Blazers Narrow Head Coach Search to 3 Finalists: Tiago Splitter, Jeff Van Gundy and Micah Nori
The Portland Trail Blazers have a real coaching decision on their hands and they have narrowed it down to three names: interim head coach Tiago Splitter, Clippers assistant Jeff Van Gundy, and Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori. Each one represents a different bet on what Portland is becoming, and the choice will define the next phase of the rebuild.
Splitter is the safe pick. He took over one game into last season after the Chauncey Billups arrest as part of the federal gambling probe, and he steered Portland to a 42-39 finish, the team’s first playoff berth since 2020-21. Forty-one years old. Played seven NBA seasons including a championship with the 2014 Spurs. Comes from the most respected coaching tree in the sport. He knows the roster. He knows the building. The players reportedly love him.
Van Gundy is the high-profile name. He has not been a head coach since 2007 when he was let go by the Rockets. He has spent two decades on television and as an assistant. He has been a finalist for big jobs before and has always passed. The fact that he is interviewing here means he is serious about getting back into the chair. His defensive principles are exactly what Portland needs. He would bring credibility and a national spotlight.
Nori is the rising star. He spent the past several years in Minnesota helping develop one of the league’s best defenses under Chris Finch. He has been on the short list for head coach jobs all over the league for two cycles. He is younger, hungrier, and possibly the most adaptable of the three. If Portland wants a coach who will grow with a young roster instead of trying to fit them into a system, Nori is the answer.
The challenge for Portland is that the franchise has not had real coaching stability in years. Billups never quite found his footing. The Damian Lillard era ended with a trade. Now the Blazers have a roster built around Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Donovan Clingan, and Toumani Camara that is finally starting to look like a playoff core. The next coach has to make those pieces fit.
If you are betting on continuity, Splitter is the call. He saved the season after a chaotic start. He has the trust of the locker room. The 42-39 record is real evidence that this group can play. Promoting him would send a message that Portland values stability over splash.
If you are betting on long-term ceiling, Nori might be the better choice. The Wolves’ defensive identity is a real coaching achievement. He has been around Anthony Edwards and knows how to handle young stars. Henderson and Sharpe are the kinds of guards he could elevate.
Van Gundy is the wild card. He could be a home run hire or he could be a year-one mismatch with a roster that needs development. His TV career has been so good for so long that some around the league wonder if he can actually stomach the daily grind of coaching again.
Portland general manager Joe Cronin is reportedly close to making a decision. Whoever gets the job inherits a young team that just felt the playoffs again and a fan base ready to fall in love with this group. The choice will tell us a lot about what kind of franchise the Blazers are building.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
