Getty

Steve Kerr addresses future with Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors may lose head coach Steve Kerr to college if rumors are true about his future. Kerr is expected to leave Golden State with his contract expiring and most reports leaning towards the team needing a new coach. The Warriors will give Kerr enough time to make his own decision before moving forward with recruiting a new replacement.

Golden State beat writer Tim Kawakami named Arizona as a team Kerr has been linked to coaching in college:

“He could and likely will walk into a big-money TV job whenever he wants it. He could do it for a season and play golf, spend time with his grandchildren, and bliss out for a while. But I think Kerr’s heart will always be in coaching.

And I think it was very interesting when he said he wouldn’t leave Curry to coach somebody else, then quickly revised that — “not in the NBA.” Could Kerr take a college job at some point? I’ve always heard that going back to Arizona wasn’t out of the question for him, but that school is doing quite fine with Tommy Lloyd right now.”

Kerr’s own comment about not leaving Stephen Curry to coach anyone else in the NBA may make it likely he’s not going to take another NBA job. However, the disclaimer in his statement did make it clear that college could be an option.

Why Steve Kerr Would Coach Arizona

Many NBA fans are always surprised when a great coach chooses to leave the NBA and prioritize college coaching instead. However, arguments exist for both sides when it comes to coaches getting the best experience.

Winning an NBA Championship is considered the greatest accomplishment in basketball, but Kerr has already experienced that four times in the Curry/Klay Thompson/Draymond Green era. College players are more reliant on coaching, and the coaches hold greater power as the biggest assets for a university.

NBA players have more power than coaches since every contending franchise needs at least one superstar to give them a fair chance. Kerr and other coaches could easily prefer college due to holding more power and influencing the game more via their decisions. The full circle story of coaching at the university he played basketball for could tempt Kerr.

Warriors Must Have Replacements Ready

Golden State will clearly wait on Kerr’s decision since the best-case scenario is his return to the franchise. Kerr might remain with the franchise to continue coaching until the end of Curry’s career to ensure they end their Warriors’ tenures together.

However, the franchise knows that there is a realistic chance that Kerr chooses to leave the franchise. Both scenarios of him coaching elsewhere or leaving coaching altogether create the same issue of needing a replacement for Kerr.

A younger coach may be ideal to utilize new ideas to get the best out of the young Golden State talents like Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, and others. Names like Todd Golden, Sam Cassell, and Mike Budenholzer have been rumored as viable candidates to replace Kerr next season if he leaves the Warriors.