Indiana Pacers assistant coach Brian Shaw has agreed to become the Denver Nuggets new head coach, the Denver Post reported Monday.
It will be the first head coaching job for Shaw, who reportedly also was a candidate for several other head coaching vacancies.
Shaw, 47, will take over a team that won 57 games last season. That helped George Karl be named NBA coach of the year. Nonetheless, Karl was fired by the Nuggets, who lost to the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs.
“I can’t express my appreciation enough,” Shaw told the Post. “It’s been a grind to say the least, but I’m just very appreciative of the opportunity to lead this team. … It’s been years, 11-12 interviews I’ve gone through. And I’ve felt I’ve been prepared by the best of the best. You know, everything that’s worth something, a lot of times you have to wait for it. I feel like I’ve waited and paid my dues.
“I feel honored and privileged that (Nuggets executives) Josh (Kroenke) and Tim (Connelly) have put faith in me that I’m the guy they want to grow with going forward.”