Kings hire Dave Joerger as new head coach

The Sacramento Kings have hired Dave Joerger as the franchise's new head coach. Joerger was fired by the Memphis Grizzlies after three years on the job, a stretch that included three straight postseason berths. The Kings have not made the playoffs since 2006. The news was first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports and has been confirmed by the franchise.

Joerger appears to have gotten fired in part because he sought permission from the Grizzlies to interview for the open Kings job. Joerger had just one season remaining on his Memphis deal, and has been the subject of termination rumors with some frequency. Seeking a more lucrative and secure future, Joerger had reportedly asked the Memphis front office, led by GM Chris Wallace, to allow him to speak to the Kings and Rockets. Instead, Wallace fired Joerger.

Joerger, 42, spent six seasons as an assistant coach in Memphis prior to taking over the lead job from Lionel Hollins in 2013. Prior to that, he coached in various minor leagues. He is a Minnesota native who played Division II ball. He replaces legendary George Karl, who concluded a brief, drama-ridden tenure with the Kings at the end of the season.

Since Rick Adelman was let go after the Kings' most recent playoff run in 2006, Sacramento has been home to six full-time head coaches: Eric Musselman, Reggie Theus, Paul Westphal, Keith Smart, Mike Malone and Karl. Despite the turnover, current president of basketball operations Vlade Divac had yet to make a coaching decision of his own, and the Kings hadn't executed a full coaching search since 2009, when Westphal was hired. That happened under the Maloofs and Geoff Petrie, who all left the franchise in 2013 when Vivek Ranadive bought the team and hired Malone.