Jon Jennings wants a teacher to coach his basketball team. He doesn’t covet a game-day genius but wouldn’t turn his back on one if he could develop talent at the same time.

He’s looking for a veteran, someone whose instincts have been honed by experience. Someone mature but enthusiastic.

His next coach need not have a name or family pedigree that will command attention and sell more tickets to Red Claws games. Jennings doesn’t appear worried about losing fans after the franchise’s first two seasons failed to produce a playoff team. Actually, he may run out of patience before they do.

That’s because Jennings stocks the cupboard, unlike his counterparts in the front offices of the Portland Sea Dogs and Portland Pirates. He hires his head coach and together they draft the core of the team.

The Celtics and the Charlotte Bobcats are partners, not masters. At least that’s how the arrangement is supposed to work.

Sure, the assumption was that Austin Ainge got the head coach job for two years because he’s the son of Danny, the Celtics’ general manager. Austin grew up in the life. He and his father and Jennings, an assistant coach under K.C. Jones, are part of the Celtics’ family. So Jennings gave the youthful Austin Ainge a chance. The NBA Development League isn’t in existence only for players.

Who’s next? Sitting behind his desk in the Red Claws’ offices on Congress Street in Portland, Jennings wasn’t dropping names.

Months ago he admitted being interested in Bruce Pearl, the former University of Tennessee coach. This time he only said the pool of candidates was vast.

“I really am highly focused on the defensive end of the court,” said Jennings. “That winnows out a lot of coaches.” He has a list of names but didn’t say if it was long or pared down.

“I’m not sure how they did this before Google. I type in a name and find out a lot about people. But nothing beats the phone call. Everything’s good when you win. But how was he on that six-game losing streak?

“You’ve got to have people you know you can trust. You want a familiarity with them because you’ve got to pull in the same direction. It isn’t a magical formula.” It’s all out of of the syllabus of Headhunters 101.

Jennings wants to partner up with his new hire because it’s important they get the makeup of the 2011-12 team right. That they find a balance between the veterans of the new, expansion team of two years ago and the youth of last year. It’s not easy, especially when players face the same decision.

Do they grab the six-figure salary, easier travel schedule and other benefits offered in Europe? Or do they opt for far less money – maybe a fifth of what they could earn in Germany or Spain – but maybe a quicker route to the NBA? And what if the NBA lockout continues and there isn’t a season?

The D-League will play its season no matter what happens. The problem for Jennings is players with NBA experience won’t be eligible to join his roster. But that’s not high on his list of concerns.

“We have an obligation to players who aren’t taking the money they could make elsewhere to help them realize their goals. The NBA is not looking for the 30 points-a-night scorers. They already have those players. They’re looking for the good defenders, the guys who can hit the big shot when they get into the game. The good locker-room guys. Those are the players we need to develop.”

To that end the Red Claws will unveil a new banner next season in the Portland Expo, listing the names of those called up to the NBA from Portland. Mario West and Magnum Rolle got the calls from the New Jersey Nets and the Atlanta Hawks last season. DeShawn Sims gets a banner for being named the league’s rookie of the year.

“We want the new players to see those banners. Their names could be added.”

First things first. The Red Claws need a new coach.

Jennings, the name-dropper, wasn’t dropping any. He’s working on it.

 

Staff Writer Steve Solloway can be contacted at 791-6412 or at: ssolloway@pressherald.com

Twitter: SteveSolloway

 

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