, Harris had been considered a front-runner until he took himself out of the running.

Harris, who has been with the Mavericks as an assistant coach since 2000, will be leading the Chinese national team for the next six weeks leading up to the Olympics in Athens.

[MavKikiNYC]

Consider this a defensive setback for the Mavs.

[Max Power]

This is certainly sucky news for the Mavs

[Drbio]

poop. I was hoping he'd get the job.

[mavsfanforever]

I saw Del Harris at Rangers game a few days back and I thought to myself that this is probably last time I see him as a mavs asst. coach.

[sike]

question: del harris time as a mav asst coach.....failing grades or just getting by???

[ddh33]

I can't believe people actually think that having a respected basketball mind who has won over 500 games sitting on the bench is a bad thing. I know the defense hasn't been up to par, but I don't think that blame falls to Del as much as it does others.

By the way, I figured this would happen. If the Hawks wanted Harris, it could have been done weeks ago. The longer it went, the more it became obvious that he wasn't first choice. I think the Hawks will do the vogue thing and hire a young assistant. For what it's worth, I think they probably made a mistake all the way around.

I thought the Hawks should have kept Terry Stotts. They guy had his team competing and winning on a more regular basis than the young and talented Bulls (with their new coach). The Hawks had nothing on that team worthwhile. But if they felt they had to make a change, I think they should have gone after someone with experience who really knows the game like Del Harris.

The bottom line is that Del is better off here, and the Mavs are better off with him.

[bigox71]

The defensive problems aren't Del's fault. We've all read that players were complaining about not spending much time on defense. I think if I remember the thread correctly one player said they spent only about 15 minutes a practice on D. Anyone who has ever played any sport knows that if you just spend 15 minutes on something a few times a week, you will not be as good as other people who spend 3X-4X that on the same thing every day. Defense especially because it requires everyone to be working together as one.

[EricaLubarsky]

Devin Harris could coach the Hawks.