Coaching shuffle coming
Christian, Richman set to switch their roles
WASHINGTON — The Washington Wizards’ sideline should look slightly different for the 2019-20 season as the team intends to make internal coaching moves.
The Wizards are in the preliminary stages of a shift that would promote Jarell Christian to an NBA assistant coach and have Ryan Richman take over the head coaching duties with their G League franchise, the Capital City Go-Go, according to several people with knowledge of the plans that have not yet been finalized. Last year, Christian coached the expansion minor-league team in its inaugural season while Richman worked as one of the Wizards’ five assistant coaches.
Christian, who turns 33 on Friday, has ties to Wizards coach Scott Brooks from mutual their time in Oklahoma City. While Brooks coached the Thunder, Christian spent four seasons (2014-18) as an assistant with Oklahoma City’s G League squad.
In Christian’s season with the Go-Go, the team finished 25-25. Though Capital City did not advance to the G League playoffs, it ranked eighth out of 27 teams in points per game (112.9) and two players (Jordan McRae and Chris Chiozza) were named to the all-NBA G League teams. McRae, who played on a two-way contract, has signed a partially guaranteed deal to be on the Wizards roster for the 2019-20 season.
Richman, who graduated from Maryland in 2011, has steadily worked his way though the Wizards’ basketball operations. After four seasons (2014-18) as the team’s assistant video coordinator and in the player development department, Richman spent the 2018-19 season as a Wizards assistant. Richman is now expected to become a first-time head coach with the Go-Go.
The expected in-house moves reflect only minor alterations to Brooks’ staff, a unit that has remained relatively constant through his three years as Washington’s head coach. The staff also consists of veteran coach Tony Brown, former player Robert Pack, who coached the Wizards during the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, as well as Mike Terpstra and Maz Trakh.