Warriors coach Steve Kerr recently filled two openings on his coaching staff with the additions of veteran coach Terry Stotts and former NBA All-Star player Jerry Stackhouse. Both Stotts and Stackhouse are expected to join Kerr on the front bench, along with Kris Weems who remains on staff. Weems was promoted to the front bench last summer after Jama Mahlalela left for a job with the Toronto Raptors.
The additions of Stotts and Stackhouse resulted in longtime assistant Bruce “Q” Fraser moving back to the second bench after three seasons on the front bench. Stotts, 66, brings 13 years of head-coaching experience, most recently with the Portland Trail Blazers. He returned to coaching last summer as an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks after two seasons away from the NBA. Stackhouse, 49, is a former All-Star player who transitioned into coaching after retiring in 2013.
Stackhouse’s spot on the staff was created by the sudden passing of assistant Dejan “Deki” Milojević in February. Milojević, who worked mostly with the team’s big men, was among the assistants on the back bench. Kerr originally did not plan on making significant changes to his staff, but with the departure of Kenny Atkinson, he decided to bring in coaches with previous head-coaching experience.
With Stotts’ experience and Stackhouse’s strong presence, the Warriors’ coaching staff is expected to be stronger next season. Consider following the Dubs Talk Podcast for more updates and insights.