http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/108546843599780.xml Hill to speak to Shinn today Karl is not interested in coaching Hornets Tuesday, May 25, 2004 By Jimmy Smith and John Reid par Staff writers Former Hornets assistant coach Brian Hill will interview today with majority owner George Shinn for the head coaching vacancy in New Orleans, league sources said Monday. Meanwhile, the agent for George Karl said his client isn't interested in the job. Hill, who guided the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals in 1995 as its head coach, was a finalist last summer for the job that went to Tim Floyd. Floyd was fired May 7 after one season with the Hornets following a 41-41 regular-season record and a first-round playoff elimination. A league source said Shinn has spent the past three days in Los Angeles interviewing Michael Cooper, coach of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks, and TNT analyst Mike Fratello, former coach of the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers. At the same time, it was business as usual in New Orleans. On Monday at the Alario Center, the Hornets worked out their first group of draft prospects -- Brigham Young guard Rafael Araujo, Nevada guard Kirk Snyder, Missouri guard Rickey Paulding and Kent State center John Edwards. Assistant coaches Jeff Bower, Kenny Gattison and Jan van Breda Kolff, who all have remained on the team's payroll since Floyd's dismissal, helped conduct the workouts with Bob Bass, the Hornets' executive vice president of basketball operations/general manager, and assistant general manager Allan Bristow. Point guard Baron Davis also watched some of the drills. The Hornets will hold workouts until Thursday. In the June 24 draft, the Hornets have the 18th pick in the first round and 44th in the second. Through a team spokesman Monday, Shinn would not discuss the specifics of his search for a coach, saying, "as soon as a decision is made, we will make an announcement." Last week, Shinn interviewed former New Jersey Nets coach Byron Scott for two days, giving him a tour of the team's practice and game facilities, offices and jet. One person Shinn will not have to interview is Karl, former coach of the Seattle SuperSonics and Milwaukee Bucks. "At this point," said Warren Legarie, Karl's San Francisco-based agent, "George doesn't have a real interest in that particular job." Former Houston Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich also had told the Hornets he had no interest in the vacancy. Hill spent half a season this year as an assistant to Lawrence Frank with the Nets. Frank was Hill's assistant with the Vancouver Grizzlies from 1997 to 2000. Hill has more than six years experience as an NBA head coach. He has a 222-227 (.494) career record and is 18-18 in the postseason. In addition to the 1995 Finals, Hill led the Magic to the 1996 Eastern Conference finals. Fratello has 14 years of NBA head coaching experience. He led the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers to nine postseason appearances. Three times (1986, 1987, 1988) he guided the Hawks into the Eastern Conference semifinals. He has a career regular-season coaching record of 572-465 (.552) and a postseason mark of 20-34 (.370). Neither Fratello, nor his agent, Atlanta-based Lonnie Cooper, returned telephone calls Monday. Bass, who is retiring next month, said Monday he couldn't give a time frame on when the team will hire its next coach. "It could happen at any time, or it could go on another two to three weeks," Bass said, adding the team would like to have someone in place before the June 24 draft. "I just can't put a time on it. "I would say the coaching search is going a lot faster than the general manager search at this point. The general manager search is going kind of slow right now. I don't think we're moving very fast on that one." Bass is more in the background for this summer's coaching hunt but did sit in last week when Shinn interviewed Scott. "Let's say I'm updated every day on what's going on," Bass said. "I was involved when Byron Scott came in. I spent a lot of time with him. "I don't really like coaching changes. But it's the NBA, and I understand that and know it. The search is always tough, trying to get the right decision, get the right coach for the particular team we have." . . . . . . . Jimmy Smith can be reached at [email protected] or (504) 826-3814. John Reid can be reached at [email protected] or (504) 826-3787. --

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