Lindsey Harding
How about a female who is part of the Brett Brown coaching tree?
Lindsey Harding was a major women’s basketball star before being hired as a scout right for the 2018-19 season by the 76ers. She was promoted to player development coach before the 2019 playoffs (which went a lot better than 2020’s playoffs), so she is familiar with many of the players on the current team.
At the time of her promotion, Brand was quoted in The Undefeated:
"“Her love of the game shines through in everything she does, and I think that has a positive impact on everyone she comes across,” said Sixers general manager Elton Brand. “She’s a rising star in this industry.”"
Is her star rising enough where Brand would make her head coach?
There was no room on Brett Brown’s coaching staff for her, so she accepted an offer from the Sacramento Kings to be an official assistant coach, while still concentrating on player development. (It was an amicable parting).
Harding checks off a lot of boxes for a new Sixers coach.
She has NBA coaching experience, including time with the 76ers, so Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid know her. She had a long and successful playing career of her own and, having been a scout, has more experience than many coaches in talent evaluation (where Brown made some really bad choices when he was interim GM).
The thing against her would be Harding has no experience as a head coach. Hammon has been in charge in summer league and Staley has 20 years as a head coach in college. Being the boss is a lot different than an assistant offering suggestions or working on certain plays.
The Philadelphia 76ers organization got swept in the first round by basing decisions on how the NBA looked in 1992. Maybe doing something forward-looking, like hiring the first woman coach, could help reverse the team’s fortunes.
It could not hurt.