Report: Kenny Smith will not be Rockets coach

Kenny Smith is reportedly no longer a candidate for the Rockets’ head coaching job.

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Kenny Smith is no longer a candidate for the Houston Rockets’ head coaching job, reports ESPN’s Calvin Watkins.

The team has not yet determined finalists for the job, according to the report, but Smith—despite an impressive interview—has been ruled out.

If hired, Smith would have joined recent coaches such as Steve Kerr and Mark Jackson as TV commentators who made the jump to head coaching with no prior experience in the role. Smith is currently an analyst for TNT’s Inside the NBA, where he has worked since 1998.

Smith played six seasons for the Rockets from 1990–96. He won two championships with the team, and is Houston’s franchise leader in three-point percentage.

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Smith averaged 12.8 points and 5.5 assists per game in his 10-year career.