Mark Jackson helped build the Golden State Warriors. Why is he still out of job now?
Why is Mark Jackson still unemployed?
© Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Mark Jackson was fired from being the head coach of the Golden State Warriors in 2014. Eight years later, his name is still mentioned as a potential head coach of rebuilding teams, but he hasn’t gotten hired yet. Is this the result of the false narratives created around him?
Mark Jackson’s record
Jackson recorded 121 wins and 109 losses with the Warriors. He steered them to two postseason appearances in three years. However, he was fired after the GSW lost in the first round of the 2014 playoffs against the L.A. Clippers.
Steve Kerr stepped in and turned the fortunes of the franchise around. Many credited Kerr for bringing championships to the city, but they also forgot it was Jackson who laid the foundation of success for Golden State. He planted the seeds, but it was Kerr who reaped the fruits.
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After his head coaching stint, Mark returned to being as a TV analyst, a job that fits him so well. However, given his track record, it’s safe to say he has what it takes to coach a team at the highest level. But why are the bottom-dwelling teams passing up on him despite giving him a schedule for interviews?
The Sacramento Kings were searching for their head coach next season. Jackson was allegedly on the shortlist, but the spot ultimately went to Mike Brown. Some reports claimed the Kings dodged a bullet by hiring Brown. Jackson reportedly invented stories to make injured Festus Ezeli look bad to his teammates, an accusation that the GSW center denied at that time. And it’s not the last of the rumors we will hear about Mark Jackson.
Narratives against Mark Jackson
In 2021, Mark appeared on a Club Shay Shay podcast and clarified it was only Steve Kerr who could judge if he had been a good coach or not. In that interview, he discussed other rumors about him, especially his religious beliefs. Jackson added that he believed a door would open once again for him, and he would wait for it. His name has been floating around as a potential next coach of the L.A. Lakers. Will he be a good fit? It remains to be seen. But he needs to get hired first.
If it’s not in the NBA, there’s NCAA. Or Jackson might need to hire a PR agency to rebrand his image to the league and the basketball world. If the rumors are not true, a great man has been a victim of created narratives that could potentially end his coaching career.
If other coaches in the NBA kept getting hired even after doing miserable jobs in their former teams, then Mark Jackson deserves another chance. Another chance to prove the critics wrong and another chance to right his wrongs.
Will he get it? Mark doesn’t need the coaching job. Instead, he is doing a great job analyzing games. It's the fans who are getting robbed of an opportunity to see Jackson’s vision and brilliance translate to the court.
