OKC ADDS ASSISTANTS
Thunder announced the addition of five assistant coaches Tuesday
The Thunder' s assistant coaching vacancies have finally been filled.
On Tuesday, the team announced five new assistant coaches, a mix of the Thunder's continued tradition of internal promotion and development, as well as the welcoming back of a familiar face.
Joining assistant coaches Maurice Cheeks and Vin Bhavnani, as well as direct or of quality control Bill y Schmidt, this season will be David Akinyooye, Dave Bliss, Mark Daigneault, Brian Keefe and Mike Wilks.
The Thunder had at l east three assistant coaching positions to fill after Mark Bryant, Dark oR ajako vic and Bob Beyer left in the off season. Bryant and Rajakovic joined Monty Williams' Phoenix staff as assistants, and Beyer went to work as an assistant in Sacramento.
“Each of our coaches on this year's staff has a unique perspective on Thunder basketball that we believe will be a great benefit to our players ,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said in a statement. “We are thrilled to welcome Brian Keefe back to the program, and seeing Dave, Mark, David and Mike all rise through our ranks to these positions on our staff is a testament to their hard work and de di cation. With Mo, Vin and Billy Schmidt also back for next season, I couldn't be more excited to get to work with this group.”
Keefe was an assistant coach for the Thunder from 2008 to 2014.
Keefe returns to Oklahoma City after his stint with the Knicks and three seasons as an assistant for the Lakers.
Before serving as an assistant for five season sin Oklahoma City, Keefe was a player development coach for two seasons, beginning a long line of internal promotion which the franchise continues.
Akinyooye, Bliss, Daigneault and Wilks are each being elevated from various positions within the organization.
Daign ea ult coached the Oklahoma City Blue for the past five seasons, postin ga 143-107(.572 winning percentage) record, while Akinyooye has been a Blue assistant for four seasons.
The Thunder has yet to announce who will take over for Daigneault.
Bliss returned to the Thunder as a senior player development coach in 2018 after three seasons with the Knicks.
Bliss, who coached the Thunder' s summer league team in Las Vegas in early July, worked f or the Thunder as a video analyst/player development coach from 2010 to 2015.
W ilks will become the second former Thunder player to serve as an assistant coach in Oklahoma City, following Royal Ivey.
Wilks has been a senior pro evaluation scout for the Thunder the last seven seasons.
Wilks averaged 2.5 points, 1.2 assists and one rebound per game over a seven-year, 233game NBA career, including a season with the Thunder in 2009-10.