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David Vanterpool left the Portland Trail Blazers two years ago to take up an Associate Head Coaching job with the Minnesota Timberwolves under then-coach Ryan Saunders. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowksi, Vanterpool will not be staying with the Timberwolves under new coach Chris Finch who took over the reigns mid season.
Minnesota’s Associate HC David Vanterpool and assistant Bryan Gates won’t be returning to new coach Chris Finch’s staff next season, sources tell ESPN. Finch was hired mid-season to replace Ryan Saunders, who had hired Vanterpool and Gates.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 18, 2021
Earlier this year, Portland stars Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum publicly questioned why the Timberwolves hadn’t hired Vanterpool to replace Saunders.
In recent years, Vanterpool has interviewed for a number of head coaching positions across the league, most recently for the Houston Rockets job that eventually went to Stephen Silas 12 months ago. In 2019, Vanterpool interviewed for the Phoenix Sun head coaching job that eventually went to recently anointed Coach of the Year Monty Williams. He also threw his hat in the ring for the Cleveland Cavaliers job secured by John Beilein.
Vanterpool spent seven years assisting Terry Stotts on the Portland bench, where he played a major role in the development of Lillard and McCollum.