Nate McMillan Reportedly to Be Pacers Head Coach: Contract Details, Reaction

After relatively successful spells with the Seattle SuperSonics and Portland Trail Blazers, Nate McMillan will now be tasked with turning the Indiana Pacers into a championship team as he reportedly takes over as head coach.

Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported the Pacers and McMillan are finalizing a deal for him to be their next coach. CBS Sports’ Ken Berger confirmed the report.

Since July 2013, McMillan has been on the Pacers’ staff, working as an assistant to head coach Frank Vogel. Before that, he spent five years in Seattle and seven years in Portland, compiling a 478-452 overall record. His teams made five trips to the playoffs, but only once did he reach the second round.

The Pacers opted not to renew Vogel’s contract after it expired following the team’s playoff loss against the Toronto Raptors.

ESPN.com’s Kevin Pelton hoped the 51-year-old would get another shot to lead an NBA team:

About time Nate McMillan’s name got mentioned. He’s got a better resume than a lot of trendy candidates. https://t.co/Vq86vLdGQZ

— Kevin Pelton (@kpelton) April 14, 2016

While McMillan’s teams won an average of 43 games during his 10 full seasons in charge, his track record raises some doubt as to whether he can replicate that in today’s NBA.

For one, McMillan was a strict disciplinarian, to the extent that he forbade his Sonics players from wearing headbands. In Portland, his style rankled a number of veteran players, most notably Andre Miller and Zach Randolph.

While using a firm hand helped LaMarcus Aldridge and …

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