Former Indiana Pacers assistant coach and NBA player Brian Shaw agreed to become the head coach of the Denver Nuggets on Monday night, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. Shaw has served as an NBA assistant since 2005, beginning with the Los Angeles Lakers, and has served as an assistant to Pacers coach Frank Vogel since 2011.
"I'm so appreciative for the opportunity to be able to lead this team and for the faith that [Nuggets team president] Josh Kroenke and [general manager] Tim Connelly have put in me," Shaw told Shelburne. "It's been a long time coming. I've been prepared by the best of the best for a long time. I'm just really looking forward to it."
Shaw will replace current NBA Coach of the Year George Karl, who parted ways with the Nuggets after they were upset in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs by Golden State. Denver had a 57-25 record under Karl last season and finished third in the Western Conference.
"I look at the positive things that they did, the things they did well under George Karl, and try to continue to build on those," Shaw said. "And in some of the areas where they could use improvement, try to improve in those areas. I want to put my own spin on things, push the right buttons and find the right combinations."
The Denver Post originally broke the story of Shaw's agreement with the Nuggets. Shaw was one of the most sought after coaches on the market, gaining interest from multiple teams before agreeing to join Denver.
The Nuggets were also considering former Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, who the Post confirmed through league sources, was previously the team's top choice.
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