2000-01 in Review: Wally Walker is particularly fond of telling the following story about the morning of November 27, after he had fired Paul Westphal. Walker first went to Dwane Casey's office and asked him who he should hire. Casey said he should hire Nate McMillan. Then Walker went to McMillan's office and asked him who he should hire. McMillan said he should hire Casey. Cynics take the scenario as meaning neither wanted the job themselves. Optimists would say it's proof that both Casey and McMillan respect each other and have small egos. Regardless the interpretation, one meaning is clear -- if McMillan were choice #1 to be the Sonics' coach, Casey was 1A. For his troubles, Casey was granted the title of Associate Head Coach, along with increased responsibilities.

Previous Career: After finishing a solid four-year career at the University of Kentucky, Casey began his coaching career in 1979 as a grad assistant at UK. That same year, Casey first traveled to Japan over the summer to run coaching clinics in the land of the rising sun. A season later, he moved to Western Kentucky for the opportunity to serve as a full-time assistant coach under Clem Haskins. He spent five years there before returning to Kentucky in 1985. In his second tour of duty, Casey was largely in charge of the Wildcats' recruiting. In 1990, he was embroiled in scandal when an employee for a shipping service found money that had slipped out of a letter addressed to recruit Chris Mills from Casey. Casey claimed that a secretary had slipped the money into the open envelope, but the violation was obvious, though likely not of Casey's doing. Nevertheless, he took the fall, was fired, and headed over to Japan, where he coached full time. In 1994, the Sonics returned Casey from his basketball purgatory, hiring him as an assistant coach. At first, fans and experts belittled Casey as a 'babysitter' for Sonic star Shawn Kemp, and a token black coach. Over the next several years, however, Casey paid his dues and established himself as one of the top young assistants in the league, even interviewing for the top job in Atlanta in the summer of 2000.

Overall: The thought of Casey as a 'token' coach or babysitter now seems almost laughable. It is clear that Casey has the communication skills and intelligence to be successful as an NBA head man. His ability to manage a game and a roster is tough to discern because he has never been a head man in the United States, but it's hard to imagine that he could be any worse than several college coaches who have jumped to the NBA in recent years. For the second straight off-season, Casey interviewed for a head coaching job this past summer, and was in the running for the Pistons job. It would seem to be only a matter of time until Casey got a well-deserved chance. Perhaps if Sonic front office member Billy McKinney were to get a GM job elsewhere, he would bring Casey with him. For the time being, he is a valuable asset to Sonic basketball.
Grade: B+