Brett Brown: The Perfect Coach

May 20, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Brett Brown during game four of the Western Conference semifinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center. The Spurs defeated the Clippers 102-99 to win the series 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

We all know by now that Brett Brown was hired as the coach of our beloved Philadelphia 76ers. The weirdest thing about the hiring, is that it was previously reported that the Sixers reached agreement with Brown on draft night. We will probably never know what happened with that rumor, but Brown is the coach regardless.

Brown is the perfect fit to coach this extremely young and not yet finalized team. He has been an assistant coach to the great Gregg Popovich since the 2006-2007 season with the Spurs. Before that, he served as the director of player development for the Spurs the five previous seasons. This is one reason why this is such a good hire for the Sixers. It’s no surprise that the Sixers are going to lose more games than win for a couple seasons and have an extremely young core that has to withstand all those losses. Brown is a genius when it comes to player development, exactly what the Sixers need with such raw talent such as Michael Carter-Williams and Nerlens Noel. Our top two draft picks have potential, but are still extremely raw. Expectations are high for both draft picks, but neither will succeed without a coach that can successfully develop them. Brett Brown will have the perfect opportunity to prove that his stint with the Spurs wasn’t a fluke.

We know that Brown has experience in the player development department, but why does that make him qualified to coach this team? Great question, one that has a great answer. Before coming to the Spurs, Brown spent 14 seasons coaching (9 seasons as head coach) in the Australian National Basketball League. During his 9 seasons as a head coach, Brown has the sixth most victories in NBL history with 149, along with NBL coach of the year honors in 1994 with a league championship the same year. He is also the coach of the Australian National Team, where he will continue to coach. So, Brown isn’t just a player development guy. This coach knows what victory smells like, he understands what it takes to win, he’s been there. No matter what country it happens in, winning is winning. Brown has won in Australia, he’s won with the Spurs, and he will win with the Sixers.

The best thing about this hire is that Brown wants to be here. Even with the team going through some rough patches, Brown understands and is willing to work through them to get to better days. Even after he was pressured by close associates to deny the job, he still accepted it. Check out some of these tweets from his presser:

Brown’s contract is four years guarenteed, which is the perfect length. He will have enough time to develop his talent and by his fourth year, this team should be ready for a playoff push, if the draft goes according. If thing goes sour, both sides can either agree to a short extension or part ways, no harm done. The Sixers don’t have much to lose here and they hired a guy that has all the qualifications to get the most out of this team when it’s ready to win. Unlike the previous coach, Brown will actually play his young players and allow them to grow on the court, earning playing time. The most important thing about this season is that the young players take leaps and bounds forwards, not backwards. Brett Brown was the perfect piece to the puzzle and I’m proud he’s the coach of our Philadelphia Sixers. The future is in good hands people, so cheers to that!