Shining the Spotlight on the NBA’s Emerging Assistant Coaches
The NBA has 30 Teams, 30 coaching staffs, and over 200 coaches occupying the bench around the league. This is a part 1 of the assistant coaches in the league who are rising stars in their roles whether they’re future head coach candidates or making an impact on their current teams, coaching staffs, and/or their players.
In a future article, we will cover the most impactful assistant coaches in the league, part 2 of our rising stars, and historically, the most impactful assistant coaches in league history. So, stay tuned and sign up for our newsletter so you can stay up to date with what we create and publish.
Sam Cassell (BOS)
Boston Celtics associate head coach Sam Cassell has been a strong name for several head coaching searches in the last few seasons but has yet to serve as a head coach in the NBA.
Cassell is a 4x champion, winning 3 rings as a player with the Houston Rockets in 1994 and 1995, with the Boston Celtics in 2008, and one championship so far as a coach as an assistant with the Celtics in 2024. He has worked with several all-star guards such as: John Wall, Bradley Beal, Chris Paul, Ben Simmons, Paul George, James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Jrue Holiday.
Coach Cassell was a finalist for the Los Angeles Lakers head coaching job in 2024, but JJ Redick was named as the favorite. Cassell can be a great fit for a young and rebuilding team and 2 of the possible head coaching vacancies in the New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trail Blazers fit his resume and experience (assuming James Borrego and Tiago Splitter aren’t retained as the head coach of their respective teams).
Chris Quinn (MIA)
The Miami Heat associate head coach has been a head coaching candidate for the past couple of seasons but has yet received a chance to show what he can bring to a team as their head coach.
Quinn, who has served under Spoelstra’s coaching staff since 2014 has learned a lot from not only Spoelstra, but from other great players and coaches he’s worked with over the years including Pat Riley, Juwan Howard, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Goran Dragic, Kyle Lowry, and more. The Heat also reached the NBA Finals (2020 and 2023) and made another appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2022 Playoffs.
Coach Quinn has built a reputation for having an offensive and strong player development philosophy, which is heavily inspired by Spoelstra’s and Miami’s culture. One of the biggest questions will be answered in this year’s upcoming coaching carousel, Will Chris Quinn get his chance to become an NBA Head coach?
Josh Longstaff (CHA)
Charlotte Hornets assistant coach Josh Longstaff has worked around multiple young and rebuilding teams including the Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, and now the Charlotte Hornets. Amongst those teams he coached notable players in Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Kristaps Porziņģis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Zach LaVine, Alex Caruso, Demar DeRozan, and currently with the Hornets: LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knueppel.
Having a defensive preference of the basketball, Longstaff brings in an impactful resume of player development. The Hornets have made improvements compared to last season, but with a rebuilding team, it’s going to take a while.
Sean Sheldon (UTA)
Sean Sheldon has worked his way up to front of the bench in Utah where he has assisted Will Hardy with the team’s defense. He also works with the forwards in Utah such as Lauri Markkanen. Sheldon was also an assistant coach for the Finnish National Team for the FIBA World Cup 2023.
The Utah Jazz remains a rebuilding team in 2026, but with the amount of talent they currently have and the draft capital the front office has stored up, the franchise could choose multiple ways for them to speed up the rebuild or acquire the pieces they need from other teams.
Lindsey Harding (LAL)
Lindsey Harding has been coaching in the NBA since 2018 when she was a player development coach and scout with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2018. Coach Harding became the first ever Stockton Kings head coach to win the G-League coach of the year award in 2024, later that year she was also the first woman to become an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Harding is known for her player development experience and her ability to connect with players mentally in addition to helping them train physically. It’s without a doubt she brings a lot of value to a team’s player development scheme.
God Shammgod (ORL)
Player development coach God Shammgod is absolutely a fan favorite, known for his signature ball-handling move “The Shammgod” was known for his work with the guards in Dallas, key examples being Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson and Kyrie Irving.
In 2025, he was officially named an assistant coach for the Orlando Magic where he works with their key guards in Anthony Black, Jase Richardson, and Desmond Bane.
Jared Dudley (DEN)
Now on David Adelman’s staff with the Nuggets, Jared Dudley has practically been coaching since his last few years in his playing career, where he mostly played a mentor role to the younger players and a bridge between generations, being considered at times a “mini addition” to the coaching staff.
Dudley spent the last 4 seasons with the Mavericks under Jason Kidd before joining Denver’s staff as the lead assistant coach. He has built a reputation for his strong connection to his players while adding a defensive presence within the staff.
Dudley is moving up the coaching ladder quicker than a lot of coaches, especially those who were former players. I strongly believe we’ll see Dudley’s name be mentioned in future head coaching searches, whether that’s in the NBA or outside of it.
J.J. Outlaw (WAS)
J.J. Outlaw once played in the National Football League, now he sits front of the bench with the Washington. He has prior NBA stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Memphis Grizzlies, and the Los Angeles Lakers where he’s worked with all star players in Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, Mike Conley, and Donovan Mitchell.
Outlaw has built a strong reputation for his player‑development expertise and defensive acumen. His coaching voice has been shaped by his father and by respected NBA leaders such as Mike D’Antoni, Byron Scott, Bernie Bickerstaff, and J.B. Bickerstaff.
Hey! I’m Joe, the Founder & Managing Editor of Behind the Coaching. I primarily write about Basketball, but I oversee the editorial for all sports on our website. Hope you have a great time here!
