What to know about Wizards interviewee Scott Morrison originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
A number of head coaching candidates have been linked to the Wizards as potential replacements for Scott Brooks, primarily from the assistant coaching ranks.
One coach confirmed to have interviewed for the opening, Celtics assistant Scott Morrison, isn't as well known as Wes Unseld Jr. and Chauncey Billups. To get a better understanding of who the Wizards are potentially considering for the job, here are five things to know about Morrison.
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1. Celtics connection
Morrison has been a member of Brad Stevens' coaching staff in Boston since 2017, though his status with the team moving forward is unknown after Stevens transitioned to the front office and Ime Udoka was hired as the next head coach.
During that four-year run, Morrison made two trips to the Eastern Conference Finals. Stevens hasn't had an assistant move on to be a head coach elsewhere, so Morrison would be the first if he were to get the Wizards job.
Morrison also interviewed for the Celtics head coaching job, but obviously wasn't selected for the position.
2. G-League roots
Before getting promoted to the Celtics' staff in 2017, Morrison led Boston's G-League affiliate in Maine from 2014-17. It was a successful run with the Red Claws too, as Morrison won G-League Coach of the Year in 2015.
We've seen successful head coaches with a background in the G-League like Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, so a choice like this wouldn't be the first of its kind.
3. A proud Canadian
Morrison is a Prince Edward Island native and is an active member of the Canadian national team's coaching staff. He spent four years as an assistant on their U19 team from 2012-16 and has been an assistant on the senior team since 2016.
Morrison got his start in coaching at Lakehead University in Ontario, where he spent 11 years as the head coach and led the school to four straight CIS Final 8 appearances.
4. Gordon Hayward
Brad Stevens liked to assign his assistant coaches to groups of players on the roster for them to primarily work with. One of the players assigned to Morrison was Gordon Hayward while he was in Boston. Hayward's Celtics career was derailed early with a devastating ankle injury in 2017 and Morrison worked closely with the star forward to get him back in the mix once he was healthy.
Injuries continued to mar Hayward's tenure with the Celtics, but when he was healthy during the 2019-20 season, you couldn't complain about the production. Hayward averaged 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists on 50% shooting, earning him a four-year, $120 million contract from the Hornets in free agency.
5. Productive college career
Morrison never made it to the NBA as a player, but he had a prolific career as a college player at the University of Prince Edward Island.
He finished his career in 2000 as the school's all-time leader in assists, three-pointers made and was the fifth leading scorer in school history.
