Lakers have a deal to hire Mike Dunleavy as their coach

Nov. 9, 2012 | By Broderick Turner

Mike Dunleavy Sr. is the new coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers were expected to announce Dunleavy as the 23rd coach in franchise history friday afternoon but first issued a statement.

“In response to rampant speculation and reports about our head coaching position and Mike Dunleavy Sr., we’ve met with Mike and are very impressed with him,” the team said. “In addition, we have an outline for an agreement in place and hope to sign a contract within the next few days.”

He entered his first head coaching job in 1990 as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, replacing the beloved Pat Riley. In 1991 his team, led by NBA legend Magic Johnson and an upstart Vlade Divac, beat the heavily favored Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals and he led his team to the NBA Finals against the Chicago Bulls but they lost in five games.

Dunleavy coached the Lakers after Pat Riley stepped away from the bench and had a pretty successful stint there. He upset the Blazers in the Western Conference Finals before losing out to Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan in the 1991 Finals.

Dunleavy most recently coached the Clippers, where he wasn’t really successful. He resigned as coach after going 215-326 with the Clippers. He’s currently waiting and arbitration case after he sued the organization after it stopped paying him after his dismissal as general manager. Dunleavy has a career record of 613-716 as a head coach with the Lakers, Milwaukee, Portland and the Clippers.

Dunleavy has a good relationship with Kobe, as he nearly recruited him to the Clippers in 2004. And that’s the thing — give Dunleavy good players and he’s always been pretty successful. With the Clippers, he was at the front of a fairly dysfunctional roster. He didn’t do a great job by any means, but he certainly hasn’t forgotten how to coach. And whoever it is that takes the Laker job will have a good roster in place, a smart general manager in the front office and an owner willing to spend. That’s a recipe for success, for any coach.

Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike Brown has been fired after a disappointing 1-4 start to the season, a source has told ESPNLosAngeles.com’s Ramona Shelburne. Assistant coach Bernie Bickerstaff will coach the Lakers Friday night at home against the Warriors.