Report: Denver Nuggets Hire Mike Malone as Head Coach

The Nuggets have hired Mike Malone as their next head coach, according to a report. Malone was fired 24 games into the 2014-15 season by the Sacramento Kings, despite being credited with helping mold a new-and-improved DeMarcus Cousins. Denver was 30-52 this past season and fired Brian Shaw after the season ended.

Details, from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports:

Michael Malone has reached agreement on a four-year deal to become coach of the Denver Nuggets, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

 

The fourth year of the deal is a team option, sources said.

 

Malone made the strongest impression with general manager Tim Connelly and president Josh Kroenke in meetings with Denver’s management and overtook interim coach Melvin Hunt to win the job, sources said.

 

 

With Cousins hospitalized because of an illness, the Kings fired Malone after an 11-13 start. In two years on the job, Malone was 39-67 after taking over a full-blown rebuilding project.

 

Malone had been an NBA assistant coach with Golden State (2011-13), New Orleans (2010-11), Cleveland (2005-10) and New York (2001-05).