Dwane Casey is apparently going to be rewarded for a good job as an assistant coach for the NBA champion Dallas Mavericks.
The Toronto Raptors have agreed in principle to hire Casey to fill their vacant head coaching position, according to ESPN.com. Casey, the former assistant to Rick Carlisle in Dallas and previously the short-lived head coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves five years ago, was chosen over Celtics assistant Lawrence Frank, who was the other finalist for the position in Toronto. Frank is also in talks with the Detroit Pistons about their open head coaching position.
Casey was the head coach for the T-Wolves for a mere 40 games in the 2006-07 season, amassing a 20-20 record before being fired. He is a defensive-minded coach that will surely help the Raptors in that regard, as they were rated as one of the worst defensive teams in 2010-11.
Casey was also a finalist for coaching positions for the Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors. The Rockets ended up hiring Celtics great Kevin McHale, while the Warriors hired former NBA player and ESPN analyst Mark Jackson.
