Sacramento Kings part ways with head coach Mike Brown

Dec 27, 2024, 1:49 PM | Updated: 3:07 pm

Head coach Mike Brown of the Sacramento Kings reacts during the first quarter against the Philadelp...

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Lead Editor & Kings Beat Writer

A rough start to the 2024-25 season has caused the Sacramento Kings to make a head coaching change.

Mike Brown, the unanimous NBA Head Coach of the Year award winner from the 2022-23 season, has parted ways with the Kings, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Sacramento (13-18) is five games under the .500 mark and is in the midst of its first five-game losing streak since January 2022, creating tension within the Kings organization following back-to-back postseason appearances.

Brown, who signed a multi-year extension with Sacramento just six months ago, will depart with a record of 107-88 (.549) over two and half seasons.

Franchise legend and current assistant coach Doug Christie will assume the role of interim head coach for the final 51 games, per Charania.

Just In: The Sacramento Kings are parting ways with head coach Mike Brown, sources told ESPN. pic.twitter.com/mNdn5EOv4U

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 27, 2024

There had been whispers in recent weeks that changes could be on the horizon for the Kings, and typically, in situations like these, head coaching changes are the first domino to fall.

After signing an extension just a handful of months ago, Brown’s future with the franchise would normally wouldn’t be in question, but multiple sources indicated that there had been disconnect brewing between Brown and the Kings’ front office dating back to the start of the regular season.

It’s no secret that Sacramento’s roster has lacked forward depth for years. That shortage of versatility has impacted the Kings’ ability to defend, particularly on the perimeter, with Brown now out of the picture, all eyes will shift to GM Monte McNair.

McNair will look to re-tool a roster that could look much different in the coming weeks, especially when you factor in the uncertainty currently surrounding De’Aaron Fox’s future.

Stability in the head coaching position is unfamiliar for Sacramento, as the Kings cycled through 11 coaches in 13 years after excusing Hall of Fame coach Rick Adelman in 2006.

The Kings will finish the 2024-25 season with Christie at the helm before reevaluating the role in the offseason, where they will once again conduct a coaching search just three years removed from when they hired Brown in the summer of 2022.

Fair or unfair, Brown is out of a job–but will continue to be paid by Sacramento through the 2026-27 season.

The Kings will once again pay multiple head coaches at the same time for years to come. Just like old times.

When is the next Sacramento Kings game?

Sacramento will head south for a one-game trip to face the Los Angeles Lakers for the final time this regular season.

Los Angeles has won all three matchups against the Kings thus far, including a two-game sweep at Golden 1 Center last week that was capped off by a 103-99 win on Saturday.

The Lakers haven’t swept the Kings in a four-game regular season series since the 2009-10 season.

Be sure to catch all of the Kings vs. Lakers drama right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage starting at 2:00 PM PT on Game Night before action tips off at 7:30 PM PT from downtown Los Angeles.