The Memphis Grizzlies have received permission to interview Miami Heat assistant head coach David Fizdale and San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Ettore Messina for their head-coaching vacancy, sources told The Undefeated.
Fizdale has 13 years of assistant-coaching experience with the Heat, Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors that includes two NBA championships with Miami. The former University of San Diego guard is involved in player development and assisting Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra in all areas of game preparation. While the Los Angeles native has never been an NBA head coach, he served as head coach of the Heat’s summer league teams in 2010 and 2012.
Messina, the two-time Euroleague Coach of the Year, has 27 years of coaching experience and joined the Spurs on July 15, 2014. Named one of the Euroleague’s 10 greatest coaches of all time in 2008, he has won four Euroleague championships as a coach and was named the Italian Coach of the Year four times. The Italy native also served as a consultant with the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2011-12 season.
The Heat will play the host Toronto Raptors in a deciding Game 7 in their second-round series on Sunday. Fizdale is expected to interview with the Grizzlies in the near future. The Grizzlies head-coaching job opened recently after the firing of Dave Joerger, who took a job as the head coach of the Sacramento Kings.
Charlotte Hornets assistant coach Patrick Ewing interviewed for the job, according to reports. The Memphis Commercial Appeal has mentioned former Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins and former Indiana Pacers head coach Frank Vogel as other possible candidates.
