The longtime Mavericks assistant moves to in-division rival
Mavericks assistant coach Sean Sweeney accepted an offer to become associate head coach with the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania before being confirmed by other local sources.
Sweeney has been the longtime right-hand man for Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, following Kidd from Brooklyn to Milwaukee and then Dallas. Sweeney interviewed for head coaching positions previously since arriving in Dallas, being a finalist for the Detroit and Phoenix jobs. Now Sweeney joins Spurs coach Mitch Johnson, who is replacing the retired Gregg Poppovich.
By all accounts Sweeney was seen as a sort of defensive coordinator under Kidd, with ESPN’s Tim MacMahon noting Sweeney had influence for both the offense and defense while with the Mavericks. Recently the Mavericks added former head coach Jay Triano to Kidd’s staff, and presumably Triano will be the new lead assistant with Sweeney departing. Reports indicate that other Mavericks assistants could be on the move as well, with Jaredy Dudley and God Shamgod drawing interest from across the league. Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix says both Sweeney and Dudley “are viewed as future NBA head coaches.”
In a normal offseason, none of this would really raise an eyebrow — turnover among assistant coaches is normal, as coaches try to climb the ladder, advance their careers, and position themselves to earn an opportunity to become a head coach. However the Mavericks last six months have been anything but normal since the Luka Doncic trade, and with the Mavericks disastorious season in the rearview mirror combined with the Knicks flirtation with Kidd last month, it’s not surprising to see current Mavericks coaches pounce on opportunities they can find. If the Mavericks next season goes down with another playoff absence, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the organization start to clean house. It makes sense these coaches are reading the tea leaves and moving on while it’s still their decision.
There’s no sense in trying to predict how Sweeney’s departure and any further coaching movement will affect the Mavericks in the standings next season, but it’s clear he was an important cog to Kidd’s staff and earned the players’ respect. Good on Sweeney for parlaying that work into a promotion.