The NEXT: Belichick?

With all these NBA coaches getting fired, will any of 'em find success elsewhere?

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"Iav--- Iav--- Iav--- Iavnotgonnaworkhereanymore."

Visit the NEXT 2009 universe.

Last night, we were at a Rudy Gay photo shoot for this magazine. (You'll see the results in two issues.) We were talking to a Grizzlies' media rep about Marc Iavaroni and he said (we believe this too), "He's a great coach. I hope he gets to stick around." Literally hours later, he was fired.

You can dispute the "great coach" part if you want: he won 33 and lost over 80 as a head man after being a well-regarded assistant. (Should be noted: his general starting lineup is younger than Calipari's at the college in town.) This is what we're wondering, though: there have been seven coaching changes in the NBA this season and the All-Star Game is still a few weeks away. Itchy trigger finger much? If you consider Bill Belichick the ultimate example of a guy who shoulda had a longer leash in his first shot at the top dog job (we do), do you think any of these NBA guys will become the next Phil Jackson (or at least the next Mike D'Antoni) in a few years? Yes, we realize the NFL and NBA are utterly different games, but with the tenure some of these guys are afforded to turn a squad around, do ya think they get the full run to showcase their abilities? Discuss.

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