Fresh off WNBA title, Mercury head coach seems set to join Sonics staff

By Percy Allen | The Seattle Times • Published September 18, 2007

It wasn’t your traditional job interview, but when you’ve been friends as long as P.J. Carlesimo and Paul Westhead, you can dispense with formalities.

They’ve known each other for three decades. In many ways, the Pennsylvania natives are kindred spirits who’ve bounced around the NBA, including a time in the late 1990s when Westhead was an assistant under Carlesimo with the Golden State Warriors.

After rehabilitating their careers with championships -- Carlesimo won three NBA titles as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs and Westhead coached the Phoenix Mercury to a WNBA title Sunday -- the longtime friends will likely reunite in Seattle.

Carlesimo, the new Sonics coach, has an opening on his staff and three weeks ago he approached Westhead, 68, about joining him. The two spoke briefly after the Mercury’s 101-84 victory against the Storm in Game 1 of the Western Conference semis.

While cradling one of his young sons, Carlesimo chatted comfortably with Westhead in the tunnels beneath KeyArena. At the time, they dismissed the significance of the meeting.

The two agreed not to disclose the offer until after the Mercury’s season, which ended Sunday with a 108-92 victory over Detroit for the WNBA title.

“I’m going to go home and think about it,” said Westhead, the only coach to win NBA and WNBA championships.

Carlesimo and Sonics general manager Sam Presti were unavailable Monday and team spokesman Tom Savage declined to comment. This week, Presti is expected to formally interview Westhead, who has one year remaining on his contract with Phoenix. He signed a two-year deal that included a one-year option on Oct. 11, 2005, and the Mercury picked up the option before the start of the WNBA Finals.

The current Sonics assistants are Scott Brooks, Mark Bryant and Ralph Lewis. Seattle opens training camp Oct. 2.

NOTE

--The Sonics hired Paul Rivers as director of basketball technology. He had been the video coordinator in Detroit last season and held the same title in San Antonio in the 2004-05 season.