Monty Williams, Detroit Pistons Snag Multiple Sixers Coaches

The Detroit Pistons are gaining a couple of 76ers assistants.

Although Monty Williams didn’t end up as the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers after he was considered one of six candidates, the former Phoenix Suns head coach will still work with a couple of Sixers assistants in his next phase.

Earlier this month, Williams inked a deal to become the next head coach of the Detroit Pistons. Initially, it was reported that Williams was contemplating taking a season off after spending the last few seasons as the head coach of the Suns.

But the Pistons made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. While the Pistons are currently in the midst of a rebuild, they seemed ready to find their steady head coach to begin their next phase, which is becoming playoff contenders with a young squad. 

Therefore, the Pistons put a major investment in Williams. When Williams left the Sixers’ coaching staff back in 2018, he joined a Suns squad that was one of the bottom feeders of the Western Conference. After the Suns made some key roster moves tailored to Williams’ system, they were suddenly one of the best teams in the West.

By year two of the Williams era, the Suns were Western Conference Champions before coming up short in the NBA Finals. From then on, the Suns had two more playoff appearances, which ended in the second round. After the 2023 run, Phoenix’s new ownership decided to hit reset with the coaching staff.

With Williams in Detroit now, he’s building out another staff, which includes multiple Sixers assistants. Last week, it was reported that longtime assistant coach Dan Burke would be joining Williams out in Detroit. Burke spent the last three seasons with the 76ers under Doc Rivers. He was credited for being a solid defensive mind in the building, with decades of experience.

Beyond Burke, the Sixers will also lose Spencer Rivers, according to Detroit Free Press’s Omari Sankofa. Rivers, the son of Doc, joined the team in 2020 in a player development role. Rivers worked closely with Sixers standout Tyrese Maxey and the former first-round pick Jaden Springer over the last three seasons. 

With Nick Nurse replacing Rivers, changes were to be expected beyond the departure of Doc Rivers. Since Nurse took over, the Sixers have had several coaches going out, including Burke, Rivers, and Sam Cassell, who is set to join the Boston Celtics.

Meanwhile, the Sixers have recently acquired Stockton Kings head coach Bobby Jackson, and Toronto Raptors assistant Rico Hines to assist Nurse. Now, the focus will be placed on Philadelphia assistant Dave Joerger, who has been one of the Sixers’ most notable assistants since 2020.