The Dallas Mavericks announced today that Dwane Casey, Terry Stotts, Mario Elie and Tom Sterner will complete Head Coach Rick Carlisle’s coaching staff. Popeye Jones and Brad Davis remain with the franchise as a player development coaches, Robert Hackett returns as an assistant coach in strength and conditioning, Monte Mathis is back as the team’s head video coordinator and Gary Boren continues as the team’s free throw coach.
“This rounds out what I believe is a very strong staff,” said Head Coach Rick Carlisle. “We have an excellent mixture of playing experience, head coaching experience, on-court teachers and technical knowledge. It has been a busy and productive summer for us connecting with our players individually and during the summer league environment. We now look forward to a productive remainder of the summer and the beginning of training camp.”
Casey, 51, joins the Mavericks after serving as the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves from June 17, 2005 to Jan. 25, 2007. In his only stint as an NBA head coach, he earned a 43-59 record (.422).
Casey began his NBA coaching career as an assistant for the Sonics, where he served for 11 seasons (starting in 1994-95). He joined the Sonics for the 1994-95 season after spending five years as a head coach in Japan. During his time abroad, he coached Japan’s National Team with basketball legend Pete Newell. In the summer of 1998, Casey coached the team to its first World Championship appearance in 31 years.
Prior to coaching in Japan, Casey was an assistant under Head Coach Eddie Sutton at the University of Kentucky from 1985-90. He also served as an assistant under Clem Haskins at Western Kentucky University from 1980-85.
Out of high school, Casey played at Kentucky for Coach Joe B. Hall and helped the Wildcats to a 30-2 record his junior season and the 1978 NCAA Championship. Casey was named team captain his senior year and won UK’s all-academic award.
Stotts most recently served as the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks from 2005-07. Stotts guided the Bucks to their last postseason appearance in 2005-06 after earning a 40-42 (.488) regular season record. He was released from his coaching duties on March 15, 2007. Stotts began his coaching career under George Karl, spending five seasons with the Seattle SuperSonics and four with the Bucks. During that stretch, his teams finished each season above .500 and qualified for the playoffs in eight of nine seasons.
Stotts, a 14-year NBA coaching veteran, spent the 2004-05 season as the lead assistant for the Golden State Warriors under Head Coach Mike Montgomery. Prior to the 2004-05 campaign, Stotts spent two seasons in Atlanta. His first head coaching experience came with the Hawks after he replaced Lon Krueger on Dec. 26, 2002 where he coached current Maverick Jason Terry.
Stotts was a second round selection of the Houston Rockets in the 1980 NBA Draft. He began his professional playing career in Italy before joining the CBA’s Montana Golden Nuggets. He returned to Europe for several seasons, playing in Spain and France, before joining the coaching staff of the CBA’s Albany Patroons in 1990-91. During his first year on a professional coaching staff, he helped lead the Patroons to an all-time CBA-best 50-6 record.
A four-year starter at Oklahoma, Stotts earned All-Big Eight honors as a senior and was named Academic All-America in each of his final two collegiate seasons. He was named the University’s outstanding senior student-athlete and was one of three individuals chosen nationally to receive an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa native earned a BS in Zoology and, in 1988, earned an MBA from his alma mater.
Elie, an 11-year NBA veteran, begins his second season on the Mavericks bench after also serving as an assistant coach with San Antonio (2003-04) and Golden State (2004-05, 2005-06). As a pro, Elie averaged 8.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 732 regular season games with Golden State, Philadelphia, Portland, Houston, San Antonio and Phoenix. He also played in 116 career playoff contests, winning three NBA Championships with Houston (1994 & 1995) and San Antonio (1999).
Sterner comes to Dallas after coaching with Orlando and Golden State. He served as assistant coach for 11 seasons (1994-2002, 2005-07) with the Magic after originally joining the organization as video scout in 1989. He also served as the top assistant coach for the Warriors from 2002-04.
From 1994-2004, Sterner served as chairman of the NBA Technology and Scouting Committee and was instrumental in the development of the Coaches’ Tools software currently used by NBA teams for scouting purposes. He has consulted with companies such as IBM, IDS, Avid Technologies and XOS Technologies.
Sterner served as assistant coach at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. (1987-90). While at F&M, the Diplomats achieved a 76-12 record, won three straight Middle Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, made three NCAA postseason tournament appearances and had the distinction of being the #1 Division III team in the nation as voted by The Associated Press.
Sterner earned his undergraduate degree in elementary education from Millersville (Pa.) State College and his master’s degree in sports administration and computers from Temple University. He and his wife, Marcia, have two daughters, Malorie and Paige.
Now starting his third season with the Mavericks, Jones will continue his role as player development coach. A former Maverick (1993-96, 2002-03), Jones’ NBA career spanned 11 seasons with Dallas, Toronto, Boston, Denver, Washington and Golden State.
Davis, one of just two Mavericks to have his jersey retired, is in his ninth season as a player development coach. He also serves as a radio color analyst on ESPN 103.3 FM for all Mavericks games.
Hackett is in his seventh season as the team’s assistant coach in strength and conditioning. He joined the team in the summer of 2002 after spending seven seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies in the same capacity.
Mathis, the team’s head video coordinator, begins his fourth season with Dallas. Prior to his role with the Mavericks, Mathis was an assistant coach in the collegiate ranks with five different universities (McNeese State, South Alabama, Toledo, Ohio State and Xavier).
Finally, Boren enters his 12th season as the team’s free throw coach.
The Dallas Morning News (David Moore) reports: Mark Cuban said multiple players told him they wanted to be traded if Avery Johnson returned as coach this season… Cuban said these sentiments were relayed to him by the players or their agents over the course of last season… When asked if more than five players requested a trade, Cuban said yes. More than seven? “Close,” Cuban said.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Jeff Caplan) reports: Rick Carlisle is promising a motion-oriented scheme in the half-court that should allow Jason Kidd to handle the basketball and use his vision and quick wrist passes to connect with cutters. The Mavs are hopeful that a new offensive approach will also better integrate Josh Howard, the team’s most athletic and best slashing forward, into the offensive flow. Howard figured to be an easy target for Kidd on the break, but the two never really clicked, and Howard’s production waned in the final two months. Only Dirk Nowitzki, and in spurts center Erick Dampier, seemed to consistently benefit from Kidd’s arrival.
George, a nine-year veteran, played his first seven seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers before the Mavericks originally signed him on August 2, 2006. In 53 games last season with four starts, George averaged 3.7 points and 2.6 rebounds in 15.5 minutes per game. Over his NBA career, he holds averages of 5.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in 542 games.
The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they have re-signed guard Michael Finley. Per team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.