You’ve likely never heard of David Vanterpool. But if a Yahoo! Sports report is correct, the 40-year-old assistant coach of the Portland Trail Blazers could be come the next head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Didn’t know that the Sixers still have not hired a replacement for Doug Collins, did you? Clearly, they have mulled over this decision at a turtle’s pace, which has been good for Vanterpool because it allowed him an opportunity to interview on Monday and to impress Philly brass.
On the strength of that interview, Vanterpool has risen into legitimate consideration, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. With the Blazers, he is highly respected and is credited for helping Damian Lilliard blossom into Rookie Of The Year.
Vanterpool’s playing background is vast, with very little of it in the NBA. He was an undrafted free agent out of St. Bonaventure and after a short stint with the Washington Wizards, he played in the CBA, Russia and Italy. He coached for three seasons under legendary Euroleague coach Ettore Messina.
Vanterpool was hired by the Oklahoma City Thunder as director of player personnel in 2010, and blossomed there, too. Many believe he would have become an NBA general manager in short order. But he preferred to pursue his passion of coaching.
