Kings hire Dave Joerger

Marc Lancaster

Kings hire Dave Joerger image

Anyone who gets fired wants to bounce back quickly. Few have ever pulled it off quite like Dave Joerger.

Just two days after being parting ways with the Memphis Grizzlies, Joerger was hired on Monday as coach of the Sacramento Kings.

MORE: Taking stock of 50 upcoming free agents in playoffs

Kings general manager Vlade Divac said in a statement: "I am thrilled to welcome Dave to the Sacramento Kings. He is a strong and passionate leader with a proven track record of producing results.

"Dave shares our focus on creating a long-term culture of winning and I look forward to a bright future ahead for the Kings with his leadership on the court."

Joerger's three-year spell with the Grizzlies saw him accrue a 147-99 regular-season record and guide the franchise into the playoffs in every season.

The 42-year-old steps into what has at times been a dysfunctional situation in Sacramento, with George Karl and star player DeMarcus Cousins openly feuding at times during the veteran coach's tenure.

But the Kings' move to pounce on Joerger immediately after he hit unemployment speaks to Divac's confidence in the coach to snap the franchise's decade-long playoff drought.

Marc Lancaster

Marc Lancaster Photo

Marc Lancaster joined The Sporting News in 2022 after working closely with TSN for five years as an editor for the company now known as Stats Perform. He previously worked as an editor at The Washington Times, AOL’s FanHouse.com and the old CNNSportsIllustrated.com, and as a beat writer covering the Tampa Bay Rays, Cincinnati Reds, and University of Georgia football and women’s basketball. A Georgia graduate, he has been a Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2013.