DeMarco primed for stint in Vegas
Six years ago, to fund his MBA program at Dominican University in San Rafael, Chris DeMarco worked full-time for Isilon, a data-storage company. Before attending night classes in global management, he slogged through a 9-to-5 grind of spread sheets, conference calls and computer software.
“I was just kind of waiting to see if anything would open up in coaching,” DeMarco, 31, recalled this week. “I was patient.”
In 2012, after accepting an internship in the Warriors’ video department, DeMarco asked his bosses at Isilon to cut back his hours. Now set to oversee Golden State’s Summer League team in Las Vegas for the next week-plus, he is considered one of the NBA’s more promising young coaches.
Those close to DeMarco reckon that he has a chance to be a head coach someday. Though he still sits in the second row of the Warriors’ bench during NBA games, he fulfills much of the criteria front offices eye: an ability to relate to players, high basketball IQ, experience under respected mentors and, of course, a dogged desire to im-
prove.
Golden State head coach Steve Kerr broke from the norm when he tabbed DeMarco, fresh off his second season as a player-development coach, to lead the Summer League team. Though the job usually goes to one of the organization’s top assistants, DeMarco ranks behind at least four people — Mike Brown, Ron Adams, Jarron Collins and Bruce Fraser — on Kerr’s staff.
“This is a great opportunity for Chris,” Kerr said. “I know he’ll do a great job.”
Like many kids, DeMarco daydreamed of playing professionally. He graduated from Xavier High School in Appleton, Wis., among the Hawks’ all-time leading scorers with 1,086 points. By the time he transferred from Division III Edgewood College in Madison to Dominican in 2008 for his final season of eligibility, he knew that his best shot at a professional basketball career was on the sidelines.
DeMarco started all 29 games for the 2008-09 Penguins, averaging a team-high 14.9 points and a conferencehigh 9.6 rebounds per game, before he contemplated spending his last year on campus as Dominican’s graduate assistant. But for the self-described realist, the itinerant lifestyle of a coach was daunting.
“There’s always different things you look at, but that path seemed so difficult,” DeMarco said. “That’s when I got into data storage.”
Eager to put his MBA to good use, DeMarco considered climbing the ranks at Isilon. Then John Fahey, a former Edgewood teammate and an assistant video coordinator at the time for the Warriors, contacted him about an internship opportunity. Within a year, DeMarco was promoted to assistant video coordinator.
In summer 2014, after replacing Mark Jackson, Kerr made DeMarco an advance scout. His thorough reports on upcoming opponents were an underrated factor behind Golden State’s first NBA title in 40 years. Over the past two seasons as a player-development coach, DeMarco has worked mostly with Klay Thompson, Ian Clark and Kevon Looney.
Now, as the Warriors’ Summer League coach and ready to make his debut Saturday night against Philadelphia, his focus is more on the macro level. In the three weeks since Golden State won its second championship in three years, DeMarco has pored over video of the 15 Summer League players who weren’t on the Warriors’ regular-season roster. It is important for him to recognize their strengths before crafting practice plans and substitution patterns.
Still, no amount of studying will prevent the annual numbers crunch in Las Vegas. DeMarco’s primary objective is to help develop the four players who will be on Golden State’s bench next season: Looney, Patrick McCaw, Damian Jones and rookie Jordan Bell. With only so many minutes available, most of the other dozenplus players will have a tough time showing they belong in the NBA.
It is a headache DeMarco embraces.
“Once I started working for the Warriors, I knew right away it was what I wanted to do,” said DeMarco. “Obviously, I’m extremely grateful it’s worked out this way.”