Basketball enthusiasts growing up today may know Jeff Van Gundy best for his work on ESPN broadcasts covering the NBA. But long before Van Gundy was stealing the hearts of America with his quick wit, well-timed constructive criticism, or just overall knowledge of the game, he was roaming NBA sidelines as a coach.
Once his playing days were done, JVG picked up the clipboard, first at the high school level, before advancing to college ranks, and eventually with the New York Knicks before moving on to the Houston Rockets.
Van Gundy coached 11 seasons in the NBA, going 430-318 in that span, even leading the Knicks to the NBA Finals in 1999 before falling to the San Antonio Spurs in five games. After seven seasons in New York, and four more in Houston, Van Gundy walked away from life as a coach following the 2007 season once he was let go.
But clearly, his journey as a coach didn’t end there. Van Gundy got back involved in 2017 as head coach of the senior United States men’s national basketball team, helping win a gold medal at the FIBA AmeriCup.
Once his NBA coaching career initially came to a pause, Van Gundy landed a role as a guest analyst for ESPN, and as they say, the rest is history. He’d quickly show his on-camera abilities were no joke, earning a regular member of the broadcast team, even working the NBA Finals in due time.
But all good things come to an end, and once Van Gundy was let go in June along with several other longtime ESPN employees, now he’s back on the market again. According to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, Van Gundy has been “actively exploring a return to coaching.”
While there are no current NBA head coaching vacancies, several assistant roles are still available leaguewide. JVG has already reportedly spoken to Boston and Dallas, but both teams recently made other hires. It is unknown whether Van Gundy is still in discussions with either organization. Another possibility is joining Wes Unseld Jr.’s staff in Washington, according to Mannix.
Fans may not get to hear Van Gundy’s commentary during the season, but if he does find a good landing spot as a coach, we might still see some of his comical antics on the sidelines.