Portland’s coaching search is intensifying, and the Trail Blazers are expected to hire their third head coach in three seasons in the coming days. After Tiago Splitter took the Chicago job and Carolina, Tom Dundon’s team, won the hockey league title, reporter Sean Highkin said Chris Jent is now among the leading candidates, alongside Micah Nori and Tyler Lashbrook.
Jent, a veteran assistant since 1994, has coached in Philadelphia, Orlando, Cleveland, Sacramento, Atlanta, the Lakers, Charlotte and this season in New York, where he won a championship. He has worked with Mike Brown at several stops, most recently with the Knicks, where he was first Brown’s top assistant. Jent also played for Houston and won a title there, appearing in 11 playoff games in 1994.
Unlike Lashbrook or Nori, Jent has limited head-coaching experience, having gone 5-13 in 18 games as Orlando’s interim coach in 2004-05. He coached Dwight Howard, Steve Francis and Grant Hill there. In New York, he served as offensive coordinator and was part of the staff that helped turn Karl-Anthony Towns into a central offensive hub, a change that contributed to the Knicks’ championship.
Jent is best known as a shooting specialist and as someone who worked closely with LeBron James on his outside shot. During their time together, James improved from 33.5 percent to 40.6 percent from three, his best mark with Miami, and from 69.8 percent to 78 percent at the free-throw line. Jent also favors a fast pace, heavy off-ball movement and an offense built around a primary star. He said, "I like to build confidence. I think everyone needs to believe in themselves in order to share the ball with each other and what they are going to do on the court." Portland owner Dundon has not yet met any candidate in person, a factor that may help decide the hire, while Nori is also a leading candidate for Dallas.
