Quin Snyder Leaving the Lakers

[tommy]

Quin is leaving his position as an assistant to Mike Brown with the Lakers and has signed on as an assistant with CSKA Moscow, which I believe is Trajan's old team, and a very good one. Not sure how this helps Quin get a head coaching position in the NBA, which it seemed like he was interested in very recently, but the move obviously must make sense to him. Best of luck!

http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers...,7741850.story

[-bdbd]

Quin is leaving his position as an assistant to Mike Brown with the Lakers and has signed on as an assistant with CSKA Moscow, which I believe is Trajan's old team, and a very good one. Not sure how this helps Quin get a head coaching position in the NBA, which it seemed like he was interested in very recently, but the move obviously must make sense to him. Best of luck!

http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers...,7741850.story

I was surprised by this too. But maybe he didn't think he was going to get the Magic job, or didn't think it attractive in view of their personnel "diaspora" underway. But I saw elsewhere the offer from CSKA described as "very lucrative." CSKA is one of the very best programs in Europe too. And the Head Coach that he'll be the lead assistant to, Messina, is well-known and well-thought-of. I'm guessing they knew each other from both serving the Lakers last season.

"Snyder will be the lead assistant under Ettore Messina, who served as a consultant with the Lakers last season before returning to CSKA Moscow"

I'm hoping this is no more than a 1-2 year learning experiernce, before he returns to Head Coach at a good team in the NBA...
Good luck Quin!!

[COYS]

I was surprised by this too. But maybe he didn't think he was going to get the Magic job, or didn't think it attractive in view of their personnel "diaspora" underway. But I saw elsewhere the offer from CSKA described as "very lucrative." CSKA is one of the very best programs in Europe too. And the Head Coach that he'll be the lead assistant to, Messina, is well-known and well-thought-of. I'm guessing they knew each other from both serving the Lakers last season.

"Snyder will be the lead assistant under Ettore Messina, who served as a consultant with the Lakers last season before returning to CSKA Moscow"

I'm hoping this is no more than a 1-2 year learning experiernce, before he returns to Head Coach at a good team in the NBA...
Good luck Quin!!

CSKA Moscow can afford to throw around pretty lucrative deals, as you state. While the NBA is still the crown jewel for coaches, it is very possible that Quin is making more money in Europe than he would have with the lakers while also having a better chance of getting a head coaching gig, whether at a big Euro club or in the NBA. Who knows, for sure? But I don't think we should look at his move back to Europe as a step backwards for his career. Personally, I'd rather be the head coach of one of the top Euro clubs than for a bad NBA team with little hope for the future. I'd certainly rather be an assistant at a contender like CSKA than a head coach for a team like, say, the Bobcats.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I'd certainly rather be an assistant at a contender like CSKA than a head coach for a team like, say, the Bobcats.

Wow, really? You'd throw away a chance at being in the driver seat and the opportunity to turn a team's fortune around just because they aren't good this year? I'm glad David Cutcliffe didn't suscribe to your line of thinking.

[BD80]

Wow, really? You'd throw away a chance at being in the driver seat and the opportunity to turn a team's fortune around just because they aren't good this year? I'm glad David Cutcliffe didn't suscribe to your line of thinking.

Would Cutcliffe have worked for MJ?

I'd rather work in Siberia than work for MJ.

[COYS]

Wow, really? You'd throw away a chance at being in the driver seat and the opportunity to turn a team's fortune around just because they aren't good this year? I'm glad David Cutcliffe didn't suscribe to your line of thinking.

I appreciate your sentiment, but Coach Cut Has the support of the administration to make a winner. Thats a good challenge and one i would gladly accept. That's a vastly different situation than coaching for a franchise with a history of questionable management, and where one cannot even be certain that creating a contender is even a real priority. I don't think this shows a bad attitude of any kind. It just means if you're going to go somewhere to rebuild a program or a franchise, it is important to make sure you're going to a place that is committed to the same goals and is capable of giving you the necessary tools to achieve them. I think it is perfectly fair to question whether or not some NBA franchises are well run enough to offer that chance and in no way shows a bad attitude.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I appreciate your sentiment, but Coach Cut Has the support of the administration to make a winner. Thats a good challenge and one i would gladly accept. That's a vastly different situation than coaching for a franchise with a history of questionable management, and where one cannot even be certain that creating a contender is even a real priority. I don't think this shows a bad attitude of any kind. It just means if you're going to go somewhere to rebuild a program or a franchise, it is important to make sure you're going to a place that is committed to the same goals and is capable of giving you the necessary tools to achieve them. I think it is perfectly fair to question whether or not some NBA franchises are well run enough to offer that chance and in no way shows a bad attitude.

Fair enough, but Quinn was interested in the job and in the running for it until the end. I think the Bobcats made one of the strangest hires in history at the end of their process; one that doesn't scream "we are looking to win", so you may be right. I think it's odd that Quinn packed his bags all the way to Russia and out of the NBA; I wonder if he was looking to get out of LA.

[Billy Dat]

This move is extremely intriguing, and I hope we get a more in-depth interview with Snyder somewhere down the line to get greater insight into his decision.

But I saw elsewhere the offer from CSKA described as "very lucrative." CSKA is one of the very best programs in Europe too. And the Head Coach that he'll be the lead assistant to, Messina, is well-known and well-thought-of. I'm guessing they knew each other from both serving the Lakers last season.

The key to the move is certainly contained within the quote that -bdbd supplied. Knowing the Snyder has kids here in the US, this had to be a very difficult decision. But, aside from some of the questionable decisions he made as a head coach at Missou, I think he is generally regarded as one of the smartest, savviest guys around so this must be part of a larger grand plan.

Here's the official team press release, it is classic how many references there are to CSKA legend, Trajan Langdon
http://www.cskabasket.com/news/?id=11395&lang=en

[Turk]

Intriguing is a good word. Inexplicable is another.

Here's the story if it were pitched like a movie:

Scrappy, savvy, skinny kid from remote basketball outpost has successful college career on national stage;
Player graduates, spends several years learning coaching craft as professional student / volunteer assistant, becomes full-time assistant;
Young coach takes over for beloved old legend, takes program to unprecedented levels of success;
It's too much success too fast; coach crashes and burns for real or imagined violations of arbitrary "student / athlete" rules;
Coach vanishes then resurfaces in minor-league backwater; rediscovers love of game and passion for teaching;
Works his way back as respected pro assistant...

So at this point, the hero should be in the hunt for head position and climactic run with championship team as credits roll...

But I guess life doesn't work out like that. Of all the places for Quin to go coach next, Moscow seems the most bizarre. I read Paul Shirley's book and he played over there. If Quin doesn't know Russian, he's going to be in for a tough haul.

I'm not buying any baloney about "career advancement" (Euroleague, really?!?) or "Russians with too much money" (for that, Quin could have signed on with the Nets).

Anyway, I hope it works out and Quin finds what he's looking for...