More On Wizards Adding Coaching Expertise From Golden State, Lakers, And Oklahoma City

Wizards Increased Focus on Player Development and Analytics in Recent Coaching Staff Restructure

Candi Waller | Oct 14, 2023

More On Wizards Adding Coaching Expertise From Golden State, Lakers, And Oklahoma City /

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Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards recently announced a restructured coaching staff.

Here’s more on the background of the new additions.

Brian Keefe comes to Washington with 17 seasons of coaching experience, most recently as an assistant coach with the Brooklyn Nets during the 2022-23 season. In his NBA career, Keefe has spent time with the Oklahoma City Thunder as an assistant coach, as well as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks. Keefe played collegiately for two seasons at UC Irvine then transferred to UNLV for his final two years of eligibility.

David Vanterpool enters his first season with the Wizards after most recently spending the 2020-21 season as an assistant coach with the Brooklyn Nets. Prior to his time in Brooklyn, Vanterpool spent time as an associate head coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves and also served as an assistant coach with the Portland Trail Blazers for seven seasons, where he was instrumental in the development of guards Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Before his time in Portland, Vanterpool held the role of director of pro personnel for the Oklahoma City Thunder. As a player, Vanterpool spent part of one NBA season (2000-01) with the Wizards.

Sammy Gelfand enters his first season with the Wizards as assistant coach/analytics. Gelfand spent last season with the New Orleans Pelicans, serving as senior director of basketball analytics. Before his time in New Orleans, Gelfand spent four seasons with the Detroit Pistons as director of coaching analytics and had a seven-year stint with the Golden State Warriors organization helping guide the team to three NBA Championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018.

Landon Tatum has been promoted to player development lead for the Wizards. Tatum served as the Wizards’ Summer League head coach in 2023 after spending the 2022-23 season as associate head coach of the Capital City Go-Go. Tatum has spent the past six years in various roles on the Wizards’ coaching staff.

Cody Toppert joins Capital City after serving as an assistant men’s basketball coach at LSU last season and for the University of Memphis from 2019-22. He also has experience coaching on the professional level, serving as an assistant coach and director of player development for the Phoenix Suns during the 2018-19 season after stints in the NBA G League as a head coach and assistant coach.

Published Oct 14, 2023

CANDI WALLER

Candi Waller also known as "CWall" is the Founder and CEO of CWall® Sports & Entertainment, President of the CWall Foundation, Inc, the Managing Publisher of the Fan Nation Inside the Wizards site, and President of Bowie Television. A native of Gorgeous Prince George's County, Maryland, Candi has been an authentic lover of all sports since her childhood. She was such a sports fan at an early age that she notes one of her favorite childhood shows as the legendary "George Michael Sports Machine". Candi holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Hampton University, Master of Arts in Human Resource Development from The George Washington University and a certificate in Sports Industry Essentials from Columbia University. Prior to and during her work in the sports industry, Candi has established her identity as a results-driven, relationship building advocate and professional with extensive years of experience leading and implementing successful strategic change, communications, and stakeholder engagement programs across geographically dispersed organizations. She’s worked across Big Four and Government Trusted Advisor consulting firms such as IBM, Deloitte, and the MITRE Corporation. She is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, Women in Sports & Events (WISE), the National Press Club (NPC), the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), the Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce and is an ambassador for the National Museum of African American History and Culture. In terms of what she likes to do for fun, that’s just it…anything that is considered fun, she’s all for it! She’s very close to her parents, brother, and sister, and has a host of nieces, nephews, and godchildren.