The Portland Trail Blazers are continuing to expand their head coaching search, with former Golden State Warriors assistant Jerry Stackhouse set to interview for Portland’s opening this weekend.
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported Friday that Stackhouse will meet with the Trail Blazers in addition to receiving interest from the Chicago Bulls, who are also evaluating him during their own coaching search.
Stackhouse enters the process after spending the last two seasons on Steve Kerr’s staff in Golden State, where he worked within a veteran-heavy environment centered on defensive communication, player accountability, and role definition. His résumé combines NBA assistant coaching experience with player development and prior head coaching responsibilities.
Before joining the Warriors in 2024, Stackhouse spent five seasons leading the Vanderbilt Commodores men’s basketball. That experience gave him a longer runway overseeing roster development, system installation, and game management, while adding to a coaching background that already included NBA stops and G League success.
Portland’s search has increasingly taken shape around candidates with varied coaching identities. NBA insider Chris Haynes reported Thursday that the organization requested permission to interview Jeff Van Gundy, who has emerged as one of the finalists for the position.
According to Marc Stein, interim coach Tiago Splitter also remains under consideration, alongside Micah Nori of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Stein reported that Portland has continued to evaluate a broad field of candidates through an extensive interview process.
Each option points to a different developmental direction for a franchise attempting to build long-term stability around a young roster. The Trail Blazers finished 42-40 and reached the Play-In Tournament before losing in the first round to the San Antonio Spurs in five games.
Roster development remains central to the coaching hire. Portland’s core includes emerging contributors such as Shaedon Sharpe, Deni Avdija, and Donovan Clingan, creating a need for a coach capable of balancing player growth with on-court structure.
Van Gundy represents a veteran, defense-first profile shaped by former head coaching stops with the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets. Nori’s candidacy reflects a development-oriented background, while Splitter offers organizational familiarity after serving as interim coach.
Stackhouse’s candidacy fits somewhere between those paths. His background includes NBA player development, G League leadership, college head coaching experience, and recent work on a championship-tested staff, factors that could appeal to a Portland front office searching for both structure and long-term growth.
