May 17, 2023
Three straight years of continued playoff failure, with the latest being a colossal Game 7 meltdown in Boston, has left the Sixers once again looking for a new coach.
Doc Rivers was dismissed on Tuesday, and though the core of Joel Embiid and James Harden had just as much to do with yet another second-round playoff exit, the expectation – right now, at least – is that Daryl Morey and the front office will try to keep pushing forward with their two stars at the top.
So that really just leaves needing to find a coach that can finally push them to another level, and though that's way easier said than done at this rate, the Sixers certainly won't be short on options as they begin a new search process.
Playoff experience and success should be a big key factor with this one, and newly free-agent coaches Nick Nurse (Toronto), Mike Budenholzer (Milwaukee), and Monty Williams (Phoenix) all have recent NBA Finals appearances to their names.
Our own Kyle Neubeck detailed the case for and against each to be the Sixers' next head coach as three of the six primary candidates, and according to Bookies.com, they each should be one of the main favorites heading into the summer.
A full look at the odds:
| Coach | Previous/Current Team | Odds | Percentage |
| Nick Nurse | Toronto Raptors | +450 | 18.2% |
| Monty Williams | Phoenix Suns | +500 | 16.7% |
| Mike D'Antoni | New Orleans Pelicans* | +550 | 15.4% |
| Mike Budenholzer | Milwaukee Bucks | +600 | 14.3% |
| Kevin Young | Phoenix Suns (A) | +750 | 11.8% |
| Sam Cassell | Philadelphia 76ers (A) | +850 | 10.5% |
| Tyronn Lue | Los Angeles Clippers | +1000 | 9.1% |
| Frank Vogel | Los Angeles Lakers | +1200 | 7.7% |
| Steve Nash | Brooklyn Nets | +1400 | 6.7% |
| Charles Lee | Milwaukee Bucks (A) | +1500 | 6.3% |
| The Field | N/A | +1000 | 9.1% |
A – Associate/Assistant Coach; * – Advisory Role
Granted, the list is only hypothetical, as the outlet notes, but should serve as a good frame of reference for who the Sixers might be after as they begin their coaching search.
Other immediately popular names so far have been current Sixers assistant coach Sam Cassell, who's highly respected among the team and has been instrumental in the development of Tyrese Maxey, Frank Vogel, who won the bubble title coaching the Lakers in 2020, and Mike D'Antoni, a known offensive mind with ties to Harden going back to Houston.
There will be a lot for the Sixers to consider going forward, and with the second-round wall still standing stronger than ever and a fan base that has grown equal parts exhausted and frustrated over repeatedly dashed title hopes, little room for error.
They have to get this right.
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