Larry Brown to Coach Bobcats

On Tuesday the Bobcats will make it official that they have hired a new coach to replace the recently fired Sam Vincent. Sources including Associated Press and ESPN are reporting that longtime NBA coach, Larry Brown will make his return to the sidelines. Brown has ties to North Carolina, making him a good fit for Michael Jordan's Charlotte team. The Bobcats will be the ninth team Brown coaches. He's had previous jobs in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Indiana, Detroit, New York, and San Antonio, with a championship run for the Pistons in 2004. Brown also achieved the NCAA championship in 1988 with the Kansas Jayhawks.

According to Associated Press:

Two years after his ugly exit as coach of the New York Knicks, Brown reached an agreement on Monday to return to the NBA as coach of the Jordan-led Charlotte Bobcats, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.

The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because an official announcement has not been made, said Brown was expected to sign a contract on Tuesday. The Bobcats called an afternoon news conference for what they termed a "major basketball announcement."

"Michael never said that he was hiring coach Brown. He just said they were going to make some decisions that were in the best interest of the organization," Vincent said. "So I kind of assumed of going in the direction of hiring a veteran coach and someone who was very popular in the community."

Jordan and Brown both played at North Carolina under Dean Smith, and Brown's mother lives in Charlotte. So when Vincent was fired two days after Brown resigned as executive vice president of the Philadelphia 76ers, speculation immediately turned to their pairing in Charlotte.

"I wish coach Brown all the success in the world," Vincent said. "I think he'll have a great group of guys and I wish him nothing but the best."

Source: Associated Press.

While the Bobcats are one of the most recent expansion teams in the league, they have yet to qualify for the playoffs as "Bobcats". The team was previously the Hornets who left Charlotte for New Orleans. Michael Jordan took a minority stake in the team to help guide the ship. This big coaching move may be a strong effort by executive Michael Jordan to gain some respectability for his Charlotte Squad. Jordan's done all he can with the exception of ripping off his suit to reveal a Charlotte Bobcats jersey. Unfortunately another dunk contest winner and star, Jason Richardson wears his famous #23 already.