Sacramento Kings sign Keith Smart through to the 2013-2014 season – NBA News
The Sacramento Kings announced on Monday the extension of their head coach Keith Smart’s contract, making him the coach for the team through the 2013-2014 season.
Smart was initially signed till the end of the next season, and the extension gives him two full seasons of job security.
"Keith's extension gives us the stability we need to continue the development of our team. He has the commitment, energy and vision necessary to succeed in building a winning team. We are all looking forward to working with him as we pursue an exciting and productive future,” said Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie in a statement released by the team.
Smart was hired as an assistant coach last summer, and took over the head coach responsibility when the Kings fired Paul Westphal in January this year, after the team started off with a 2-5 record. Smart guided the Kings to a 20-39 record for the rest of the season, and then selected Thomas Robinson of Kansas State with the 5th overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft.
Smart coached the Golden State Warriors in the 2010-2011 season after they fired Don Nelson before the training camp. He led the team to a 36-46 record, a 10 game improvement from their previous season, but was not re-signed by the club and moved to the Kings an an assistant coach.
Overall, he has a 65-116 record as an NBA head coach, and seems to have formed a nice bond with the Kings players. He is said to have a good relationship with Sacramento big man DeMarcus Cousins, who is being looked as the franchise player of the future and the person around whom the Kings are looking to build their team.
He will now be given the responsibility of rebuilding the Kings team, which has not made the playoffs over the past six seasons. With Cousins and newly drafted Robinson in the line-up, the Kings have a good bunch of young players to build around.
"I'm excited to continue this process with the Kings. We're trying to get our franchise moving in the right direction. The goal is to keep moving in that positive direction, and I'm glad that I get that opportunity,” said Smart.
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