"The well noted church within a locker room, I think, hurts his job prospects" - Andrew Bogut believes Mark Jackson deserves another head coaching chance despite rumors about him
Mark Jackson has not coached since the Golden State Warriors fired him in 2014. Jackson was linked with a few head coaching vacancies this offseason, but rumors about his tenure in the Bay Area also surfaced. Former Warriors center Andrew Bogut, though, believes Jackson will get another chance to coach an NBA team.
Bogut held a Reddit AMA on Sunday night. One of the questions asked was about his former coach. Reddit user 'dont_shoot_jr' asked the one-time champ why Jackson has not gotten a second chance at coaching. The Australian star replied:
"I think everyone deserves a second chance, and he will eventually get another chance," Bogut wrote. "But the well noted church within a locker room, I think, hurts his job prospects."
“I think everyone deserves a second chance… but the well noted church within a locker room I think hurts his chances.”
- Andrew Bogut says Mark Jackson’s inability to land another coaching gig is due to his overt religiosity
(via r/Warriors, u/AndrewMBogut) https://t.co/YMjaTIpNLt
Mark Jackson was reportedly incorporating his religion into his coaching during his tenure with the Warriors.
According to former ESPN writer Ethan Strauss, Jackson accused some people within the organization of "being influenced by the devil." He also had problems with Jason Collins and team president Rick Welts, who are both gay.
Here are some of Strauss' stories about Jackson that he published last month on his Substack:
"Extensive reporting on the cult-like 'us against them' atmosphere Jackson had cultivated, in which he regularly demeaned the bosses to those with the locker room. Allegations that Jackson had, in his final days with the team, ramped up the religious rhetoric in ways that were increasingly extreme and divisive."
He continued:
"How Mark had, according to sourcing, accused underlings of 'being influenced by the devil,' inspiring Jackson to 'lay hands on them to cleanse them of their evil spirits.' Two sources relaying that Jackson had referred to Jason Collins and team president Rick Welts, both openly gay, as 'penis grabbers' who were 'going to hell.'"
Ex-ESPN Ethan Strauss Randomly Right in the Middle of Mark Jackson Interviewing For Head Coaching Jobs Pointed Out ESPN Nixed Story About Jackson Calling Warriors Team President a Penis Grabber Who is Going to Hell (Vid) bit.ly/3N9xmIC via @BasketballguruD https://t.co/rqE063eORw
Which teams were linked with Mark Jackson this season?
Mark Jackson has been linked with several coaching vacanies this season. Jackson was interviewed for the coaching position for the Sacramento Kings. However, the Kings ended up hiring Mike Brown instead.
Jackson was also linked with the LA Lakers and the Charlotte Hornets, but they hired Darvin Ham and Kenny Atkinson, respectively. The only team remaining with a vacant coaching position now is the Utah Jazz.
LeBron James would be 'very enthused' at the possibility of the Lakers hiring Mark Jackson as head coach, per @sam_amick https://t.co/tlhjj5fo5V
According to Sporting News, it's not the first time Jackson tried to return to coaching. He was one of the candidates for the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2016 before they hired Tom Thibodeau. He was also linked with the New York Knicks that year, but they ended up signing Jeff Hornacek.
Fast forward two years later, the Knicks were once again looking for a new coach. They interviewed Jackson, but David Fizdale was hired. Jackson was a good coach with the Warriors and was key to unlocking Steph Curry's potential.