Travis Hansen gives his approval
SALT LAKE CITY — It seems cold and callous, but the search for a new head coach for the Utah Jazz is on.
I guess there’s not much sense in firing a guy if you’re going to dawdle in hiring his replacement. He’s not going to be less fired tomorrow than he is today. That’s my own personal platitude.
Coaching possibilities are emerging like kernels from an air popper; but a unique exciting morsel might make NBA history — Ettore Messina.
Born in Italy, the 54-year-old has won four Euroleague championships as a head coach and is the presumptive favorite to be the first international head coach to break into the NBA coaching fraternity.
Former BYU Cougar Travis Hansen played in the NBA and internationally and for years, he either played for or against Messina.
“It was the worst thing in the world to play against his team because he won a lot. He had the best players and the biggest budget. He was obviously a great coach. When I got the opportunity to play for him I jumped at the chance,” said Hansen. “He was a phenomenal coach to play for.”
Despite basketball being an international sport, the NBA has consistently chosen to promote assistants, retread other NBA coaches or tap the high collegiate ranks for coaches to patrol their NBA sidelines.
It was the worst thing in the world to play against his team because he won a lot. He had the best players and the biggest budget. He was obviously a great coach. When I got the opportunity to play for him I jumped at the chance. He was a phenomenal coach to play for.
Why has it taken so long for an NBA team to hire a foreign coach?
“It’s a bridge to pass for the NBA. They’ve gotten European and international players for so many years, now maybe they’re building their confidences that there could potentially be a European or International coach.”
That’s not to say that Messina hasn’t been approached in the past, perhaps he hasn’t found the right fit. He’s one of the highest paid coaches in the world and has the power to demand the best players and wields the largest budget.
“I’d love to see him in Utah. It would be awesome. It would be fun to see him and I think he’d do really well,” said Hansen. “(He's) very easy going, funny, witty, but very serious, very task oriented. He demands a lot from his players. You get paid a lot and treated very well, so you better perform. If I was the Jazz, that’s something I would really have to look at. It makes sense. I think he’d be a great fit.”
Many international players struggle with the language barrier, but Messina might have a leg up on all coaches in the NBA.
“His English is fantastic,” said Hansen, “Spanish is great, Italian is great, I don’t know about his Russian, probably about as good as mine.”
Internationally, Messina has coached some of the biggest clubs. CSKA Moscow and Real Madrid are the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks of international basketball. The question is whether he can succeed in a small market like Salt Lake City.
Small-market teams play by a different set of rules. Superstar players aren’t lining up to play in Utah like they are in Miami, New York and Los Angeles. Thankfully, the San Antonio Spurs have written the book on small-market team success. They develop high draft picks, recruit internationally and spew consistency in every facet from the team roster to the front office.
Most teams envy the Spurs, but none have been able to emulate them.
The Jazz might be headed in that direction. Jazz General Manager Dennis Lindsey was assistant GM to R.C. Buford in San Antonio and Hansen thinks that Messina would help shape the Jazz into that Spurs mold: “He’s probably most like (head coach Gregg) Popovich," he said.
“Everyone wants to be like the Spurs,” said Hansen. "They love the way they play, they love the way they recruit. I think Dennis Lindsey probably has the best chance to be like them. But you’ve got to be in Europe, you got to be connected by the right people and pull the right players.”
Messina’s style of play would likely mix well with the current Jazz roster.
“Focus is on the inside game. It has to go inside-out, very man-to-man, a very tactical kind of coach. He slows down the game. It’s not as up-tempo as you would think it would be,” said Hansen. “I think Jazz players would love playing for him. I think he would bring another level of winning here. I think the culture would improve.”
However, just because the NBA features the best basketball in the world doesn’t mean the Messina would automatically jump at the opportunity to coach on this side of the Atlantic.
“I think (Messina) would demand better players. I think, maybe, that Top-3 pick would be enticing. If (the Jazz) could land (Andrew) Wiggins, (Jabari) Parker, or the big 7-footer from Kansas (Joel Embiid), I think those guys are great players, but they need an impact player, a few impact players.”
“He’s a winner. He’s not going to come here and not want to win. He’s going to want a big budget. He’s going to want you to spend,” said Hansen. “He knows he’s only going to be as good as his horses and he’s going to want the best horses.”
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