Mike Brown is expected to run away with the Coach of the Year vote — part of the end-of-the-season media votes to be announced in the coming weeks — but he has already won that same award from his peers.
The National Basketball Coaches Association announced that Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown was voted the Coach of the Year by its members.
“Congratulations to Mike Brown on one of the greatest coaching jobs we’ve ever seen in this league,” said Rick Carlisle, the Pacers head coach and NBCA President. “He completely changed the attitude and vibe of the Kings franchise and fan base, launching them into an amazing new era of success.”
Brown was the latest coach to come into Sacramento promising a culture change and to break the 16-year playoff draught, but he actually did it. The Kings went 48-34, earned the No.3 seed in the West, and will host its first playoff game since there was a Bush in the White House this Saturday, hosting the defending champion Golden State Warriors.
Four other coaches received votes (in alphabetical order): Mike Budenholzer, Milwaukee Bucks; Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder; Joe Mazzulla, Boston Celtics; and Tom Thibodeau, New York Knicks. (The NBCA does not release its vote totals.)
Brown is also expected to be the near unanimous winner of the Coach of the Year vote from the media. (For the record, he was on the top of my ballot, with Daigneault second and Thibodeau third.)
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Kings’ Mike Brown voted Coach of the Year by peers originally appeared on NBCSports.com