Coaching is a tough business. We let this settle in for a little. It really was a startling turn of events, but we have learned that Mike Brown and the Sacramento Kings have parted ways just months after agreeing to a three-year, $30 million extension that would have kept him at the helm through the 2026-27 season. Despite the optimism surrounding the deal, the Kings’ rough 13-18 start to the 2024-25 campaign led to the decision to let go of Brown.
The team will now look to Doug Christie (per sources and Shams Charania at ESPN), a beloved figure in Sacramento with deep ties to the franchise, to step in as interim head coach. Christie, a 15-year NBA veteran who spent five seasons with the Kings and has served as an assistant since 2021, will be tasked with helping the team turn things around in a pivotal moment for the franchise. The news marks a tough chapter for a team that had hoped for growth and stability under Brown’s leadership, but the Kings’ search for the right direction continues.
Several coaches have since spoken out about Mike Brown’s firing. “No class, no balls. That’s what I’ll say about that,” said Mike Malone of the firing. Elsewhere in the NBA, Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle told the media that Brown is “one of the standard bearers for integrity for our profession.” “And I’m just, just absolutely shocked,” he said. Steve Kerr said, “Very disappointed to hear the news’. “Mike is a good friend, a good coach. It just seems so shocking when a guy is unanimous coach of the year a year and a half ago. When you think about where that franchise was before Mike got there, where they’ve been the last couple years, the job he and his staff have done, it’s really shocking.”
“SACTOWN” indeed!