Avery Johnson turns down coaching offer?

[.s31t]

Avery Johnson has turned down the chance to make a swift return to an NBA bench with the Memphis Grizzlies.

NBA coaching sources told ESPN.com on Friday that the former Dallas Mavericks coach was offered a five-year contract by the Grizzlies to replace Marc Iavaroni, who was fired late Thursday after 1½ seasons in Memphis.

Johnson, though, elected to pass on an in-season comeback, preferring to remain in his new role as a studio analyst for ESPN.

"I've said all along [that] at the right time and in the right situation, I will coach again," Johnson said Friday. "I am enjoying my time at ESPN and with my family. I think an awful lot of [Grizzlies owner] Michael Heisley and [general manager] Chris Wallace. I wish the Grizzlies the very best."

The Grizzlies on Friday formally announced Iavaroni's dismissal with the team mired at 11-30 after a 2-15 skid. Assistant coach Johnny Davis has been named interim coach going into Memphis' game Friday at New York.

Sources said that Johnson was the Grizzlies' first choice to take over, with Heisley seeking an experienced coach to lead and mold a young team that has started three rookies -- O.J. Mayo, Marc Gasol and Darrell Arthur -- in 25 of its 41 games this season.

Johnson, 43, certainly would have fit Heisley's profile, having posted a 194-70 record in four seasons with the Mavericks, during which he took them to the NBA Finals for the first time in the club's history in 2006 and earned NBA Coach of the Year honors the same season.

He was fired in May 2008 after a second straight first-round exit.

The Memphis Commercial Appeal reported on its Web site early Friday that former Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, now an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks, will be hired as Iavaroni's replacement and be joined on the Grizzlies' bench by recently fired Philadelphia 76ers coach Maurice Cheeks.

Hollins, 55, posted an 18-42 record as the Grizzlies' interim coach in Vancouver during the 1999-2000 season after replacing Brian Hill following a 4-18 start. Hollins also went 0-4 as the interim coach in Memphis between Hubie Brown and Mike Fratello during the 2004-05 season.

Marc Stein is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com.

 

[wade3]

He'll get another offer in the offseason and go with that one. Hopefully it will be the Suns, cause i hate Porter!

 

[Dice-J]

Surprised he turned this down

 

[.snowy]

This doesn't surprise me at all. The Grizzlies aren't going to be a threat within five years, meaning the job security of taking this position would be too low.

 

[Dice-J]

True, but the way he acts on ESPN when he talks about NBA, it seems like he wants to go back. Maybe a contender asks for his help.